When it comes to decorating your outdoor pond, the options are endless. Many pond owners choose to line their ponds with natural rocks and an assortment of plants to add intrigue to the landscaping surrounding the pond. Another option you may want to consider is putting plants directly in your pond. If you choose to have fish in your pond you will need to limit the number of plants you use so that you do not interfere with the needs of your fish for space, but a few well-placed plants can transform your pond into an attractive water garden.
Top Plant of 2014
Earlier this year, the International Waterlily and Water Gardening Society named Nymphaea ‘Ruby Star’ the Collector’s Aquatic Plant of the Year for 2014. This species of waterlily is known for its ruby-colored blooms that grow on compact plants all summer long. The Nymphaea ‘Ruby Star’ is one of many waterlily cultivars belonging to the Nymphaea genus of aquatic plants and they are also commonly referred to as lotus flowers.
Surface Cover
Certain plants are known for providing surface cover rather than growing up out of the water. These plants can enhance the appearance of your pond by creating mats of foliage while also providing shade and shelter for pond inhabitants. Some of the most popular surface cover pond plants include:
- Callitriche verna
- Nymphaea ‘Pygmaea Helvola’
- Hydrocharis morsus-ranae (Frogbit)
- Lemna minor (Common Duckweed)
Flowering Plants
If you want to add a little bit of color to your outdoor pond, consider adding some flowering plants to the landscaping in and around your pond. There are a wide variety of flowering pond plants to choose from that produce a range of different colored flowers from blue and yellow to pink, white and even purple. Below you will find a list of some popular flowering pond plants:
- Iris laevigata ‘Variegata’ – this plant is a type of small iris that produces blue flowers
- Anemopsis californica – this plant produces white flowers known for their conical shape and honey-like scent
- Veronica beccabunga – this plant is a British native that produces small blue flowers
- Iris pseudacorus – known as the Berlin Tiger, this plant produces yellow flowers with brown markings
- Myosotis scorpioides – this plant can be planted in water or wet mud and it produces small blue forget-me-not flowers
Tips for Cultivating Aquatic Plants
Before you attempt to add aquatic plants to your pond, you need to make sure that the conditions are right. Not all plants do well when submerged in water, so you need to determine whether the plants you want to use are meant to be planted directly in the water or in the mud around the pond. You also need to determine whether your pond is large enough to accommodate the type of plants you want to grow – some plants have a tendency to spread while others remain fairly small. Perhaps the most important tip for cultivating aquatic plants, however, is to ensure that the water quality in your pond remains high. One easy way to do this is to install an EcoBio-Block Wave in your pond – these blocks are made from natural stone and infused with beneficial bacteria to help establish and maintain the nitrogen cycle in your pond. Once you install the EcoBio-Block Wave, beneficial bacteria will work to break down wastes and to convert harmful toxins into less harmful substances, thus leaving your pond water clean and clear for your fish and aquatic plants.