I’ve heard many horror stories from customers and online friends about how some critter had trashed their pond. Herons, raccoons, and even deer have been known to cause problems in water gardens. In all the years we’ve had ponds, we’ve been very luck to have had almost no problems with any wildlife. Well…that is until last fall when our luck began to run short.

Last fall we began to wake up every morning to a few up turned water lilies in our growing tanks. We knew there were raccoons living down by the barn, so it didn’t take long to realize they had finally discovered the “water park” in the garden. Among everything else that has to be done in the fall to prepare for winter, nothing was done about this problem. Maybe by spring they would forget about the ponds or better yet, move on to a new home. Wishful thinking, that was.

As spring arrived, we knew the raccoons were still around, but they appeared to be behaving themselves. Of course, that didn’t last. At first, it was just one or two pots along the edge of the pond. Then they discovered how much fun it was to play in the marginals tank. When they found the tropical water lily tank and dumped most of the lilies in one night, that was the final straw!

That night we set the live trap behind the tropical lily tank and baited it with an egg. The next morning…nothing. The second night we moved the trap near the marginals tank and baited it with a raccoon’s favorite midnight snack, marshmallows. The next morning…well, just see for yourself…

Mother raccoon is still around, so the battle is not over, but this is a good start!

The big pond still needs a little work before it is finished, but it has come a long way this year. Our Victoria water lily is in place in the center and is gaining in size. It loves all this heat we are getting!	Water snowflakes are great little tropical plants for small ponds or around the edge of larger ponds. The floating pads resemble tiny lily pads, but the flowers are very unique. This is the yellow variety. Water snowflake is also great for ponds that are too shaded for water lilies to bloom.
Hardy water lily ‘Mangkala Ubol’. I’ve posted pictures of this lily before, but these are just too pretty to pass up!

We haven’t made it through 2005, but some gardeners are already looking toward the 2006 gardening season. Every year since 1996 the American Hosta Growers Association has chosen a hosta as Hosta of the Year. The hosta chosen is a variety that makes a good garden plant in all regions of the country, is widely available, and retails for about $15 the year it is selected. The Hosta of the Year for 2006 will be ‘Stained Glass’. ‘Stained Glass’ is a sport of ‘Guacamole’ with much brighter yellow leaves surrounded by a dark green margin. Given its background, it comes as no surprise that ‘Stained Glass’ would make a great plant. It is somewhat slower growing than the rest of the family and won’t get as large. ‘Stained Glass’ is tolerant of quite a lot of sun and has the same big, white, fragrant flowers as ‘Guacamole’.

Hosta ‘Stained Glass’

The day lilies add a bright splash of color to the garden in July. We don’t have a lot of day lilies and the ones we do grow are winding down, now, but it is easy to see how people go crazy collecting them. Hmmm…sounds like some people and their hostas, huh?

Day lily ‘Big Smile’

You can see a few more day lilies and other pictures from around the garden in the July 2005 gallery.