Water gardens can be beautiful additions to any outdoor space. Whether you have a large, inground pond or a small container on your patio, the right aquatic plants can transform your garden into a welcoming oasis.
Aquatic plants are essential to the health and beauty of a water garden. They not only add color and texture, but are instrumental in maintaining a healthy ecosystem. Floating and submerged plants help oxygenate and filter the water, providing a healthier environment for fish and frogs. They also help control algae growth by absorbing nutrients and blocking sunlight.
Here are some various pond plants:
Those that like moisture but don't need to be submerged. These can be used to create a lush backdrop around the edges of the pond. (Pitcher plants—yes, the carnivorous ones)
Marginal plants grow with their roots underwater and foliage above. (Cattails which should be planted in pots to avoid spreading, Pickerelweed)
Floating plants float on the water's surface. These absorb nutrients directly from the water and don't need soil. These however, usually need to be brought indoors during colder months.(Lotus, water lilies)
Submerged plants grow entirely underwater.
If you are unsure about plant selection or pond maintenance, consult a landscape professional. They can help you choose plants that compliment each other in color and texture and assist with installation and maintenance to ensure your water garden remains beautiful and balanced.
Do you have a water garden, or have you thought about making one?
Today's IWSG question is, "Is there a genre you would like to try writing that you haven't tried yet?" Mystery. I loved Nancy Drew Mysteries growing up, but I have never written a true mystery book of my own. Maybe I will some day. What about you?
And an announcement: I am very happy to share that all of my Bubba and Squirt books have been compiled into a boxed set. Right now, it's available as an ebook. Here's an universal Amazon link if you'd like to check it out: Bubba and Squirt's Adventures around the World
Hi Sherry, water gardens and ponds are beautiful and refreshing, especially in the extreme heat 🥵 🔥 and humidity in our Montreal summers...and many other places that experience this type of heat. Beautiful photos and very much appreciated post. Thank you so much for sharing ❤️
ReplyDeleteI love water gardens, too. They're so relaxing!
DeleteThey must be very nice and refreshing especially on this summer heat.
ReplyDeleteFor sure!
DeleteI love visiting a good water garden - the Fort Worth Botanic Gardens have a lovely area. And congrats on your Bubba and Squirt boxed set. Lucky kids get to read them. Also - your grocery store book signing is cool - I hope folks have been interested. Enjoy your summer too - take some cool breaks.
ReplyDeleteI've been enjoying the grocery story signings. Meeting a lot of people!
DeleteYour gardening photos are like a fresh sweet water drink. I feel better now... As for writing a MG mystery, only after I've consciously done it, I realized that most of my stories have an element of mystery solving though not as centered as the Nancy Drew's tales. MG almost begs to be a mystery because at that age so many things of this world are.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you are finding the photos refreshing. Gardens definitely bring peace and tranquility to our lives!
DeleteOur pond is begging for attention. It's got rather out of hand recently.
ReplyDeleteGood luck! We've had to use aqua shade to keep the algae growth at bay.
DeleteHi, Sherry!
ReplyDeleteYessum, when we were still living in Florida, Mrs. Shady and I often discussed adding a water garden feature to our property. Now that we have moved north, however, we have chosen a landscape plan that does not include one, our rationale being that we have large planting beds and too many other growing things to maintain. We content ourselves with visits to botanical gardens where we can gaze at the lovely water gardens without having to care for them.
Congratulations on the release of the Bubba and Squirt box set, another step in immortalizing your son. I think you would have fun and do very well as a writer of mystery novels. Have a wonderful month, dear friend Sherry!
Living up north would probably mean your water garden would be frozen for much of the time.
DeleteThanks on the congratulations on the boxed set. Yes, I dedicated it to my son, Greg.
Would be nice to have a water garden.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on the boxed set!
Thank you!
DeleteI would love to do a water feature. With koi!
ReplyDeleteI love ponds with koi!
DeleteThey're such pretty fish.
Congrats on the box set! Super cool. I grew up with gardens but I am allergic to all things green a this point -- unfortunately. If not, I'd be doing gardening by the foot and have house plants...but I do love viewing them from a distance. I would LOVE an outdoor garden!
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry you have allergies. That's no fun. Hard to enjoy the outdoors with those!
DeleteBeautiful blog
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeletePlease read my post
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on the boxset! Awesome! I have an inground pond but the koi fish in it eats all my water plants!
ReplyDeleteOh, wow! I've never had koi in a water garden, so I had no idea they'd eat the water plants!
DeleteThe water garden looks so beautiful.
ReplyDeleteSo restful!
DeleteI don't have a garden but I sure love looking at these flowers. So pretty! Maybe someday I'll start one.
ReplyDeleteGardens really ad a lot of beauty to a space.
DeleteI love gardening and have gardens all around my house!
ReplyDeleteYay! I bet they're beautiful!
DeleteI love water gardens! I used to have one at my old house, but I don't have anything like it at my apartment. So beautiful and peaceful. :)
ReplyDeleteThey are. And if you have a fountain, the sound of the water is so peaceful.
DeleteHi Sherry - water gardens or just being by water are/is therapeutic - these look wonderful. The family over the years have had ponds in their larger gardens - but I'm by the sea so I can get my dose regularly! Cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteIt's nice to live by the sea. I'm glad you get to enjoy that.
DeleteThese insights on water gardens are so helpful! It's super smart to consider all the different types of plants and how they help the ecosystem. It is neat how you are thinking about writing a mystery too.
ReplyDeleteI think I'll write a historical fiction mystery.
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