How To Choose Beautiful Pond Plants

Aquatic pond plants come in a myriad of shapes and sizes, each with their own unique appeal! Generally speaking the majority fall into one of the following categories: deep water plants; marginal plants, oxygenator plants and floating pond plants.

In a new pond build it is important to let your water plants get used to their new surroundings before introducing Koi, goldfish and other popular pond fish species.

Tropical water lilies are probably the most beautiful of pond plants, mainly due to their large flowers and fragrant smell. They are perfect for those pond keepers who live in warmer climates, with year round sunshine. They need day time temperatures of at least 75 Fahrenheit and night time temperatures of at least 65 Fahrenheit. Alas, if you live in a colder climate you can still keep them but you will have to be prepared to bring them indoors and over winter in a frost free green house and buy some heating equipment, for the cooler night time temperatures.

Hardy water lilies, while not quite as extravagant as their tropical cousins are able to remain in the pond all year round, even in cold weather conditions. They are a hardy water plant variety capable of living in deep ponds up to 8 to 10 feet in depth.

If you are fortunate enough to live in a warm climate and have a large pond that is at least 2 or 3 feet deep then you can be the proud owner of the beautiful aquatic Lotus plant. Some strains are hardier than others so make your selection wisely. If huge flowering blooms are what you are looking for then a lotus plant is a great choice! It simply stands out from the crowd.

Marginal aquatic plants, more commonly known as marginals or bog plants live in the shallow areas of your pond, in the margins where the water depth is no more than 6 inches. They also thrive in muddy areas. Popular examples of this grass like plants include the Cattail, bamboo, rush and papyrus. They need at least 3 hours of sunshine per day to keep a smile on their face.

Oxygenators are a pond friendly plant variety that provide valuable oxygen and help to control the levels of both suspended planktonic algae and filamentous string algae varieties. They are also a tasty tit bit for pond fish and are capable of toughing it through cold winter spells.

Floating pond plants such as Water hyacinths are extremely popular amongst many pond keepers. These floating aquatic plants do not need to be planted. They simply float around the pond, with roots in tow. They block out sunlight from the water surface and help to fight off blanket weed and green pond algae.

Any fish pond will benefit from the addition of aquatic pond plants. The secret is to make sure that you do not let them run riot and grow out of control.

The full article can be read at http://www.garden-pond-filters.com/garden-plant-plantselection.html where you will find money saving advice and information to help you choose the right pond keeping equipment the first time around.

Why not take advantage of my pond calculators to help you convert between metric and imperial measurements quickly and accurately.