Small Pond

Here are a few suggestions for planting up a small pond to give ideas about how you might plant up your own. Plants can be bought as singles if desired; where we recommend twos or threes of the same plant it is simply to give impact more quickly, especially if your pond is at the larger end of the range we give.

Small Pond. Defined as: Bigger than a half-barrel pond but not over 6 feet by 4 feet.

Surface/Floating (Choose 1 - 2 of the following options) 

• Any waterlily from the Miniature Waterlilies or Small Waterlilies sections on our website
• Aponogeton distachyos x 1 (lower cost than a waterlily and in leaf most of the year, also a more suitable option for shady locations)
• Persicaria amphibia x 1 (not as attractive as a lily or a water hawthorn, but one of the few native options for deep water)
• Nymphoides peltata x 1 (a native option and very easy and attractive but will probably need to be thinned within two years)
• Marsilea mutica x 1 (no flowers, but gives an unusual tropical look)
• Luronium natans x 2 (a native option)
• Hydrocharis morsus-ranae x 2 (a native option, no need for a pot, but in leaf less than half the year)
• Stratiotes aloides x 2 (a native option and gives an unusual look, but no significant flowers and provides little shade)

 

Oxygenators/Underwater (Choose 2 of the following options, all are native) 

• Ranunculus aquatilis x 2 (beautiful flowers and delicate foliage but dies away in summer so would ideally be combined with another oxygenator)
• Ceratophyllum x 1 (no need to pot but dies away in the winter leaving the pond bare)
• Myriophyllum spicatum x 1 (in leaf all year so a good stand-alone choice)
• Callitriche x 2 (does best in an established pond)
• Lemna trisulca x 2 (much more slow-growing but a good option for very shady locations)

 

Marginal Plants (The number of marginal plants is mostly personal preference but we would suggest choosing 3 - 4 of the following options. Listed A - Z)

• Baldellia ranunculoides x 6 (pink flowers and seedheads all summer, also native)
• Caltha palustris x 2 (yellow flowers in spring, also native) or Caltha palustris 'Flore Pleno' x 2 (more showy flowers but not quite native)
• Cyperus involucratus x 2 (gives height and an exotic look)
• Eriophorum vaginatum x 4 or Eriophorum angustifolium  x 3 (white seed heads spring to summer, also native)
• Equisetum hyemale x 2 (evergreen, a suitable option for shade, gives a lot of height, and is also native)
• Hydrocotyle vulgaris x 2 (very good at covering the pond edge, also native, but may need to be thinned occasionally)
• Houttuynia cordata 'Chameleon' x 1 (lovely foliage plant)
• Any Iris versicolor or laevigata variety x 2 (gives height)
• Isolepis cernua x 4 (very numerous tiny silvery flowers, also native)
• Juncus ensifolius x 4 or or Juncus effusus f. spiralis x 2
• Myosotis scorpioides x 4 (an easy native plant with flowers that are small but attractive to bees) 
• Orontium aquaticum (ordinary or our special red form) x 2 (unusual clump-forming and slow-growing marginal)
• Pontederia cordata (blue form or white form) x 1 (for height, an exotic look and late flowers that bees love) 
• Potentilla palustris x 4 (unusual colour flowers, also native)
• Ranunculus flammula subsp. minimus x 4 (yellow buttercup flowers from spring to autumn, also native)
• Sagittaria sagittifolia x 2 (gives height and unusual looking leaves, also native)
• Typha minima x 2 (gives height and a traditional 'bulrush' look)
• Veronica beccabunga x 2 (good for covering the pond edge, also native)
• Zantedeschia aethiopica x 2 (white flowers and glossy leaves, gives an exotic look)