Returned to Pickerelweed after a difficult first attempt

My first attempt at Pickerelweed failed — frost damage on tender varieties left in shallow water got hold of it and I didn't know what I was looking at until it was too late. I left it alone for a year before trying again.

The second attempt, with proper attention to planting in aquatic baskets with specialist pond compost, has been completely different. It's now thriving in a formal ornamental pond with clear water and reflections and essential habitat and breeding ground for pond wildlife is on full display. first leaf pads emerging at the water surface in spring this year was a genuine reward for starting again. If you failed first time, the plant isn't the problem — the conditions probably were.