than Townsville. Even in South East Queensland(in the hills behind the Gold Coast), I find thedarker colours flower best in warm water, butonce the temperature is over 30 Celcius, the flow-ers burn, curl up, and die.

Bugs are a problem; the warmer the tempera-ture, the worse they become. It is illegal to have abody of water without fish in it in Queensland incase the Ross River mosquito breed and cause adebilitating disease which affects thebrain like meningitis. The disease isalso thought to be distributed byducks who have visited the Ross Riverarea during summer.

I live in a valley in a gap betweentwo mountains, which are nationalparks. The national parks draw manyvisitors to walk in the rainforest, sitand sip coffee on a suspended deckover the tree tops, and generally soakup the peace and tranquility of thearea which is only half an hour from

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the busy Gold Coast area and its miles of goldenbeaches, bronzed lifeguards, and topless, sun-bathing tourists.

In our valley, the wind can whistle down and,during winter, we often get frosts. Last winter wehad several nights of –2 celcius and the larger fishin my above ground ponds started to die (sword-tails, mollies, etc.). I had to bring them into theindoor aquariums.

“Creating backyard havens”

Water gardening in Australia is onlynow becoming popular — probablybecause our seasonal weather pat-

terns seem to be changing and it rains more, andalso because more housing estates have pipedwater instead of people having to rely on rain-water tanks.

Learning water gardening in Australia is ham-pered by the fact that most books arewritten in countries where the seasonsare alternate and imperial measure-ments and Fahrenheit temperatures areused. Here we use metric and Celcius,and so have to convert everything. Theworst part is that you fall in love with aphoto of a plant you must have, spendsix months writing letters to all the watergarden nurseries, and then find it isn’t inthe country.

Gardening Australia (who have aweekly TV gardening programme andissue a monthly magazine) did a featureon how easy it is to build a pond andissued a Collectors issue No. 13‘Watergardening’. This was the onlybook with articles written by Australianwatergardeners, with photos of plantswe can readily buy and seasons and tem-peratures we could understand withoutbrainstrain. Unfortunately, it is nolonger available.

Australia is so large that winters inTasmania are very cold (snow in parts)and dry; in Victoria it is cold, windy andwet; in New South Wales, it is cold anddry; in Queensland, South Australia,

64 Pond & Garden

West Australia and Northern Territory, it is cool-er and dry.

In Northern Teritory and Queensland, downthe coast as far as Townsville, the winter termper-atures are so warm that tropical lilies flower allyear. However, it is difficult to grow tropical liliesin outside ponds further south than Canberra.Hardy lilies do not perform well further north

Water Gardening inAustralia by Sheila Tierney

Think water gardening in Australia and the Aussie native, N. gigantea comesto mind. The bluish-white N. gigantea ‘Albert de Lestang’, the largest of thegigantea variants, was introduced by George Pring in 1946 and named tohonor the noted Australian plant collector.

A bridge allows pond visitors to view the life in the middle of the pond.

Lush landscaping around the pond enhances the tropical ambiance.

Mount Tamorine, within one hour’sdrive inland from the Gold Coastand 1 1/2 hour’s drive south from

Bisbane, is a tourist mecca with spectacularviews from the fringes of the plateau out overthe rainforest and palms and green farmlandrolling out to the Pacific Ocean. The plus ofcool, fragrant air makes it an ideal honeymoondestination.

Several wedding chapels offer garden beds ofsuccessive blooms, along with stone pillars,arches, seats, bird fountains, ponds and water-

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falls in the landscaping. Avalon WeddingChapel offers 10 acres of gardens, a white stoneGrecian-style chapel, orchards, and a pond com-plete with an arched bridge. Day-blooming andnight flowering tropicals and hardy lilies areplanted in 50 cm plastic (terracotta look-alike)bowls to provide lush color around the clock tenmonths of the year. Water is run out through ahollow log down the face of sandstone rocks toentice the goldfish to play.

“Creating backyard havens”

I use above-ground ponds asthey are easier onmy back to manage,and they keep thepoisonous cane toads out. Unfortunately, they appearto lose heat from the sides, and it takes plants longerto bloom in them than the same plant in the in-ground dams and ponds.

To control the cane toads we don heavy shoesand go out at night with old supermarket bags anda torchlight. You can see the white throats of thetoads in the starlight; when you shine the torchonto them, they crouch. You need to pick them upbefore they adjust to the light and hop away. Myhusband grabs the back leg, and I put my foot onthe toad’s back and then grab a back leg; ourdaughter puts her hand inside the bag, picks themup, and drop them into a plastic bag. When wefirst moved to this property, our record was 157 inone night! After seven years here, we hardly get20 a night. Unfortunately, this has made us lazyand now we hardly go out at night at all, so thepopulations are building again. During winter

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they hibernate, so one way of easilyremoving them in bulk is to deliber-ately leave piles of prunings, sheets of

old steel, piles of timber, etc. around the garden.During winter, clean them up and you will find adozen or more toads sleeping beneath them. Onceyou have the toads in the bag, it is kindest to putthem in the freezer. Be careful to dedicate a shelfto the toads or mark the bags. It is a rude shock toopen the freezer and find a frozen toad staring atyou when it has escaped the bag. When the house-hold rubbish is being collected, don’t forget totake the frozen toads, too.

Despite the drawbacks, water gardening isbecoming more popular. I have yet to find any-thing to beat the tranquility found of sittingbeside a pond, dappled with light and shade, andwatching the fish nibble at the biscuit crumbs Ihave sprinkled on the water’s surface.❧

Sheila Tierney and her husband have a pond-buildingbusiness in Australia.

A semi-shady narrow bed next to a wallbecomes special with the addition of a pondand its landscaping.

AustralianPond Tour by Sheila Tierney

The lovely water garden at Avalon Wedding Chapel at Mount Tamorine is but one of the reasons the Chapel is one of the most pop-ular in the area.

Using shade-cloth to make theentertainment area comfortablein the summer heat creates land-scaping challenges. Impatiens pro-vide lush color in the shade.

Tranquil FormalityA retired businessman fell in love with an

original Queensland homestead, even though itneeded lots of TLC. Many happy hours of tin-kering and painting later, the house wasrestored and they turned to the garden.Deciding the home needed a focal point in theback garden, the man and his son moved the old

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fountain they had discovered out front to be thecenter of a new stonework pond. Future plansinclude adding lights to the feature.

“Creating backyard havens”

Pond in the ShadeWhen you buy a house with a brick BBQ

standing out in the middle of a lawn, how doyou incorporate it into your overall plan of acomfortable place to live in all weather? Boxingin the carport with a timber wall produced anentertainment area betweenthe carport, the BBQ, andthe house. For comfort itwas covered with 80%shade-cloth sewn onto asteel pipe framework.Finding plants to grow insuch a shady area was a chal-lenge but rewarding.

The owners went to thelandscape yard to buy a wallfountain, but instead theyfell in love with the engag-ing smile on a seal cub foun-tain. A concrete bowl wasused as the backdrop. AHozelock 1000 pump with avariety of fountain headsallows the water to flow inaccord with the prevailingwind conditions.

The teardrop-shapedpond is 2.5m x 1.2m and60cm deep over two-thirdsof its length with a shallowshelf for growing marginalsat the narrowest point.Lined with pond vinyl andwith river sand in the bot-tom, it is planted with sub-merged grasses, marginalsand lilies to create a haven

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for frogs, tadpoles, and goldfish. Staghorns,elkhorns, orchids, and old man’s beard growon the back wall.

Who could resist a seal cub fountain?

An old fountain discovered at the front of the Queensland homestead appeared to have been used as a birdbath. Now it is the focalpoint of an elegant stone pond in the backyard.

Every Cloud Has a Silver Lining

When the road in front of your property isbeing widened, truck-loads of road base havebeen dumped there, and heavy rain washesmost of it into your front yard, what do you do?Turn it into a clay-lined pond!

A backhoe and bulldozer were brought in bylocal contractors. The level of the land wastaken and formwork was put up outside thework area to determine the eventual height ofwall on the downside. The road base (clay withsome small stones) was pushed to one side, thehole was dug, and the soil compressed aroundthe downside edge. The excess road base wasput to good use within the hole, being well com-pressed. With the backhoe in the middle of thehole, a spirit level on top of the bucket wasswung around in circles to cut the wall level.

To accommodate a fountain, a 2’ square con-

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crete slab was poured and leveled, and a milkcrate with one side cut away was set on top. A2000 GPH pump would cycle the water throughthe boy and girl under an umbrella fountain.Another fountain, set on the pond’s edge, waspiped into the underwater irrigation system tobe controlled through a stopcock.

After planting submerged grasses and mar-ginal aquatics, the pond was filled with waterfrom the creek. At the point of a 2cm differencein water level, a trench was dug and 2”polythenepipe placed there for overflow. The pipe wasadjusted to allow the water to flow easilythrough the pipe and exit at the top of a bankwhere a stone waterfall had been built to aes-thetically channel the water away. With theoverflow pipe concealed by soil, grass was sownand waterlilies planted in large bowls for place-ment inside the pond.

“Creating backyard havens”

Washington’s PlaceA Brisbane businessman, always keen for a

bargain, had been offered all of the large fantailgoldfish from a friend’s leaking pond if he hadsomewhere to put them. Undaunted, he had theponds built, and then called us in to turn thestone structures into ponds. Unfortunately, thestonemason had built the 5m-long, curvingsandstone pond to also act as a retaining wall forthe garden behind, with water cascading downthe rear wall. Although a most impressivedesign, the sandstone trough was too deep andtoo narrow for growing waterlilies, so marginalsbecame the main feature. Even so, the plantshad to be set to the sides of the water jets to pre-vent bruising and being knocked over.

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Soil excavated from other projects had beenplaced along the property boundary at the sideof the house. A series of ponds, overflowing oneinto the other, was built along the top of thebank. The cascading ponds are visible from theL-shaped home and form a screen to the neigh-boring property.

What had been a muddy mess of a yard has become an oasis of tranquil water-front living.

Cascading ponds define the property boundary.

Impressive stone walls create a series of narrow ponds that are planted with marginal aquatics.

Moth and Beautiful China Mark Moth. Othermembers of the family have common namesthat are derived from their primary host species,such as Rice Caseworm. All are small with thelargest measuring no more than an inch wide atthe wingtips. Likewise, the larvae are small(1/4”-1/2”) and maggot-like. The eggs are verysmall and a dull white in color.

The ProblemIn very short order, an invasion of the moths

can reduce a healthy and wondrous water plantto confetti. The female deposits eggs in clustersof 10-50 on the undersides and near the edge ofa floating leaf. Within days, the eggs hatch tinylarvae that meander over the leaves, eating asthey go. In their chewing, pieces of leaf are setfree. Serendipity! Knitting the leaf portionstogether over their backs, the larvae are camou-flaged and protected within a watertight,portable chamber. While some of the speciescreate free-floating arks, others use only onepiece held flat over them andaffixed to the leaf below.Frequently, a larva protrudesfrom the edge of its construc-tion, nibbling away on sur-rounding greens. When dis-turbed, however, they quick-ly retreat inside for safety.During their growth, ofcourse, increasingly largersections of leaf are cut away,both in feeding and for shel-ter. Consider the damagefrom the lucky larva thatconstructs its shelter withupstanding, sail-like leaf

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pieces and moves from leaf to leaf, courtesy ofyour pond’s sea breezes.

As time approaches for pupation and theeventual metamorphosis into the adult, wingedform, the safely ensconced larva finds its way tothe apex of the leaf sinus or to some other veinof sufficient diameter to fit its body. The speciesthat cuts only one leaf segment, appearingoften as a small bit of leaf stuck to a larger leaf,bores down into the chosen vein. A favoritedestination is where the leaf joins the stem. Thelarva may burrow into the leaf’s stem as muchas 4 inches or more, where they pupate, pro-tected from the elements among the aerenchy-mal (air-filled) cells within the stem. Thespecies that uses two flakes for cover crawldown the length of the petiole about the samedistance and bore into the petiole from the side,tapping into the same aerenchymal cells.Depending on the species, the leaf segmentsmay be abandoned or used as a holdfast andperhaps a snorkel. In either case, they pupate

“Creating backyard havens”

In the happy days of yore, those of us in theSouthwest who kept water plants couldlook to our counterparts on the East Coast

and in the Southeast with a smug satisfaction.Not only was our climate better, but we didn’thave to put up with as many insect pests. Aphidsand the occasional white fly were all we had.

In recent years, however, we, too, have towatch for insects that we have seen previouslyonly in books. Chief among these are the groupof moths collectively known as China MarkMoths, aka, lily leaf caterpillar, waterlily leafcutters, bagman, and sandwich man.

In the old days, with few permanent bodiesof water in Southern California, water liliesand other floating-leaved plants did not existhere in any number. With the increased popu-larity of water gardening, however, more andmore new ponds are being added to our area,some of them quite large, and more and moreplants are coming into the state from nurseriesin the East. Of course, the fellow that just soldthe plant for $35.00 doesn’t want to strip a lotof leaves off, so he sends the plant with itsleaves. The fellow who just paid the $35.00 forthe plant doesn’t want to strip any leaves offwhen he gets the plant, so he puts it into thepond as received. If the plant has moth eggs onit, trouble ensues. Each year a new infusionfurther entrenches the moths, encouraged byour new permanent water supplies and mildclimate that allows many lilies to maintainfoliage throughout the winter.

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The PestTaxonomically, the moths belong to the

Order Lepidoptera, Family Pyralidae, and arepresent in at least four genera, Nymphula (Syn.Synclita), Paraponyx, Cataclysta, and Bellura.They are collectively known as China MarkMoths owing to the odd little markings on theirwings, which resemble markings on china. Theadults have light brown forewings and buff-col-ored hind wings, or they are nearly black withyellow and white markings. Whatever the rea-son for the name, the markings are subtle andrarely noticed by pondkeepers since the mothsare nocturnal. Each species has its own varia-tion of the name, such as Ringed China Mark

A NEW SCOURGE IN SOUTHWESTERN WATER GARDENSThe China Mark Moth

by David Curtright

A piece of leaf stuck to another leaf probably conceals a moth larva. The ‘messy’ excre-ment is another clue.

Moth larvae protect themselves by sewing together pieces ofleaves or debris to make a watertight casing.

emerging moths that may flee with the waterdisturbance. After removing all affected leaves,I often spray Bt or a mix or paraffin oil and thesystemic Orthene, just for backup. While I havenever killed a fish with Orthene, I use it in aslightly reduced concentration than that recom-mended by the manufacturer. Paraffin oil can beused at the manufacturer’s recommendeddosage. Because Bt washes off readily, I preferthe Orthene-oil mix that remains in placelonger. Keeping leaves dry for treatments is easyin a small pond, since you can stand on the pondedge, aim, and shoot. For larger ponds, howev-er, that may require boat assistance, finesse isthe name of the game.

In small containers, such as barrels and tubgardens, the entire container can be coveredwith plastic but without the plastic restingdirectly on the plants. (Remember, plantsbreathe, too!) This kills several pests in additionto the moth larvae, such as caddisfly larvae andmosquitoes, by heating the water and air abovethe water without harming the plants.

Yet another preventive measure is to inspectand possibly treat emergent aquatics and plantsaround the pond where the moths may be hidinguntil dusk. Whichever method is used, the key tosuccess is persistence and thoroughness. Wheninfected leaves are collected, for example, do nottoss them immediately on the compost pile. Thelarvae can still live in the damp pile and emergeright on schedule. Better yet, store the infestedleaves in a black plastic bag that is left in the sunfor a week or so to cook eggs, larvae, and pupaebefore adding them to the compost pile.

Don’t forget to tend to the general cleanlinessof the pond, too, especially the floating plantsand plant fragments on the surface. Keep any

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Azolla or duckweed away from the water liliesand other possible host plants. Remove all deadfoliage from marginal plantings as well as fromthe lilies. Because adult moths blend easily withbrowning, dying foliage, these are perfect day-time hiding places.

The FutureOur mild winters and myriad micro-climates

almost guarantee that some moths will surviveSouthwestern winters to harass us in thespring. It will take a collective effort by grow-ers, retailers, pondkeepers, and even theDepartment of Agriculture to control this pest.If allowed to increase unchecked, there is noreason to believe that the China Mark Mothwill not become a permanent feature through-out most of the Southwest. Insects are nothingif not adaptable.❧

David Curtright owns Freshwater Flora & Fauna in southern California. He can be reached at 800-578-5459, fax: 619-263-5839 or by e-mail at Pondo-Rosa@home.com. Visit his website atwww.Pondplants.com.

“Creating backyard havens”

safely within the vein or stem for only severaldays in the warmth of summer or for severalmonths during winter, whereupon they emergefrom their cocoon, float to the surface, dry theirnew wings, and fly away to repeat the life cycle.Again, depending upon species, the adult livesfrom 24 hours to two weeks.

Unfortunately, host plants are not limited towater lilies. I have observed them using bits ofAzolla, Lemna (duckweed), and Salvinia (waterfern) and have seen them living on WaterHawthorn (Aponogeton distachyos), WaterSnowflakes (Nymphoides spp), water poppies(Hydrocleis nymphaeoides), water clovers(Marsilea spp), and on floating leaves of creep-ing water primrose (Ludwigia repens), marblesword (Echinodorus spp) and Lotus (Nelumbo).

Evidence of their presence is the suddenappearance of damaged leaves and pieces ofleaves either lying on leaf surfaces or floating inthe water. Overlapping leaves easily conceal thesewn-together shelters. If you notice leaves thatdo not separate when the water moves, look forthe sandwich man. Also, watch for the tell-talepiles of excrement around the middle of leaves.

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The SolutionIn any search for pest controls, first know the

critter. Where does it live? What are its habits?How does it reproduce? What are its vulnera-bilities? In this case, we know that the eggs laidon the under side of leaves are small and neu-trally colored, making them difficult to see. Weknow that the larvae walk on the leaves forawhile, which is a vulnerable time, but they soonprotect themselves within tightly sealed bits ofleaves, eventually boring into the leaf stem topupate. While within their casings or leaf stems,they are protected from most sprayed agents.Toxic chemicals, of course, are not advised any-way for ponds with fish. Bt, Bacillus thuringien-sis, which parasitizes and kills larvae, is safe forpond use, yet ineffective against the protectedlarvae. Even so, it is more likely that water willwash away sprayed agents before the larvae’sconsumption. Hand-picking the larvae is effec-tive but tedious, especially in larger ponds.Obviously, the larval and pupal stages are noteasily eradicated.

Looking, then, to the adult stage, we knowthat as nocturnal insects, moths are attracted tolight (positive photo-tropism). Adult mothscould be trapped by setting a light and a stickyagent near the pond at night. Of course, youwould also attract and trap other nocturnalmoths that you might not wish to destroy.

There are, however, other ways to free yourpond of this blight. First of all, remove all affect-ed leaves. I remove all leaves that show any signof the larvae’s presence. As I collect affectedleaves, I check leaf undersides for eggs. Eitherdislodge the eggs for fish food, wipe them intopaper towel, or crush them. As you move aboutwithin the pond, watch for and capture any

If the larva seems to have disappeared, check the leaf’s stemfor the tell-tale bulge where the larva is burrowing inside. By splitting the stem, you are likely to find the burrowing larva

where the stem bulges.

77“Creating backyard havens”76 Pond & Garden

For many of us, keeping fish, especially koi, is the mainattraction of a garden pond. With the help of Jeff K,Louis Dionisio built his koi pond indoors. The indoor“pond” measures 5’ x 4’ and 5.5’ deep, holding over athousand gallons for the six Japanese koi. A gravity-fedfilter feeds into a bog area which contains lava rock, bogwood, sticks, etc. for more biological filtration. Louischanges 25% of the water every two weeks, rinsing outthe filter pads at that time. Photo by Louis Dionisio

Although Gary designed his pond to edge his deck and nestle into the yard’s slope,he enlisted the aid of Designs by Dan for its construction. The main 13’ diameterpond is 4 feet deep and holds 2200 gallons to keep both koi and aquatic plantshappy. A 2800 GPH pump cycles water from the main pond below to a smaller head-er pond at the top, through a stream, and down the triple stepped waterfall. The pondcan be enjoyed from the entertainment deck or from another seating area near thetop. Photo by Gary DeLorenzo

Contest EntriesFrom Suburban Water Gardens, Dix Hills, New York

Gary DeLorenzo, South Huntington, NY

Louis Dionisio, Icland Park, NY

Michael Santoriello,Bethpage, NYPhotos by Michael Santoriello III

(above) As the trees grew, so did the pond– to 12’ x 16’ with a raised stone edgingcomplete with narrow planting beds. Ahammock and two chairs hint at the role thepond was beginning to play in theSantoriellos’ life. (right) Installing a pond in your yard tendsto become a work in progress. In 1990,Mike Santoriello & Sons began what wouldbecome a ten-year project. The originalpond and waterfall was set amongst threetrees in the backyard.

Mature plantings nowframe the pond, and pondenjoyment is enhancedwith a new garden struc-ture. What’s next?

explained. Honorable Mention winner,Stephanie Smith, adopted her pond when shebought her house this year. She has become atrue pond lover and enjoys watching and feed-ing her fish. Honorable Mention winners, Stuand Gail Bragg, have two pug dogs, Pugsley(shown in photo) and Ming, that enjoy watchingthe fish and drinking out of the old-fashionedpump that flows into their pond.

Critter Photo Tips• 400-speed film works best to capture critters.• To hold your camera steady, prop it on a

rock…and be patient.• Plan your shoot when the lighting is least

harsh; slightly overcast days, mid-morning,or late afternoon may be best.

• If you’re shooting in the presence of light andshadows, try to frame your picture in eithersun or shade to avoid sharp contrasts.

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• Cloudy days usually produce“white water”; you may find a filter over your lens helps withreflections on the water’s surface.• Remember your background;after framing your shot, do aquick check for distracting

elements! Plan ahead and clear the water of any floating debris or yellowing or tattered leaves.

• Feeding your fish may bring them to thesurface, but wait until the frenzy abates to

avoid pictures of churning water, floatingpellets, and mere flashes of fish. Try a littlepatience and but a pellet or two to enticeyour finned pets near the surface.

• Need we add, be patient? Critters tend to be quick little fellas!❧

“Creating backyard havens”

When most people ask me aboutputting a water garden in their yard,they are thinking of the beauty that

the pond will add to their home. After the pondis installed, it doesn’t take too long before theywant fish and frogs in their pond. Wilson’sGarden Center of Newark, Ohio, has featured aphoto contest for five years. After the first year,we added the “pond critter” category becausethe critters are a favorite of our gardeners.

We pondkeepers know that not only frogsand fish enjoy our ponds, but also do dragon-

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flies, butterflies, deer, songbirds…and, yes,herons, along with turtles and a host of otherwildlife, some desirable and some not so, but allequally entertaining and educational.

This year, as always, the judges had a difficulttime selecting the winners for the “Critters ofthe Year.” We hope you enjoy the photos thatwere chosen from the many great shots wereceived this year!

First place winner, Bobbi Meldahl, loves totake pictures of different wildlife and insects.She captured a dragonfly on film while she waslooking for a princely frog to pose for her cam-era. Second-place winner, Becky Hunter, foundher critter in the 90-foot-stream that connectsher two ponds. Third-place winners, KandraKlein and Jon Bullman, found their young bull-frog subject enjoying a little sun near their filter.“I had a very cooperative subject,” Kandra

WILSON’SPond Critter Photo Contest by Nancy Allee

Becky Hunter of Pataskala, Ohio, and husband, David, actual-ly have two ponds, one 8’ x 10’, and the other 18’ x 16’, thatare connected by a 90’-stream. While one pond serves as ahome for koi and goldfish, their second pond is a home ofbluegill and bass. Is it any wonder a turtle found a welcomeenvironment?

Bobbi Meldahl’s pond was installed only last year by BrianWollenburg, but Bobbi has become a true pond aficionado!Camera in hand, Bobbi captured this dragonfly to win firstplace in the Pond Critter Photo Contest.

Stu and Gail Bragg installed their pondonly last year, to the delight of their twopugs. While the pond they designed andbuilt measures 13’ x 15’ and is enjoyed byfish and aquatic wildlife, the pugs haveclaimed the flowing pump as their person-al watering hole.

Kandra Klein and Jon Bullman built their 25’ x 15’ pond in 1999 and combined koi,goldfish, and shubunkins with native fish and wildlife. The young bullfrog that wonKandra her third-place in the photo contest was probably bred the year they installedthe pond!