Water Gardens
Water gardens, also known as aquatic gardens, backyard ponds and garden ponds, are usually referring to a human-made feature that typically combines a pool with aquatic plants and often ornamental fish. Fixed items such as rocks, fountains, statuary, waterfalls and watercourses can be combined with the pool to add visual interest and integration with the local landscape and environment.
Typical water garden plants are divided into 3 main categories:
- Submerged
- Marginal
- Floating
Submerged plants are those that live almost completely under the water, sometimes with leaves or flowers that grow to the surface such as with the water lily. These plants are placed in a pond or container usually 1–2 ft below the water surface. Some of these plants are called oxygenators because they create oxygen for the fish that live in a pond.
Marginal plants are those that live with their roots under the water but the rest of the plant is above the surface. These are usually placed so that the top of the pot is at the water level or barely below it.
Floating plants are those that are not anchored to the soil but are free-floating on the surface. In water gardening, these are often used as a provider of shade to reduce algae growth in a pond. These are often extremely fast growing / multiplying.
