Aquatic Plants
When we think of aquatic plants, water lilies immediately come to mind and no water garden is complete without at least one. There are many water plants available and many of them are suitable for water gardens. Some, like submerged plants, serve strickly utilitarian purposes; others have showy qualities to them. Most gardeners find they want a good mixture of plants in and around the pond to create visual interest.
Water Lilies
There a literally hundreds of water lilies available on the market. But are classified into two major catagories, hardy and tropical.
Hardy Lilies are frost-tolerant perennial plants. In temperate and cold climates, they die back to the roots during the cold season and re-emerge in the spring. In warm climates they stay in leaf all year around, although some will do poorly in this climatic condition.
Tropical lilies are frost-tender, which means they can be killed by repeated heavy frosts. They are usually treated as an annual plant in most parts of the country, except tropical regions. In order to over-winter them you would need to move them into a greenhouse or a greenhouse like environment. Tropical lilies are characterized by their strong fragrance and blossoms that stand above the water level. Tropicals have one other feature that most gardeners find appealing, that is they come in shades of blue and purple. Hardy lilies lack this feature. Tropical lilies produce four to five times as many blossoms as hardy lilies and are vivparous plants. In other words they can produce small plantlets on the leaf surface that can be removed and replanted.
Both hardy and tropical lilies include some shade-tolerant varieties, which require only 3 to 4 hours of direct sunlight a day. Most other varieties require at least 5 t 6 hours of direct sunlight a day.
Planting Tips
Although you should follow the advice of a nursery salesperson or the directions given to you at the time of purchase, these are just some general guidelines to review. You want to make sure you place your order for a special type of lily you might want just in case your local nursery does not carry it that year. This way you can ensure that you will get it in plenty of time to get it established in your water garden over the summer months. You will want to plant your water lilly in wide, shallow containers, or special water lily baskets. Allow planty of room for growth. Fill the container one-half full with heavy loam garden soil. You will need to line the baskets with burlap to prevent losing any soil through the holes. Avoid using organic mulches, peat moss, compost, commercial planting mixes, or ordinary garden fertilzer. Place the rootstock of hardy lilies hoizontally, with the crown, near the edge of the container. Fill with soil just below the the crown of the plant, then top with a layer of pe gravel. For tropicals, submerge the pot so that the crown on the lily is 6 to 12 inches below the water surface. During the growing season, lightly spray the leaves with a garden hose every few days to dislodge aphids and other harmful insects. The fish and plants will be very happy if you do this. Each time you divide and repot the lilies you can add a special water lily fertilizer tablet or just add one tablet at the begining of each growing season.
Marginal plants A wide variety of shallow water plants is suitable for growing around the edges of the pond or in a seperate bog garden. Most marginals do best in rich soil topped with 2 to 3 inches of water, the larger ones will grow in up to 12 inches of water. You will need to consult your local nursery supplier for plants that do well in your area.
Planting Tips
Planting techniques vary, depending on the species, and there are lots of them. The key is to never let the soil dry out. If you grow frost-tender plants in cointinaers you will find it easier to bring them indoors during the colder months. Follow the directions given to you at the time of purchase in order to achieve the maximum results or purchase a book on growing marginal plants in your water garden.
Submerged plants grow entirely underwater. Once you have planted them, you might not be able to see them. Even so, they play an extemely important role in the pond's ecology. Their main function is to oxygenate the water and provide hiding places and food for fish. There are several types of sumergible plants available ranging from oxygenating grasses to plants with fine hair-like foliage. Plants will grow in up to 30 inches of water, but they wil do best if the topmost leaves are submerged to a depth of 6 to 12 inches beneath the water surface. To keep fish frm overgrazing the plants, make a protective cover of lightweight plastic such as bird netting. Wrap it around the plant container allowing 8 to 10 inches to extend above the container for good growth. Close the tops and sides with twist ties to prevent the fish from getting trapped inside.
Floating plants have buoyant leaves to keep them afloat, with roots dangling in the water beneath and requiring no soil. Floating plants are usually grown for their attractive or interesting foliage. This foliage helps to control algae and provides shade for the fish. Some floating plants also produce flowers during the summer. Like submerged plants, floating plants require not special care. These plants are considered hardy in warm climates; but are treated as annuals in colder climates, where they are killed off by the winter frost. Floating plants are very invasive and need to be thinned out contantly to keep their numbers in check.
Fish and Other Creatures
This is simply a list of the different types of fish and other creatures available to you for use in your pond. One of the more popular fish to include in your pond is the goldfish. This fish is a member of the carp family, and are surprisingly hardy. They can withstand a wide range of climates and water conditions. Under favorable conditions, they breed readily in outdoor ponds.
Japanese koi are a close relative of the goldfish, but are distinguised by the short wiskers around their mouths. They come in a variety of brillant colors and species. Koi are easily trained to eat from your hand and do simple tricks, like jumping through hoops or sucking from a baby bottle. They often follow their owners around the edge of the pond, waiting for a handout.
Mosquito fish are a relative of the fancy guppy that are commonly found in pet stores. These fish are usually introduced into ponds to control the larvea of mosquitos and other pesky insects. These hardy little fish (about 1 inch long) reproduce rapidly under a variety of water conditions, but are generally kept in check by the size of the pond and the amount of food available.
Game fish usually do not do well in garden ponds. The main reason is that small, shallow bodies of water do not meet their temperature and oxygen needs. They are also very aggressive and will pester other small fish or eat them whole.
Amphibians such as frogs, newts, salamanders and turtles are all likely canidates for the pond. They usually come to the pond uninvited. Besides being good scavengers, tadpoles and pollywogs are fn to watch as they grow legs and transform into frogs. Newts go through a similar aquatic pollywog stage.
Other water creatures that are good for the pond are snails (consuming algae and fish waste), Freshwater clams and mussels (serve much the same purpose as snails).
