Water Gardens And Ponds

Top
Articles
Discussions

Aquatic Plants for Your Garden Pond

Provided By: Jorbins.com

Water Lilies

The water lily, by far, is the most popular aquatic plant used in water gardening projects. These deep-water plants have roots and stems in the soil below the water, while their foliage floats on the water.

There are both hardy water lilies and tropical water lilies. The hardy types have leaves with smooth edges and the tropical types come in a larger variety of colors and are more fragrant. Unlike the hardy water lily that blooms during the day some tropical water lilies bloom in the evening.

When choosing aquatic plants for your garden make sure that any water lilies you purchase are potted and not floating in water.

Here are a few water lily types you can consider for your water garden:

Barbara Dobbins
Colorado
Almost Black
Gladstone
Joanna Pring
Rosea Laydekeri
Itelvola

Floating plants

Floating aquatic plants provide essential shade in your water pond. Shade from floating plants reduces algae, especially single celled algae that produce "green pea soup" or "green water". They also allow submerged plants to continue growing and starve suspended algae.

Not only does this type of aquatic plant provide a place for pond life to hide but they are also excellent at preventing blanket weed.

Floating plants are easy to grow and fairly inexpensive, many water gardeners consider these aquatic plants as annuals instead of perennials because of this.

Some floating plants to consider in your water garden:

Fairy Moss
Water Hyacinth
Water Fern
Frogbit
Water Lettuce
Salvina
Water Chestnut

Submerged Plants / Oxygenating Plants

Submerged plants, also called oxygenating plants, are a vital part of your water pond. Besides the beautiful foliage that many can also can provide oxygen during the daylight hours and remove it at night. They will compete with algae by consuming nutrients from your pond as well.

Pond life will hide, feed, and reproduce among your submerged and oxygenating plants.

Some types to consider:

Water Violet
Water Crowfoot
Eel Grass
Water Buttercup
Foxtail
Willow Moss
Fanwort
Hornwort
Bladderwort

Bog Plants / Marginal Plants

Marginal plants, also referred to as bog plants or shallow water plants, provide beauty, height, and texture to your backyard pond. They can be used to disguise the edge of the pond and they can add longer periods of color to your water garden. Bog plants traditionally like continually moist soil but do not like to be submerged in water, while marginal plants vary where they do best, usually from between 2 and 12 inches of water. Vary the aquatic plant types you put into containers to add to the uniqueness and beauty of your garden pond.

There are many bog and marginal plants to be considered in your water garden. Here are a few:

Marsh Marigolds
Scrambling Brockline
Sweet Flag
Water Plantain
Cattails
Saggittaria
Hibiscus
Rushes
Reeds
Water Clover
Parrots Feather
Pickeral Reed
Lotus

Water Lotuses

The water lotus is a very popular bog / marginal plant. Remember most love hot weather and require at least 6 hours of sunlight daily. Water lotus come in a large variety of colors, sizes, and fragrances. The Asian Lotus as compared the American Native Lotus has gone through a lot of hybridization that gives such variety to this aquatic plant.

Wetland Gardens

If you are not going to introduce goldfish or Koi fish to your water garden you may consider constructing a wetland pond. You will attract many wild birds, butterflies, bees, dragonflies, tadpoles, and turtles. The wetland garden pond is a beautiful alternative to a fish pond if you choose to go this route.

Top
Articles
Discussions

Next Page >

Barley Straw: Natural Algae Control Treatment

Barley straw is just one of the many treatments for controlling algae in your pond. It is natural and does not have any known toxic effects on aquatic plants, insect larvae, or fish.

When barley straw is added to your pond water it will begin the decomposition process. As it decomposes special chemicals are released. These chemicals have been found to reduce the amount of new algae growth and occurrences of algae blooms.

Container Water Gardens Add Tranquility to Outdoor Spaces

(ARA) - Spring is an excellent time to consider simple, outdoor living enhancements like container water gardens. They add serenity and a unique, new look to home landscapes as reflections of water add another dimension of interest and movement to the surrounding space.

Container gardens are an excellent way to sample the joys of water gardening before committing to a larger, permanent pond. When planned and constructed properly, these elegant structures provide calming tranquility for many years and can be built in a single weekend. Here are a few considerations to remember when enhancing your outdoor living space with a container water garden:

Pond Liners and Pond Underlay

Pond Liners

The first thing you need to do before you start constructing your pond is too pick out a pond liner. You want to purchase the best liner you can afford. The better quality of pond liner you have the less likely you are to have problems concerning the liner.

What Type of Water Pond - Fish or Plant will you build?

Having the desire to have a water garden is the first step in introducing this great center of water into your garden with the next step being the decision of whether you are going to raise plants in your water garden, or if you are going to raise a type of fish in your water garden or even possibly if you are going to raise both plants and fish in your water pond. Understanding a few of the basic different advantages and disadvantages will help you through this little time of design decisions.

Cat Tails - Yes Cat Tails!

My grandmother and her grandmother before her, all knew the value of having cat tails. Do you?

My friends have always touted me to their friends, about my knowledge of little known "nature things". Remedies, cures, and aids to improve your life. I am about to tell you one of those.