PONTZ LANDSCAPE SERVICE, INC.
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813 ROHRER RD. LANCASTER, PA 17603
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717-285-3510 / FAX 717-394-6485
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Newsletter Archive:
* Spring Home Show Update
* Our Favorite Plants
Newsletter Moves to Website
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Introduction to Fiber Optic Lights
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* Fiber Optic Lighting Update
Preparing your pond for winter
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* Jim's Day as the C.T.C.
* Event Schedule for 2006
Plants to Soften the Perimeter of a Pond or Patio
Nothing seems to add beauty and naturalizes the perimeter of a patio or
pond more than low, creeping, spreading types of plants and there are
many choices available to us. Most people use various types of
groundcover to accomplish this task however there are many different
types of flowers that also look great when planted around a patio or pond.
And, unlike many types of groundcover, these flowers also produce an
abundance of color. Some of the flowers we use for this purpose most
often include:
Waterperry Veronica – this small green leafed perennial only grows about
three to four inches high and it has a spreading growth pattern. It
produces very tiny and beautiful light blue flowers in the spring that will
last for about a month or two. Another variety of Veronica very similar to
Waterperry is Georgia Blue. It too produces light blue flowers in the
spring however it will grow to a height of about six to eight inches. Either
of these two Veronica’s are a great choice, particularly for around the
edges of a pond as they will grow down over and soften the edges of the
pond.
Saponaria – Also known as Soapwart, the Saponaria plant is one of our
favorite perennials. If you like “dainty” type flowers, you’re going to love
this plant. It produces a profusion of tiny, vivid pink flowers in the spring.
The two varieties most commonly found in our area include ocymoides,
which grows to about six to nine inches and x ‘Max Frei’, which gets
about twelve inches high. Both do best in sandy soil and are often used in
rock walls and crevices. They both bloom in May/June.
Sedum – There are many types of Sedum to choose from. Some can
grow to a height of about three to four feet but most stay much smaller
than that. Some best choices for around a pond include Sedum floriferum
‘Weihenstephaner Gold’ which grows to about four to eight inches high
and produces yellow
flowers in June. There’s also Sedum kamtschaticum which produces
yellow flowers in July/Aug and grows to about four to eight inches high.
Then there’s Sedum k. ‘Variegata which grows about four to eight inches
high and produces orange/yellow flowers in July/Aug. There’s Sedum
‘Ruby Mantle’ which is an August bloomer that has consistently red
foliage. Sedum sieboldi ‘Variegata’ grows slightly higher to about eight to
ten inches and it has blue/gray leaves with creamy edges. Last but not
least there’s the ever popular Sedum ‘Dragon’s Blood. This Sedum only
gets about four inches high, has small, bronze/green foliage with red fall
color and rose/red flowers in June. There are many other types of
Sedum available in addition to those we have listed.
Violet (Viola) – There are many types of Violets available and most are
early bloomers, blooming in April/May. Some varieties, such as pedata,
commonly known as “Birds Foot Violet”, bloom as early as March (small,
dark violet, lower petals of pale lilac). Some other varieties to consider
include ‘Freckles’ (pale blue dotted with purple flects), c. ‘Royal Robe’
(vibrant purple) and c. ‘White Czar’ (white with purple veins). These three
varieties grow to about five to six inches high.
Thyme (Thymus) – There are many varieties of Thyme and they all can
add a delicate touch to your garden. Their tiny leaves are fragrant when
touched and produce a variety of colored flowers. Thyme requires a full
sun environment and needs well drained soil. Some types to choose from
include praecox ‘Albus’ which gets two inches high and produces white
flowers in June, p. ‘Doretta Klaber’ which only grows one inch high and
produces pink flowers in July and pseudolanuginosus, commonly
referred to as “Whooly Thyme. It grows one inch high and produces pale
pink flowers in June.
Verbena – This is one low growing, spreading perennial that’s needs lots
of room to grow. Our favorite is ‘Homestead Purple’. It features dark
green foliage and produces rich purple flowers from mid spring until mid
fall. It’s often used as a groundcover as it will grow to five to six feet
round. Although it’s a
perennial, it often times will not survive our harsh winters so we consider
it an annual. Some other varieties available include bonariensis (purple)
and ‘Sissinghurst’ (deep pink). There are red and white flowering
varieties of Verbena also available.
Siberian Bugloss (Brunnera) – The Brunnera, although sometimes difficult
to find, is a beautiful perennial that produes heart shaped, dark green
leaves and it produces masses of For-Get-Me-Not type, intense blue
flowers. Growing to about twelve to fifteen inches high, it needs partial
shade, requires rich, moist soil and it blooms in May/June.
For-Get-Me-Not (Myosotis) – Yet another dainty flowering perennial, the
For-Get-Me-Not is also sometimes difficult to find in garden centers. It
features light green, pointed leaves and quarter inch light blue flowers
that bloom in April/May. It will sometimes also bloom sporadically during
the summer. Some types available include ‘Indigo Blue’ which grows
about four to six inches high, sylvatica ‘Blue Bell’ which produces indigo
blue flowers with a yellow eye and grows to six to eight inches and s.
‘Rosea’ which also grows to about six to eight inches high but produces
light pink flowers with a yellow eye.
A variety of For-Get-Me-Not you can plant directly in your pond is
palustris. It grows about six to eight inches high and produces bright blue
flowers with a yellow eye. It requires constant moisture and can be
planted directly in the pond.
There are many other perennials that will do a great job of “softening” the
edges of a pond or patio. Some others you might want to consider
include Iberis (Candytuft), Aurinis (Basket of Gold), Armeria (Thrift),
Lamium (Deadnettle), Gypsophila (Dwarf Baby’s Breath), Delosperma
(Iceplant), Campanula (Bellflower), Arabis (Rock Cress) and Teucrium
(geramander).
Pontz Landscape Service, Inc. is proud
to announce that the recipient of the
2006 Chester E. Pontz Memorial
Scholarship ($1000.00) is Mr. Kyle
Stauffer of Millersville, Pa. Kyle is a
graduate of Dayspring Christian
Academy in Lancaster and will be
attending West Virginia University this
fall where he will study landscape
architecture. His future plans include
establishing his own landscaping
company.
On behalf of everyone at Pontz
Landscape Service, Inc., we
congratulate Kyle and we wish him the
best as he begins his college career.
“The way to get things done is not to mind
who gets the credit for doing them”
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Fourth Annual Pennsylvania
Garden Expo Held:
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The annual Pennsylvania Garden Expo
was held at the Pennsylvania Farm
Show building in Harrisburg on March 9
– 12. Attendance at this growing and
quality garden show was up
considerably this year with an
estimated twenty thousand people
attending. Pontz Landscape Service
took part in the show with a twenty five
hundred square foot display that
featured a pond with a waterfall, a
gazebo, two arbors, a Mantauk
flagstone patio and walkways, two
bronze sculptures, garden furniture
and accents, low voltage lighting and
an extensive collection of plants and
trees.
All of us at Pontz Landscape Service
would like to thank everyone who
stopped by our display and visited with
us and we hope you enjoyed the show
as much as we did.
“You’re getting old when you don’t care
where your spouse goes just as long as you
don’t have to go along”
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“It’s the things in common that make
relationships enjoyable, but it’s the little
differences that make them interesting”
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