Planting Guide

A general rule to decide how many pond plants to order for your pond is to allow a combination of plants per square metre of surface area. A suggestion is one water lily or similar deep water plant, one bog or marginal plant and one to two oxygenating plants for each square metre. Water plants are quick growing in spring and summer and will give you the effect you are trying to achieve in a very short period of time.

For ease of maintenance it is best to keep your pond plants in containers. This makes it easy to lift and feed, tidy up spent flowers and leaves and to repot and divide when it outgrows the container. Special mesh planting pots and bags are available to suit all types and sizes of aquatic plants. Normal plastic planting pots can also be used.

As a planting medium use ordinary heavy garden loam. If you can squeeze a handful of soil into a ball without it breaking up, the soil is the right consistency. Do not use light sandy soil or very heavy clay soils. Do not add chemicals, potting mix, peat or compost to the mix. Commercial mixes are available from some outlets, but due to the weight we do not stock these mixes. If you do not have suitable soil in your garden, good quality topsoil is available from landscape supply yards. Another alternative medium is to use a clay based kitty litter, but regular fertilising will be required.

Pots can be topped with fine gravel to prevent fish from nibbling at the plant roots. This will also reduce clouding the pond water as you put your new plant into position.

When placing your new plants in your pond refer to the water level required for each variety. Plant containers can be raised on bricks to give each plant the right growing conditions.

Planting directly into a bog garden, dam or earth ponds - this is a good method if you have enough room for plants to grow. It is a great method for marginal plants, water iris, cannas and cyperus for instance. To assist in establishing plants around the edge or shallows of the water garden, use hessian or coir to hold the plant in position until the roots can take hold. Pebbles or rocks can also help hold the plant in position. It is best to keep lilies and lotus in containers - just place at the correct height in the pond.

Planting and care instructions will be sent to you with your plants.

See diagram below for water levels required for the different categories of water plants. Remember though that most marginal water plants are very adaptable as to their water requirements.