AQUATIC PLANTS

A Guide to Aquatic Plants for your Garden Pond

As well as looking great, there’s no doubt that installing a well-designed pond in your garden can provide a brilliant habitat for wildlife and a focal point for your garden. The good news is that planting and maintaining aquatic plants in a pond is fairly easy and takes less time than you think.

There’s plenty of choice available too, from plants that are ideal for the margins of a pond to the traditional water lilies that float serenely on the surface of the water and others that help to reduce the impact of problems such as algae.

Here’s our quick guide on where to plant and what to plant in your pond: 

Marginal Plants

Adding the right plants to your garden pond can make it an attractive centre piece that encourages wildlife but also helps with the health of the water, helping to keep it clear and free of problems such as algae. One area that usually needs to be softened is the edge of the pond and marginal plants are ideal for this.

There are a variety of species that can either be planted in the boggy area around the rim of the pond, in the partly submerged areas further in or deeper water where the plants are fully covered.

Marginal plants add a splash of colour to your pond and also provide valuable shade if you have fish. This shade also helps reduce the build-up of algae in your pond. There is a large choice of plants and grasses all of which have their own benefits and can make your pond look spectacular if selected well.

• For very shallow depths under 15 cm, there are selections such as skunk cabbage, flowering rush and giant water buttercup.
• For shallow depths between 15 and 30 cm you can look at favourites such as arum lily and spearwort.
• And for deeper depths over 20 cm you have great water plantain and water hawthorn.

There are generally bigger choices for marginal plants that sit in shallower water. When you get into the boggy area at the edge of the pond then you can choose anything from marsh marigolds to the Japanese water iris. A lot will depend, of course, on the size of your pond and where it is located.

Putting in marginal species is generally easy and most people usually plant in the basket which provides a greater amount of stability, especially for long grasses and plants like tall Iris’s. Keeping them in the basket also makes it easier to maintain the garden and prevents the individual plants from spreading beyond the container. That can make changing plants around a simple case of removing the basket and relocating to another part of the pond.

Lilies

When most people think of garden ponds, lilies certainly come to mind. They not only provide a splash of brilliant colour and style in the summer but also act to protect the eco system of the pond by shading the water when the sun is high in the sky.  You can get vibrant mixes of colour from red, yellow and white to the deep pink hue of species such as the fire crest lily. With their distinctively shaped leaves floating on top of the water, most pond enthusiasts would agree that these plants are an important part of the flora of any installation.

Lilies need to be planted in a fairly large basket and require a good deal of nutrition to keep them looking healthy. If you have a pond that is short on nutrients, then you can buy tablets to help keep the lily base fertilized. If you have fish in your pond including koi carp, it’s advisable to use stones or gravel to weight down the root of the lily and make sure it is not disturbed.

Deep Water Aquatics

You can add a more variety to the centre area of your pond by including other deep water aquatic plants such as water hawthorn. These can complement water lilies and provide valuable oxygenating properties for the pond that help keep problems such as blanket weed and other algae at bay.

Floating Aquatics

Not all plants in your pond need to be rooted to the bed. These species generally don’t last more than a season and have to be replenished each year, mainly because they are imported and are not used to the frost or cold of winter. If you want a native plant that can last from season to season, try something like the water soldier. Floating aquatics are a great way to provide additional shade on your pond and bring a little more diversity to the eco system you have created.

Oxygenators

Two of the major problems with garden ponds is the growth of blanket weed and algae. Introducing some oxygenating plants can help reduce the risk of these taking over your pond. They work mainly by growing quickly and using up the nutrients that blanket weed and algae love. Good options include water starwort, frog’s lettuce and water violet.

When putting in oxygenators for your pond, you need to be aware that they will grow faster than other plants and they need to be maintained and thinned out on a regular basis. This needs to be done carefully and any plants removed taken well away from the pond to prevent other colonies forming.

Choosing the Right Aquatic Plants for Your Garden Pond

While much comes down to aesthetic choice, a number of other things will constrain the type and number of plants you have in your garden pond including the size, depth and location. A well planned garden pond needs to prevent the growth of blanket weed and algae, have the water properly oxygenated and provide adequate cover and protection for wildlife including fish. If you aren’t an expert, it’s always a good idea to check with your local water garden or landscape specialist. They’ll be able to tell you which plant species work well for the area you live in and help you to make the right choices when managing your pond eco-system.

• Marginals Aquatics
• Lilies
• Deep Water
• Oxygenators