January 3, 2020
Pond plants provide a more robust environment for your fish, they not only enhance the natural look of your pond, but they can also oxygenate the water of your pond, therefore benefiting your overall pond’s health.
- Ensure your pond location is in an area that will get at least 6 hours of sun daily. Water plants fair much better in full sunlight.
- Don’t use tap water for your pond. Chlorine found in tap water is not the best for water plants. If you can, get pond water or rainwater.
- Always install a pump to promote water oxygenation and avoid stagnation.
- Select your pond plants with a variety of forms and textures. A plant with a coarse texture like the Rodgersia is an excellent choice to pair with a Papyrus.
- Your pond’s overall look will be better if you favor foliage over flowers. Although flowers tend to provide more color, they don’t get to blossom year long. So choosing a more interesting foliage is the better choice.
Nature provides five primary categories of pond plants. Some are better in larger ponds, but you can use all of them regardless of the size of your pond. Mix these categories of plants to create a varied pond eco-system.
- Deep-Water Plants: Place them in pots, so they stay in place.
- Submerged Plants: This category lives entirely submerged underwater.
- Floating Plants: This type of plant requires no soil. They have evolved to get the nutrients directly from the water.
- Marginal Plants: The roots of these plants can tolerate being completely underwater, but they don’t have to be.
- Bog Plants: They can thrive in wetter environments than other plants, but it is best to plant them close to the edge of your pond.
Choices for Pond Plants
- Water Lili
- Purple Pitcher
- Corkscrew Rush
- Horsetail Rush
- Rodgers Flower
- Northern Blue Flag
- Ogon Golden Sweet Flag
- Papyrus
- Marsh Marigolds
Larger ponds are better suited to house water plants in colder weather. It is much more of a challenge to attempt to overwinter plants in a small pond in cold climates. One way to do this is to move the plants to a warmer indoor environment during winter. Alternatively, replenish them every year. The only ones you don’t need to worry about are bog plants; they can be left in place as you would with any other perennial species.
At Ambiance Ponds & Fountains we are always ready to help you. Please contact us if you have any questions.
