Plants give a natural looking appearance to a pond (or lake), helping it to blend in with the rest of the garden or surroundings. Starting a planting program can bring with it many advantages:
- Provides cover for small fish and other aquatic wildlife
- Helps with the overall health of the pond's ecosystem
- Promotes breeding places for water wildlife such as dragonflies and fish
- Controls the ponds temperature
- Plant's roots abosrb nutrients that might otherwise foul the water
- Some oxygenating plants can be the ponds very own air conditioners
Broadly speaking, there are four types of water plant:
- Submerged aquatics. These are the oxygenating plants that live completely under water.
- Deep-water aquatics. These plants have their roots in water that is 45cm (18in) or more in depth. Their leaves stand out above the water or float on the surface
- Marginal plants. They grow in the shallow water around the edge of a pond in planting baskets standing submerged in water
- Free-floating plants. These plants drift about on the surface of the pond with their roots dangling in the water.
We would always recommend using a specialist when it comes to planting programs. There are many factors to consider and unfortunately it is not as simple as placing plants in a pond.
For instance, it's vital to aim to have enough floating foliage (such as water hawthorn or water lillies) so that within 2-3 years one third to half of the ponds surface is covered with leaves by mid-Summer.
In addition, ensuring plants are at the correct depth is crucial. Deep water insulates the roots of deep-water roots from sudden changes of temperature.
For more information, please call us today or complete the form on the Contact Us page.