Returned to Cattail after a difficult first attempt

My first attempt at Cattail failed — overrunning the pond surface in productive warm summers 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 natural filtration improving water clarity and quality is on full display. peak flowering period in midsummer this year was a genuine reward for starting again. If you failed first time, the plant isn't the problem — the conditions probably were.