The most beautiful plants for a pond in the country. How to choose plants for a pond in the country? Flowers that grow in the pond

So, you are the owner of a garden ornamental pond. Having spent a lot of effort on the arrangement of a mini-reservoir, and having decorated it in a landscape or design style, it is time to start gardening. What plants can be planted in the pond, and what plants can be planted near the pond, in its coastal zone? There are a lot of options here, here you will learn about the most popular representatives of aquatic flora for an artificial reservoir.

What types of plants can be planted in a home pond

All aquatic plants artificial pond perform an important task: they serve as a kind of filters to purify water and maintain biological balance. It is desirable that at least one third of the artificial reservoir be devoted to plants.

There are several types aquatic plants for a pond, each of which requires planting at a certain depth.

There are deep-sea plants for the garden pond, the flowers of which are on the surface of the water surface (for example, water lily).

There are oxygenator plants that grow in the water column and bring the greatest benefit pond, but from the outside they are almost invisible.

There are floating plants for the pond, as well as coastal plants that rise above the surface of the water, and their roots are in the ground under water. Swamp crops are usually planted next to a body of water in waterlogged and moist soil. They bring little benefit to the reservoir, but they provide shade and perform a decorative function. When deciding which pond plants to plant in the water surface and on the shore, you need to choose them in accordance with the style of landscape design, based on your own taste.

Planting water plants for an artificial country pond

Plants for a pond in a country house are planted in a pond already at the moment when the structure is completely ready, filled with water and settled for 10 days. It is better to plant aquatic crops in early summer. Depending on the type of plants, they are planted along the shore or at the bottom of the reservoir. You can plant the plants directly in the soil laid on the bottom, but it is best to place them in plastic or ceramic pots, which are then placed on the bottom.

Pots with water plants for a pond must have holes in the walls and bottom, this is necessary for soil ventilation, otherwise the roots will rot. W and plants in pots and baskets will be easier to care for: move for wintering to a warm room, carry out reproduction, etc.

The soil in the baskets can be made up of ordinary garden soil (clay soil is better) and a small amount of bone meal. It is impossible to enrich the soil with manure, fertilizers, black soil or peat, this can cause poisoning of the inhabitants of the reservoir.

Take care to keep the soil layer in the baskets from being washed away by water, and also that the fish do not pick up turbidity from the surface of the soil. To do this, after planting the plants in the pond, you can lay a clean burlap or other coarse fabric on top, and place small pebbles on it (2 cm layer).

Regardless of which plants it is decided to plant in the pond, especially long roots and old leaves must be removed from them before planting. After planting, it is necessary to compact the soil around the stem of the plant so that the distance between the soil and the edge of the basket is at least 40 mm. Before planting aquatic plants, it is imperative to establish exactly at what depth they should be planted.

There are also such types of plants for an ornamental pond that do not require landing at all - they float freely on the surface of the reservoir, independently holding on to the surface of the water. These plants include water lilies and lotus. But these cultures need to be closely monitored, because in favorable conditions they multiply rapidly and, if not thinned out, can take over the entire pond in a short time.

The main problem for any closed reservoir with stagnant water is the duckweed, which multiplies rapidly and rapidly captures the entire area. In no case should you plant it specifically. In general, when planting plants, you need to adhere to the measure - all plants need light and, in addition, dense thickets in a small pond will look unattractive.

In any case, the reservoir with plants must be regularly thinned out, removing excess and old processes. As for the preparation of plants for wintering, those aquatic crops for which temperate climate is an natural environment habitat, must be left in the pond.

Exotic home pond plants from warm countries should be removed from the pond by placing them in a home aquarium or indoor bath for the winter. First you need to prune heavily overgrown plants. Indoors, crops need to be provided with sufficient lighting so that they do not wither.

If it is not possible to buy plants for country pond in the store, you can simply go to the nearest swampy pond, carefully study what grows in it and at what depth, and then select individual specimens for your own pond.

Since the water in the pond is stagnant, as in most artificial reservoirs, the plants in it will be suitable, and besides, all of them, without exception, are adapted to the local climate.

In this case, it will be possible to transplant into a summer cottage immediately mature plant. But you need to be careful and not go “for prey” alone, because after all, many of the plants grow in swampy areas, and here it will be difficult for one person to cope with the task, and it’s not safe. You must first stock up on two long poles to feel the ground under your feet, good rubber boots with a high top, and a reliable assistant who will have to remain on the shore, but within reach of the pole.

The most popular aquatic pond plants

The most popular aquatic plant in the construction of an artificial pond is the water lily, or water lily. It belongs to the category of deep-water plants and has a horizontally growing rhizome. There are four types of water lilies: dwarf (planting depth - 0.1-0.25 m, diameter of the surface covered with leaves - 0.3-0.6 m, coverage area - 1-2.5 m2, flower diameter - 5-10 cm ), shallow (planting depth - 0.1-0.25 m, diameter of the surface covered with leaves - 0.3-0.6 m, coverage area - 1-2.5 m2, flower diameter - 5-10 cm), medium (planting depth - 0.1-0.25 m, diameter of the surface covered with leaves - 0.3-0.6 m, coverage area - 1-2.5 m2, flower diameter - 5-10 cm) and large (planting depth - 0.1-0.25 m, diameter of the surface covered with leaves - 0.3-0.6 m, coverage area - 1-2.5 m2, flower diameter - 5-10 cm). Often large and beautiful water lilies are much cheaper than small and nondescript at first glance relatives. But the former grow in tropical climates and do not adapt well to ours. In addition, large water lilies need a large body of water. But smaller water lilies and take up little space, and feel great in the local climate.

As you can see in the photo, these pond aquatic plants come in white, pink, red and yellow flowers:

The leaves begin to grow immediately after the ice melts, when the water temperature in the reservoir rises several degrees above the zero temperature of the thermometer, and the plants bloom until late autumn. The peak of their flowering falls on the warmest period of the garden season. When choosing the type of water lilies, their characteristics must be taken into account: the temperature of the content (exotic species are not adapted to our climate), the depth of the reservoir (some species require a depth of up to 1 m), the area covered by flowers.

If the reservoir is small, then too abundant flowering will block more than half of the surface of the pond, and this can lead to shading of the reservoir, there will be a lack of oxygen in the water, an excess of swamp gas will appear and the water will rot.

Deep-sea lilies as they grow (after 2-3 months) need to be transplanted to a greater depth, and if the pond is shallow, then pots with roots should be removed to the basement for the winter.

The bog-flower is also a deep-sea plant. This plant resembles a water lily, because it has small wavy leaves, often with brownish spots (up to 5 cm in diameter).

Look at the photo: in this pond plant, yellow flowers, collected in inflorescences, reach a diameter of 4 cm. Usually this culture is planted in a pond until the water lilies take root. Has a tendency to grow rapidly. Planting depth - 0.3-0.6 m, height of flowers above the water surface - 5-8 cm. Bog flower blooms from July to September. Reproduction occurs by dividing the rhizomes and occurs in late spring or summer.

Another plant from the deep-sea category is the egg-pod. This is a "relative" of the water lily, although it is not so beautiful. The capsule has small and uninteresting flowers, planted on thick peduncles, towering above the surface of the water. This plant needs running water and partial shade. For a medium-sized pond, you can use a small and dwarf egg-pod.

Japanese and foreign capsules are often found on sale, but these plants require a large reservoir, because the diameter of the flower reaches 8 cm, and the pistil is comparable in size and shape to a small glass bottle. Planting depth - 0.3-0.6 m (for small species), height of flowers above the water surface - 8 cm, the pod blooms from June to September, and propagates by dividing rhizomes in late spring or summer.

Floating plants for garden ornamental pond

Vodokras ordinary, or frog, is a plant floating on the surface of the water. This culture is often used in small reservoirs, because it grows slowly, although it blooms all summer, and its foliage dies off in autumn. Vodokras hibernates in the form of buds at the bottom of the pond, which rise to the surface at the beginning of summer and a new plant grows from them. Some experts recommend taking out the kidneys for the winter along with part of the muddy bottom and storing them in a jar of water, and lower them back to the bottom in April. This will protect the population from freezing, because shallow water bodies freeze thoroughly.

Water color leaves reach a diameter of 2.5-5 cm. The height of flowers above the water surface is 3-5 cm. Water color reproduces in summer by dividing the bushes.

One of the most popular plants in the construction of artificial reservoirs - hornwort. This plant is an oxygen generator, i.e. it has no roots and grows right in the water. Adapted to any light conditions, does not grow too much, propagates by dividing the shoots into parts in the summer.

In the water it looks like a thick branched brush. This plant is necessary to maintain the biological balance in the water.

There are several types of hornworts, but for artificial reservoirs, dark green or submerged are recommended. The plant overwinters in the form of buds at the bottom of the reservoir.

What plants to plant near the pond in the country

Below are coastal pond plants with photos and names that can be planted around an artificial reservoir.

air refers to coastal plants. There are several varieties of calamus, which differ in color and size. When choosing, remember that undersized varieties more vulnerable to winter frosts. Usually for decoration garden ponds two types of these coastal plants are used for the pond: calamus ordinary and calamus marsh.

The first type is very large, resembling an iris. It has straight arrow-shaped leaves that exude a pleasant aroma. Cob inflorescences are of little interest - they are small, greenish and horn-shaped. The second type of calamus has beautiful leaves with green-cream coloration, which turns green-pink in spring.

The height of this plant of the coastal zone of the pond is 0.5-1 m. These aquatic plants need to be planted at a depth of 8-15 cm. It is also a coastal plant - Volzhanka. There is a dioecious Volzhanka and a forest Volzhanka, or an ordinary one. The latter is the most common. This plant is unpretentious, takes root well in a new place, reaches a height of 2 meters in 2 years. Flowering time - June-July, propagated by dividing the bushes in the fall. Volzhanka inflorescences are large, fluffy and long (up to 20 cm), consist of many creamy white flowers. Crops should be planted at a distance of 75 cm from each other and in in large numbers, because this large plant obscures the pond quite strongly. At the end of autumn, the Volzhanka must be cut, leaving only stems 10-15 cm long above the ground. The crop should be planted in the shade.

Plants of the coastal zone around the pond in the country

When deciding which plants to plant near the pond in the country, pay attention to buttercups, they also belong to the group of coastal plants. For the design of artificial reservoirs, an underwater ranunculus is used, which looks very peculiar - it has two types of leaves: the underwater leaves are cut into thin segments, similar to hairs, and the surface ones, floating on the surface, have trifoliate leaves and look like clover. The first flowers appear in early summer. They are white, on branching stems that rise above the water. When the flowering period ends, the plant dies. Buttercup propagates in spring and summer by cuttings.

kaluzhnitsa is a marsh plant, and it is often used for decoration coastal zones reservoirs. This plant near the pond is a very unpretentious culture that grows well on the banks of small ponds or swamps. The marigold blooms early - in April. Its flowers resemble buttercup flowers, and the leaves are round or heart-shaped. The most popular variety of this plant, planted near the pond, is marsh marigold. The height of the plant is 0.3-0.5 m, it is planted to a depth of 5 cm, blooms with bright yellow flowers.

Another popular type of plant around the pond is Calthapalustris Plena. This culture is distinguished by double, yellow flowers similar to small chrysanthemums, blooms in April. The bushes reach a height of 10-30 cm. There is a variety of the Alba plant that blooms in May with white flowers. The culture grows in a swamp, the planting depth is up to 2.5 cm, the height of the plant is 15-20 cm. Another marigold, thin sepals, is a bit like Alba. But this is a real giant among all the other relatives. The marigold has large beautiful leaves and large yellow flowers, grows up to 1 m in height and is planted at a depth of 5-10 cm in large reservoirs. All these plants growing near the pond in the country house are propagated at the end of summer by fresh seeds or by dividing the bushes.

What other plants to plant near the pond in the country

What other plants to plant near the pond to decorate the coastal zone of the reservoir?

Sedge grows both in water and in coastal marshy soil. The depth of its planting in water is 5 cm. There are tall plants that are suitable for large reservoirs. In decorating the pond, sedge sticking out is often used. This plant, planted near the pond in the country, has yellow leaves, and the bush reaches a height of 0.5 m. You can also use coastal sedge - it has green and white leaves and a bush height of 0.3-0.6 m. a plant with fragrant leaves. Its bushes grow to 15 cm in height, and bloom all summer with small yellow, button-like inflorescences. There is a coronopus leaf kotula - annual plant which is easily propagated by self-sowing.

You can sow the seeds of this plant in the spring at home, and then, transplanted into a ceramic pot, planted in a pond. Depth of landing kotula - 12 cm.

An excellent plant for the shore of the pond is pontederia. The heart-shaped pontederia is the most popular when arranging garden ponds. This is a very beautiful plant: it has large shiny leaves, it grows in bushes, the inflorescences are cylindrical, spicate-shaped, pale blue in color, the height of the peduncles is 0.6-0.75 m, it grows slowly. Pontederia blooms from July to September, propagated by dividing the bushes in late spring. However, this plant, planted around the pond in the country, is not very resistant to frost, winters with buds at the bottom. Therefore, it is desirable that the kidney be as deep as possible, or for safety, you need to choose the kidneys from the bottom along with silt and place them in a jar of water for the winter, and with the onset of heat, move them back to the reservoir.

They carry useful functions: they prevent water overheating, saturate it with oxygen, and prevent the development of simple algae. We want to tell you about how to plant plants correctly and what types to choose in order to enjoy the beauty of the reservoir.

Varieties of plants for the pond

Before planting, you need to know which plants can be planted in a certain area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe pond:

1. Coastal or "wet" zone. This is a place where water and constantly wet earth get in from time to time. Grow well here moisture-loving plants: swamp iris, loosestrife, forget-me-nots, primroses, swamp belozor.

Iris marsh

2. The depth from the edge of the water to a depth of 10 cm is called a “swamp”. This place is characterized by constant jumps in the water level, so you need to plant unpretentious, stress-resistant plants: loosestrife, euphorbia, calla, cattail.

cattail

3. Shallow water zone. It starts at a depth of 10 to 40 cm. This is a place for planting plants, the roots of which must always be in the water: reeds, burdock, susak, orontium, pontederia.

Pontederia

4. The deep-water zone starts from 40 cm. There are three groups of plants that can grow here:

1. deep water varieties. Them root system develops in the ground, at the bottom of the pond, and flowers and leaves float on the surface of the water. Such plants usually have large leaves, protecting the pond from excessive sun exposure, thereby preventing the growth of green algae. The most popular are nymphea, egg capsule, Schreber's brazenia, nymphaeum, aponogeton. Such plants do not tolerate frost, so they are planted in special containers, and transferred to the underground for the winter.

Brazenia Schreber

Yellow capsule

1. floating views. The roots of such plants are filamentous, not fixed in the ground, but floating under water. They also protect the pond from direct rays, and the roots are a natural filter, absorbing mineral salts, which are the source of nutrition for green algae. They are planted in small batches so that the coverage area is no more than 50% of the total surface of the pond, as they grow very quickly. Most often, plants are planted that create a beautiful green carpet - azola, globular Wolfia, water lettuce.

water salad

Also flowering species: frog, eichornia, luronium.

frog

1. Plants-oxygenerators. In appearance, such varieties have an unattractive appearance. Their main task is to saturate the water with oxygen, consuming carbon dioxide and minerals, thereby taking food from green algae. They can grow to coastal zones (hornwort, elodea, urut) or float on the surface (bog, pondweed).

Urut

Bolotnitsa

planting

Planting aquatic plants is best done from May to August. There are two ways to plant aquatic plants.

To containers

1. Choose a plastic container. In size, it should be 2 times larger than the size of the flower, so that there is room for the growth of the root system. The color of the form should be neutral (brown, green, black) so as not to stand out in the pond.
2. To protect the soil from washing out inside the container, we lay burlap or put a layer of gravel on the bottom. This will protect the plant roots from being eaten by fish and add weight to the pot.
3. Half fill the pot with ready-made soil for water plants or a mixture of sand, fertile soil, clay and compost. Carefully transfer the plant to a container, fill it with the rest of the earth so that 4 cm of free space remains until the end. Strongly compact the earth is not worth it.
4. The remaining gap is covered with gravel, for additional protection against washing out.
5. We place the container in water.

Plants planted in this way can be put away for the winter in the cellar, as well as to regulate the growth of some deep-sea species.

Directly into the ground

1. We sprinkle the bottom of the pond with a layer of soil 8 cm thick, consisting of a mixture of sand, clay and compost.
2. We plant plants in the soil, each terrace has its own look.
3. We fill the roots with river sand, 2-4 cm thick, this will protect the soil layer from erosion.

This method is ineffective, since you will not be able to control the growth of plants, change the design of the compositions and, if necessary, send the plants to “wintering”.

Oxygenerator plant - hornwort can be planted directly in the ground

Secrets of the design of artificial reservoirs

Large plants should not be planted on the shore of a small reservoir. They visually make the size of the pond smaller. best to plant small shrubs, for example, Chastukha plantain or calamus.

Air will be a wonderful decoration coastline little ponds

Before planting, consider how the plants grow. With this in mind, you need to leave an open area so that the entire surface of the reservoir is visible, decorating the coast with stones or creeping plants, for example, swamp St. John's wort.

marsh St. John's wort

For reservoirs correct geometric shape on the shoreline, plant plants that emphasize its symmetry: boxwood, ivy, or small shrubs such as hawthorn and spirea.

Boxwood decorates a French-style pond

If you don’t want to dig pots with plants every 2-3 years and replant them, then you can make the pond a little larger for flora to grow, and plant the flowers themselves directly into the ground (except for those plants that require wintering).

Globular Wolfia

Pond plant care

The main problem of artificial reservoirs are green algae. The more they grow, the more cloudy the water becomes, less oxygen enters, which is important for the normal growth of the flora. Therefore, in the summer, when there is a maximum growth of algae, the filters should be turned on around the clock.

Nymphaeum helps protect the pond from overgrowth of green algae

swamp forget-me-not

The choice of pond plants must be approached responsibly. Many factors must be taken into account: the depth of planting, the degree of growth, you need to know whether these plants are suitable for wintering or they will have to be transplanted. Be sure to ask the consultant about this when you purchase plants. Otherwise, the pond, even with proper care, will turn into a swamp.

Before buying and “setting” flowers in a pond, its potential should be objectively assessed. To do this, several aspects need to be clarified:

• origin: artificial or natural;
• size and depth;
• area of ​​the coastal zone;
• visibility of the pond (from which sides it is visible).

It would be useful to draw your “ideal body of water”. This will help to harmoniously fit it into the surrounding landscape. Indeed, with the help of decor, any pond can be made into an alpine mountain spring or a tropical paradise lake. However, it should be remembered here that plants accustomed to the local climate do not require special attention, and can easily winter on outdoors. Exotic species need permanent care and on cold period they need to be taken indoors.

Aquatic plants are divided into five categories:

1. deep sea- These are plants that are firmly fixed by their roots at the bottom, and their leaves float on the surface. In most cases they have large bright inflorescences eye-catching. In addition to the decorative function, they are a kind of "umbrellas" for the lake. They shade, do not allow the sun's rays to penetrate into the water column, thereby preventing excessive heating of the reservoir. The cool water prevents algae from growing, which helps keep the lake clean.
2. Oxygenators. This type of aquatic grass lives in the depths and only occasionally appears on the surface. These are the “orderlies” of any open water space, and without them, the water will lose its transparency. They produce oxygen by absorbing carbon dioxide. They also destroy algae that cause water blooms. If there is fish in the pond, then oxygenators are both food and spawning grounds for it.
3. floating. The name speaks for itself. These "plants - travelers" do not need soil. They move freely on the surface of the water, protecting it from overheating in the same way as their deep-sea counterparts. A huge plus of these species is that they do not require landing and are very tenacious. It is enough to place them in water so that after a short period of time they feel at home. However, they multiply rapidly, so they need periodic thinning.
4. Shallow or marsh. These representatives of the fauna love very wet soil. Although some of this group grow well in flower beds, for example, iris and astilba. But in most cases they live at the transition of water to land, therefore they are a link between these two ecosystems.
5. Coastal. Such plants do not affect the life of the reservoir. They are only needed to give the lake a finished look. Therefore, do not underestimate their value in aesthetic terms. Properly selected coastal plants will emphasize the beauty of the pond.

Based on this classification, the pond should be populated with different species. Decorative residents and "orderlies" should closely coexist and complement each other.

Plants for a small pond

If the area is limited, then you should focus on dwarf species. It is advisable to avoid large flowers and huge leaves. This will visually make the pond smaller or turn it into a monotonous green swamp.

A yellow egg pod is suitable as a deep-sea dweller. Its flowers will immediately attract attention, so do not plant it very tightly. The egg capsule is planted to a depth of 30–60 centimeters directly into the ground or in a separate container. The flower loves clay soil enriched with humus. It can winter either on the street (if the pond does not freeze through), or in an aquarium with cool water.

For small areas, small duckweed or three-lobed duckweed is excellent. It is unpretentious, adapts well to changing conditions and in small areas its reproduction is easy to control.

For wintering, she does not need human help. Her buds sink to the bottom along with dying plants, and there they wait for the spring warmth.

Plant a marigold along the water's edge. This grass blooms for the first time in spring, pleasing to the eye small flowers. It is planted in coastal silt at a depth of 4-5 centimeters. If the summer is dry, then you should carefully monitor the water level. The roots of marigold should not dry out. If there is not enough moisture, then additional plentiful watering is required.

The area near the pond can be filled with loosestrife. This is a perennial creeping plant. This is low grass, and therefore will not reduce the visibility of the pond. In a short time, it covers vast areas with a dense carpet with small yellow inflorescences. Almost does not need care. It is better to plant directly in the ground. It tolerates wintering well, without requiring additional watering in summer.

Plants for a large pond

A large space is a huge field of activity for the implementation of the most daring ideas. However, such a brainchild requires a lot of work. Over a large area, it is difficult to regulate the growth and reproduction of plants. Therefore, fish and crustaceans should be brought into the reservoir, as additional assistants to keep the reservoir clean.

Often different types of water lilies are chosen as the main deep-sea plants. But they can be safely replaced or supplemented with marsh turks. The name does not sound as noble as that of the “queen of the lakes”, however, flowers 15–20 centimeters high will look unusual against the background of the water surface. To plant a turchi, it is enough to launch a seedling into the water in warm weather. She herself will find a convenient place for rooting.

Floating inhabitants in a large pond can be duckweed and pemphigus. The latter is a predator. Pemphigus feeds on small and mosquitoes, which will greatly improve the situation on suburban area. It also shades the pond, saving the water from overheating. It reproduces by pieces of stems. It is enough to break a strong stalk and throw it into the water. If the reservoir is not inhabited by fish, then the pemphigus should be thinned out regularly.

Shallow water near large ponds can be filled with high and lush plants. It is good to do this only on one or two sides, without obscuring the main view. For this purpose cattail is suitable . It is best planted in containers at a depth of 10-30 centimeters. For wintering, cattail should be taken to a room with zero temperature. If it grows in the ground, then every autumn it is desirable to remove excess rhizomes.

Aquilegia can be evenly planted along the shore of the reservoir. This unpretentious flower, easily tolerating frost in the ground. It grows both in sunny glades and in shady places. But with a large amount of direct sunlight, the inflorescences become smaller, losing their brightness.

Plants for home stream and waterfall

Decorate artificial waterfall at the cottage or winter garden- the task is only possible experienced flower growers. The main thing here is not to overdo it. Plants should only emphasize the beauty of the water running down, and not divert attention to themselves.

In the winter garden, the composition can be created with indoor flowers. You just need to pick them up in shape, size and texture.

If the waterfall is in the open air, then low grasses and mosses should be preferred. You can complement the picture with water plantain, common basilisk, cattail and hosta. All these plants can be planted in the ground or in containers. They take root well, easily enduring frost.

Make a trickle decorative element much easier than it seems at first glance. It is enough to clean it and plant it with perennial plants along the shore.

In autumn, you can plant several melissa bushes and cuffs, supplementing them with astilbes. On the other side, create a clearing from the host and. Primrose looks great along the entire coast different colors.

How to properly plant a pond with plants

There are two ways to plant plants in a pond:

• soil;
• container.

In the first method, a fertile bottom should be carefully prepared. To do this, fill up 8 centimeters of a mixture of sand, compost and a rotted barn. Top with 4 centimeters river sand. Next, start planting plants and filling the pond with water.

With this method, the cleaning of the pond itself and the control over reproduction become much more complicated. different types.

The second way is more practical and convenient. To do this, choose lattice containers lined with burlap. This will keep the soil from washing out. After the seedlings are placed inside and fall asleep fertile soil, leaving 4 centimeters of empty space at the top. The next layer is gravel. This will keep the pot from tipping over underwater. The last stage is the careful immersion of the container to the desired depth.

With this type of planting, you can easily change the contents of the pond and organize wintering for heat-loving species.

All aquatic plants are planted from April to July. It is better to choose cloudy and rainy days. Deep water plants are placed first in the pond. They should be placed no more than one bunch for each square meter. After warming up the water to 18–20 degrees, you can start floating species. Coastal plants are planted last. They can be planted in containers, and then dug into the ground.

Clay balls with bone meal can be used as fertilizer. Mineral feeding should be avoided, it will only create conditions for the reproduction of algae.

At correct selection aquatic plants care of the pond is reduced to a minimum. Of course, it must be cleaned, disinfected, pest control. However, the work will pay off with a vengeance when, in the evening twilight, after saying goodbye to the last ray of sunshine, you can enjoy the soothing symphony of crickets and cicadas by your own pond.

No pond is complete without plants. On the one hand, they are an integral part of the design, and on the other hand, they are part of the ecological system of the reservoir.

Tall plants that are planted along the edges of the pond can not only add beauty to the pond, but also help shade it from the sun.

And part of it is very active, aimed at stabilizing the balance in the ecosystem.

Higher plants that purify water are a necessary and irreplaceable element in this system. This is especially true for small stagnant ponds. Everyone knows the so-called "bloom" of water and its turbidity. These processes quickly occur when it is warm and sunny, and organic residues decompose at the bottom. The lower unicellular algae and bacteria are guilty of this. Reproducing endlessly in a comfortable environment, they make a reservoir garden plot unsuitable for functioning as a pond. room a certain number higher plants into the water helps to solve the problem or at least slow down the process of clogging the reservoir.

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Root at the bottom, flowers in plain sight

Plants are called deep-water, the roots of which are embedded in the bottom soil, the stems are immersed in water, and the leaves and flowers are often on the surface. They help clean the pond and give the pond an unusual and attractive look, which is reflected in the design of the garden plot as a whole.

This group of plants has a well-developed ability to maintain the ecological balance in water bodies located in sunny places garden plot. In the water, protected from overheating by large floating leaves, a healthy microclimate is formed. At the same time, rooted aquatic plants are quite shade-tolerant, therefore they can purify water regardless of the location of the pond. The large depth of the reservoir is also not an obstacle to their breeding in order to clean the pond.

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Types of deep sea plants

Some of the deep-sea plants purify the water by absorbing organic matter dissolved in it. In the absence of plants from the group of deep-sea, healing ponds in the pond, uncontrolled reproduction of algae, bacteria and other undesirable organisms may begin in it. These plants include:

• blotnotsvetnik (nymphaeum);
• nymphea or water lily;
• yellow capsule;
• urut (pinnate);
• eichornia;
• vodokras;
• pondweed;
• hornwort;
• duckweed;
• aponogeton.

Marsh flower, or nymphaeum: blooms from July to late summer with yellow flowers collected in inflorescences. There is also a variety with white pubescent flowers. The most unpretentious of all deep-sea plants. The optimal planting depth for it is 60 cm. It reproduces vegetatively, by dividing the rhizome, and so quickly that the leaves, although small (no more than 5 cm in diameter), are able to completely cover the water surface. This property makes it not very suitable for growing in a small pond. Marshflower is resistant to winter cold, immune to diseases and pests and is able to clean the pond very well.

Nymphea, or water lily (water lily): representatives of this genus are extremely diverse, because it includes more than 30 species, and is also the object of intensive breeding work. Most varieties were bred in France over 100 years ago. Varieties differ in flower size (from 2.5 to 20 cm) and in color. There are white, yellow, pink, red flowers of various shades. Both wild forms and breeding water lilies are unusually beautiful, they bloom for quite a long time - from May to late autumn. They are relatively undemanding to growing conditions, especially for white varieties. When choosing a variety for a pond, it must be borne in mind that water lilies differ in their lighting requirements, among them there are more and less shade-tolerant ones. From the point of view of garden design, it is desirable to correlate the size of the flower with the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe reservoir.

The yellow capsule blooms in June-July with small yellow flowers of a rounded shape. Grows best in open warm water, but tolerates partial shade. IN winter time does not die when frozen. The yellow egg can be successfully used to clean the pond from organic impurities, thereby preventing the water from blooming. It has medicinal properties and is widely used in folk medicine.

Aponogeton is a group of perennial rhizomatous plants of tropical origin, characterized by beautiful translucent leaves. However, these plants are very demanding on temperature and lighting. They grow at shallow depths, most of them completely submerged in water. For a garden pond, Aponogeton bicuspid is better suited, characterized by floating leaves and unusual white inflorescences that exude a sweet and rather persistent aroma.

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Plants that don't need a root

Floating plants are a very peculiar group in that the roots of such plants are freely located in the water column, and not in the ground. Leaves and flowers are on the water surface. With the help of thread-like roots, they actively feed minerals directly from the water and thus contribute to its purification from impurities. Like deep sea plants, floating plants prevent unwanted overheating of the water. If there are fish in the pond, then a favorable, comfortable habitat is created for them under the cover of floating plants.

Many of the plants in this group bloom beautifully. They reproduce by the resulting seeds. Easy and fast distribution throughout the reservoir is very characteristic of non-rooting plants. On the one hand, this facilitates the work of caring for them: for planting, several specimens are simply placed in water, then they reproduce themselves. Such an intensive increase in mass contributes to an increase in the adsorbing surface and, as a result, a fast one. But, on the other hand, reproduction is so intense that it has to be limited, from time to time removing the excess. It is recommended not to allow floating plants to occupy more than 50% of the water surface. Most of these species tolerate winter well, sinking to the bottom and resurfacing when warmer weather sets in.

Urut, or pinnate, is found in fresh stagnant waters around the world. Of the 60 types of uruti, only two - whorled and spiked - are resistant to frost.

Long stems combined with feathery leaves look spectacular in the water. The connection is whorled. Young shoots grow from the rhizome, reach 1.5-2 meters. In some species, the shoots can protrude above the surface of the pond, for example, in the proserpinac-shaped uruti. If this particular species is grown in a garden pond, it must be kept indoors in a container. In urutia spiky, only inflorescences protrude above the water. After pollination, the fruit ripens - a nutlet, from which young individuals develop in the spring. Urut does not like shading. In the pond, it serves to purify water from harmful microorganisms.

Eichornia: the genus includes 7 species.

IN garden pond Eichhornia pachypodia or water hyacinth are usually grown. Leaves collected in a rosette and flowers are above the water. The leaves have swellings at the attachment points. blue flowers shaped like orchid and hyacinth flowers at the same time. Their life span is 1-2 days. The roots reach 0.5 m and "soar" in the water. This effect is achieved by a huge number of thin roots extending from the main roots. A huge mass of roots absorbs and processes phenols, salts of heavy metals, insecticides and others. various substances and weigh. In this regard, eichornia is actively used for water purification.

Pond with a waterfall: 1. Juniperus communis ‘Repanda’; 2. Iris pseudacorus ‘Variegata’; 3. Hebe albicans ‘Red Edge’; 4. Cotoneaster procumbens; 5. Azalea ‘Gibraltar’; 6. Pinus mugo var. pumllo; 7. Cornus alba ‘Elegantissima’; 8. Carex comans; 9. Berberis thunbergii ‘Dart’s Red Lady’; 10. Astilbe ‘Snowdrift’; 11. Iris laevigata.

Places natural habitat- subtropics and tropics. At temperatures below 10 ° C, eichornia dies. Therefore, in a more severe climate, for its regular renewal, it is necessary to learn how to preserve it in winter. This requires illumination, the presence of soil (top dressing with macro- and microelements), a certain temperature regime.

Vodokras ordinary, or frog, can be found in many places. The leaves are rounded small, collected in a rosette, the flowers are collected in white inflorescences. With the onset of cold weather, water paint forms buds that hibernate at the bottom of the pond. With the onset of warm weather, cavities form in them, which allow the kidneys to easily float to the surface. The development of buds in the spring begins a new cycle of life for the vodokras. The plant is suitable for garden ponds due to small sizes and moderate growth. When planting these plants, the cleaning of water bodies becomes immediately noticeable.

Rdest. Many types of pondweed have rhizomes and at the same time large shoots with leaves that float freely in the water. Leaves various shapes- oval, lanceolate. Their color in the light acquires various shades Red. Cleaning the pond is usually easy with this plant. It is usually grown in ponds with flowing water.

Hornwort. The leaves are strongly dissected, creating a beautiful openwork greenery. The stems are long and strongly branched at the top. Instead of roots, there are colorless rhizoids that keep the hornwort at great depths (up to 9 meters). The flowers are small, collected in inflorescences, and pollination occurs under water, unlike other higher aquatic plants. The hairs that cover the hornwort create an impressive absorbent surface that helps purify water.

The most popular hornwort among horticultural crops is dark green, or submerged. It can be grown in the shaded part of the garden. He can't stand bright light.

Duckweed. This plant is a small green plate. The root is attached below. On the leaf blades there are recesses (pockets) from which young plants emerge. They rarely bloom. Due to their small size, it is recommended for biological treatment small ponds.

Depending on the depth and size of the reservoir, you can pick up from one to several dozen species of aquatic plants of various colors and shapes.

With the help of aquatic plants, you can decorate not only the water surface, but also shallow water with a coastal zone.

Plants for ponds can be divided into three groups:

• coastal;
• shallow;
• deep sea;
• superficial.

Learn how to decorate a pond on the site - step by step instructions.

And how to grow and care for iris is described.

coastal plants

For planting along the contour of the reservoir, most moisture-loving plants are suitable.

When choosing a plant, you should pay attention to what kind of soil and water composition it needs.

When landing, you should adhere to next rule- 2 - 3 plants per 1 square meter.

Coastal plants include:

1. Iris - perennial, which has a huge number of varieties. It is planted to a depth of 5 - 8 cm in the immediate vicinity of the water's edge, since the iris needs constantly moist soil.
2. Air - perennial herbaceous plant, height up to 1 m. Its leaves are of interest - in different types of calamus they are colored with stripes different color. Planted at a depth of 8 - 15 cm.
3. Sedge - perennial shrub up to 60 cm high. In different species, the leaves have a different color - with the addition of white, yellow or different shades of green. Planted at a depth of 5 cm.
4. Loosestrife is a perennial herbaceous plant that grows rapidly along the coast. It blooms with small yellow flowers from June.

Coastal plants in the photo:

shallow water plants

Among them are:

1. Arrowhead is a herbaceous perennial, emersed leaves up to 30 cm high. It blooms with white-pink flowers from June to August. Arrowhead is planted so that the roots and lower leaves are covered with water.
2. Blackhead is a herbaceous plant, about 80 cm high. The stems and leaves are erect, immersed in water to the middle. A shrub is planted to a depth of about 40 cm, in still water or water with small currents.
3. Kaluzhnitsa - rounded leaves, yellow flowers, appear in April. Height up to half a meter. Planted to a depth of 5 cm.
4. Orontium is a perennial plant, has elongated leaves and an elongated peduncle that rises vertically above the water. Height 15 - 35 cm. Planted to a depth of 30 cm, preferably in silt.

See photos of shallow water plants in the gallery:

deep sea plants

Deep-sea plants are divided into two groups: underwater and releasing shoots and flowers to the surface.

Underwater plants provide water with oxygen and are natural filters. These include:

1. Hornwort is a perennial plant, under favorable conditions it grows up to 9 m. Planting and transplanting is carried out in the warm season, when temperatures drop, the plant sinks to the bottom and thus hibernates without loss. Can serve as food for fish.
2. Urut is a freshwater plant that grows at a depth of up to 2 m. It has interesting feather-like leaves.

About planting and care exotic plant Buddley David read in.

Materials for mulching and its features.

Shoots are released to the surface:

1. Water lily - when choosing a water lily, you should pay attention to the depth required by a particular species.
2. Marsh flower - has small leaves with wavy edges. Flowers about 4 cm, yellow, bloom from July to September. Planted before rooting water lilies to a depth of 30 - 60 cm.
3. Capsule - has rounded flowers and leaves, blooms from June to September. small species planted to a depth of 30 - 60 cm. Able to grow in running water, as opposed to a water lily.

See photos of deep-sea plants here:

surface plants

These include:

1. Eichornia - has elongated leaves, collected in a porous rosette, which allows the plant to stay on the surface of the water. The flower is purple, reminiscent of a hyacinth. Height up to 30 cm, blooms in August and September. It is a universal filter - the plant processes heavy metals, organic pollutants, etc.
2. Vodokras is a frost-resistant plant, has small rounded leaves and white flowers. It grows slowly, so it is not suitable for large bodies of water.
3. Duckweed - three-lobed duckweed is used for decorative purposes - this species grows more slowly. Duckweed covers the entire accessible surface of the reservoir, so you need to be careful with it.

These surface plants are shown in the photo: