After all the hard work of installing a water feature, part of the reward is choosing the plants to accent it. Obviously, the size of your feature and its location in sun or shade will dictate your plant selections but here are some general guidelines along with an overview of some of my favorite water plants.
Some local nurseries sell water plants, but a wider assortment is available in specialty catalogs. Since the growing season is well advanced, if you are planning to buy plants for this year, I recommend buying them from a nursery so you can enjoy them this summer.
1. Water Lilies. These fall into two types – hardy cultivars and tropical cultivars. Both are beautiful but tropicals cannot survive over winter outside. Pay close attention to the ultimate size and required water depth when you purchase a water lily. You don’t want to select one whose leaves will completely hide the water’s surface. And speaking of leaves, some varieties have extra-interesting foliage, as well. Keep in mind that water lilies don’t like to be near moving water so locate yours away from any fountain or waterfall. To plant, simply put the pot into the water, resting it on top of a rock or cinderblock, if necessary, to obtain the proper distance from the water’s surface.
2. Floating Plants. My favorite is water hyacinth. Buy it and toss it in. Its shiny green leaves and lavender-blue flowers thrive in sun and multiply over the course of the summer. Only hardy to zone 10, the water hyacinth is a great choice for this area but can be a problem in the south where, if introduced to waterways, will take over. Other popular floating plants include water lettuce and water fern.
3. Oxygenating Plants. You don’t buy these for their beauty but for their ability to keep your pond clean, as they add oxygen to the water. Elodea is perhaps the most common. It is usually sold in bundles of stems. Anchor them with small stones, up to five plants per square yard.
4. Marginal or Bog Plants. Marginals love to be around the perimeter of the pool, set on those shelves you were instructed to create when building your pond. Most favor water that is two to six inches deep. Place the pots directly on the shelves or put on blocks to obtain the correct water depth.
Bog plants prefer to grow in soggy ground rather than in standing water. Many of these plants are also used in other parts of the garden, as well. Both marginals and bog plants are useful for concealing the edges of the pond, making it appear more natural.
Some of my favorites include certain canna varieties, umbrella grass, flag iris, Japanese iris, lizard’s tail, arrowhead, and pickerel weed. Some of these will survive over winter in this area and some are best treated as annuals.
5. Moisture-loving Plants. These plants can be found growing in many parts of the garden. They include ferns, astilbe, daylilies, ligularia, and hosta. And don’t forget small trees that lend a graceful touch to pond side. Japanese maples and weeping birch are two excellent choices.
Care for your water plants is similar to that of other plants – but no weeding is required! Be sure to fertilize with tablets made especially for water plants. If you need to transplant, there are baskets designed for water plants that allow water to move freely through the roots. If the basket’s holes are very large, line it with woven plastic or hessian. Use a high grade potting soil without organic amendments, avoiding peat because it will float out of the container and endanger fish because of its high acidity. Top the pot with small stone or gravel to keep the soil from getting into the water and to keep any fish from disturbing the plant.
And speaking of fish, why not add a few? I have never owned koi so I cannot speak from experience, but they are a very popular choice for ponds. Make sure, however, that you do not have raccoons, large birds, or other scavengers that will make a tasty meal of these rather expensive fish.
A more economical choice for your pond might be goldfish. When we added large specimens of these common fish to our pond, they provided color and movement, as well as entertainment. Soon, they were trained to come when they saw their food shake above the water.
You can buy tadpoles to add to your pond, as well. I always enjoy watching their tails shrink and their legs sprout as they turn into frogs. Even if you don’t add tadpoles, you are likely to have frogs inhabiting your pond. When a water feature is added, the word gets around their community and they move in quickly.
There is nothing so peaceful or so enjoyable as a water feature in the garden. I know you will enjoy yours for many years to come.
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