Pond plants for a sunny garden
By Homegirl
Somerset,
United Kingdom 
My daughter has moved into a new house with an established overgrown garden. She has a pond with many frogs in it and a lot of overgrown plants as well. However the main problem is that she has cut down three very large and tatty fir trees that were along one side of the pond and has no idea what to replace them with. She has bought an acer and planted that. In a garden that is saturated by sun all day what can she plant alongside the pond to give shelter and shade to the pond itself? None of the usual plants will do as the ground is dry, not at all wet. There are iris and rushes of some type in the margins of the pond itself but mainly down one end. Please help if you can.
12 Aug, 2013
Sadly the acer is a woodland plant and will be unhappy in a hot dry position, especially if it is windy.
First question is, is the ground dry and sandy or dry and heavy?
One option is to clear or tidy all the existing plants, and identify the ones that have done well. (Goy will help with identificationif you post photos) This will be guidance. Then it might be wise to start improving the soil before planting much - add lots of humus, compost if available, or spent mushroom compost which you can buy. Compost everything you can, and spread lawn mowings thickly as a mulch until next year when they will have rotted down. Shred dead leaves in the autumn by running the mower over them and use those as well. By improving the soil in this way you will help to make it somewhat more moisture retentive.
In addition do not be in a hurry to plant new stuff until you can see what you've got and what did well before. Its wise to wait a year before doing anything drastic to a fresh garden - they may be bulbs and other spring flowers that disappear in summer and starting in too early might destroy them.
Decide whether your daughter wants a "gardener's garden" or a labour saving one, does she want a lawn, will she need a play area for children?
12 Aug, 2013