Pond Guide
YOUR GUIDE TO GARDEN PONDS
A garden pond of any size is a soothing and visually peaceful feature but is incomplete without water plants. Taking care of water plants isn’t difficult and here are some pointers for you to consider.
Choose the right location.
Before you start digging, remember that the shade of a large tree, for example, may look inviting on a hot summer’s day, but most water plants dislike too much shade. In fact, they typically prefer lots of sun and for water lilies it is an absolute must.
Choose the right plants
Plants make a pond look natural and add beauty to your landscaped garden. They also help to keep the eco system of your pond in balance by absorbing toxic chemicals from the water and also shade the water to help reduce algae, and provide cover for your fish.
We recommend that you grow more than one type and here are some points to consider.
Deep Water Aquatic Plants
Water lilies (Nymphaea) are a very popular choice. Their roots and stems are submerged and anchored at the bottom of the pond and the leaves and flowers float above the water.
For cold waters, it is possible to buy some hardy types, which are available in white, yellow, red, pink and apricot, which survive most UK cold winters.
Tropical varieties although frost tender, are worth considering as they come in the blue to purple colour ranges, which don’t appear in the hardier types. They are often enormous in size and give off a gorgeous fragrance. Some types blooming in the evening.
Submerged Plants
Submerged plants oxygenate your pond and help to keep it clean by releasing oxygen from the foliage during photosynthesis and passing it directly into the water making it able to support other forms of pond life such as fish. They also absorb minerals dissolved in the water and help to suppress algae by competing with it for nutrients.
Marginal Plants
These are grown at the pond’s edge in shallow water and are an important ornamental element of your pond. They attract a variety of wildlife and aquatic insects to the pond.
Free Floating Plants
These plants have roots which dangle in the water and draw their nourishment from the suspended roots. Floating foliage provides shade for fish, and reduces the amount of sunlight reaching into the pond, thus helping to reduce algae. It also plays an important part in oxygenating the pond.
Algae
Algae are encouraged by sunlight and we recommend that you try to have at least 50% of the water surface covered with water plants. This will help to reduce the amount of sunlight that gets to the bottom and scavengers like the trapdoor snail and the use of oxygenating plants will also help to reduce pond algae.
Fish for Your Pond
Consider carefully the kinds of fish you introduce to your pond.
Different fish have different needs and they feed at different water levels, so make sure you can offer them a pond deep enough for their needs. Koi for example, require about a metre of water.
Check with your Garden center or other supplier to help you decide which fish are best suited to your pond.