Water garden

A water feature in your garden no longer needs to be an expensive hassle. New materials available mean that anyone can plan for and plant their own water garden.

Aquatic plants

They help your water feature blend in with the rest of your garden, they look good and they do well.

Submerged

• Even though they are not 100% visible, they are still essential to your pond to oxygenate and filter the water.
• Plants will need to be planted in containers and placed at the bottom of your pond.
• To help reduce algae, cover 1/3 of the pool with submerged plants.

Floating

• Most popular type of aquatic plant.
• Floats on the water's surface.
• Filters the water.
• Blocks sunlight, therefore reducing the amount of algae.
• Mostly small and helps nourish the fish in the pond.
• Popular choices are duckweed and floating ferns.

Emergent

• Largest of the aquatic plants
• They can be grown in baskets and when submerged, roots will integrate with the soil at the bottom of the pond and their leaves and flowers will be visible above water level
• Filter, oxygenate and reduce algae in the pond
• Enough to cover half of the pond is recommended
• Popular choices are water lilies and lotus

Wildlife

• Fish will not only look good and add enjoyment to your water garden, but will also help to equilibrate the pond and get rid of unwanted insects.
• Wait 2 to 3 weeks before adding fish to a newly filled pond.
• You'll most likely collect your fish in a plastic bag of water. Let them float on the pond in the bag for at least 20 minutes to allow them to adjust to the temperature.
• Most can be fed with normal goldfish food, they will mostly feed from insects and plants in the pond anyway.
• Goldfish and Koi make a good choice, both being colourful and active.
• Be considerate to the fish and think about the size of them in relation to the size of your pond, Koi need a lot of space.
• Other wildlife like snails, tadpoles and freshwater clams, can be added to your water garden to help keep the water clean.

A water fountain or waterfall

• Although aquatic plants do best in still waters, a waterfall or fountain is a nice added feature.
• It will aid your fish, keep your water clean and add an extra little something to your water garden.

Looking after your water garden

• From time to time remove plants from your pond to remove dead leaves.
• Very occasionally fertilizer tablets can be inserted into the plants containers.
• A quick spray with a hose will knock unwanted visitors off the plants into the water to be cleaned up by the fish.
• If you have an additional water feature, be sure to clean the filter according to it's instructions.
• Keep the water level at a constant, topping up when necessary.
• During cold winter months, plants can be submerged to the bottom of the pool to help prevent freezing.