Okay so you've added a dramatic touch to your yard. A pond. And pond plants insure your backyard pond will be healthy. Here's how. They aid in the oxygenation of the water which will keep any fish you have happy. Plus the plants take in by products of the waste the fish produce which makes them happy. All of which when balanced makes for a sound ecosystem that is less likely to suddenly fall victim to an unsightly algae bloom. Which we both know can turn your beautiful water garden into a pea soup like mess.
So maybe you're wondering what type of plants to put in and around your water feature. Usually landscapers consider including plants by where they make their living in your pond. Having some from each category is vital to the success and low maintenance of your pond.
You could almost say that no pond is complete without the first type of plant. That would be the water lilly. And it's what you will most likely see growing in someone's backyard pond. A vigorous grower, the leaves of this aquatic plant will lay on the water's surface. While the flowers of some varieties can put on quite a show.
And it's the covering of the surface that confers a big benefit to your pond. The leaves will cut down on evaporation and shade the pond. Which serves to moderate the swing in water temperatures and overall keeping the pond cooler than it might otherwise be. Plus the shade helps keep algae growth to a minimum.
Free floaters, or the second type of aquatic plant, shade things down below plus they too add oxygen to the water. They go where the breeze blows them, roots trailing - unconnected as they are to anything. But then being well grounded doesn't seem to matter to floating plants.
You want submerged or oxygenating plants to help naturally combat any algae that takes up residence. That's because they produce needed oxygen and use up nutrients in the water that enable algae to thrive. You aren't as apt to notice these guys as they live underwater in total immersion.
So called bog or marginal plants grown in the shallow water on the perimeter of your pond. They are the reason you likely put a shelf running all around it. Again cattails and the like are good for the water quality.
Finally you've got your waterside or plants that transition from those that live in the water to those that are more terrestrial by design.
Don't let all this throw you. It's really not all that complicated. In no time you'll be a pro at recognizing the most common pond plants. And once you've got things established your water garden will be amazingly low maintenance. Leading you to conclude, as others have, that this is the easiest type of gardening to do.
So maybe you're wondering what type of plants to put in and around your water feature. Usually landscapers consider including plants by where they make their living in your pond. Having some from each category is vital to the success and low maintenance of your pond.
You could almost say that no pond is complete without the first type of plant. That would be the water lilly. And it's what you will most likely see growing in someone's backyard pond. A vigorous grower, the leaves of this aquatic plant will lay on the water's surface. While the flowers of some varieties can put on quite a show.
And it's the covering of the surface that confers a big benefit to your pond. The leaves will cut down on evaporation and shade the pond. Which serves to moderate the swing in water temperatures and overall keeping the pond cooler than it might otherwise be. Plus the shade helps keep algae growth to a minimum.
Free floaters, or the second type of aquatic plant, shade things down below plus they too add oxygen to the water. They go where the breeze blows them, roots trailing - unconnected as they are to anything. But then being well grounded doesn't seem to matter to floating plants.
You want submerged or oxygenating plants to help naturally combat any algae that takes up residence. That's because they produce needed oxygen and use up nutrients in the water that enable algae to thrive. You aren't as apt to notice these guys as they live underwater in total immersion.
So called bog or marginal plants grown in the shallow water on the perimeter of your pond. They are the reason you likely put a shelf running all around it. Again cattails and the like are good for the water quality.
Finally you've got your waterside or plants that transition from those that live in the water to those that are more terrestrial by design.
Don't let all this throw you. It's really not all that complicated. In no time you'll be a pro at recognizing the most common pond plants. And once you've got things established your water garden will be amazingly low maintenance. Leading you to conclude, as others have, that this is the easiest type of gardening to do.
About the Author:
Did you know the fin challenged and confused find help galore at Backyard-Ponds-Care.com. That leading backyard fish ponds care site shares plenty about Tetra pond supplies, lily pond liners or Laguna koi ponds. In fact it's the place to go if you want to make the water garden of your dreams a reality.
