While it is great to go trounce around in other people’s gardens for motivation and design ideas, oftentimes the best laid plans just don’t come to fruition like you had envisioned.  It could be for a number of reasons, leaky liners, poor pool placement, maybe you just jumped into the deep end when you might have opted to ease into the kiddy area.  It would be nearly impossible to solve every water garden’s issues and each gardener’s quandaries but here is some sure-fire advice on aquatic plant selections that are bound to flourish in a world of uncertainty.

Michael Parmley, Owner of Anything Aquatic, has been dealing with the design, aesthetics and functionality of water gardens for over 8 years now.  He says of their allure, “The tranquility of a clear pool filled with beautiful plants and a rush of gurgling water are a great stress relief.  The plants are self-watering, easy to care for and are a great addition to the landscape.  There is one aspect to keep in mind when creating a water garden and that is the more plants you have the better the water quality.”

Aquatic Plants:

Water Lilies:  Monet has helped make these the essence of a water garden.  They have stunning blooms but take heed, they need sun.  Parmley’s favorite hardy water lily is ‘Pink Grapefruit’, it sports a peach-colored bloom that changes hues through its 3-day life span.

Lotus:  The large, dinner platter-sized leaves are enough to entice any plant lover but when these babies bloom, “WOW”.

Anacharis, Hornwort, Valisneria:  These are all submerged aquatics that provide an underwater ecosystem with much needed plant filtration.

Thalia Dealbata:  “Hardy Water Cannas”, they have a tropical look with big leaves and delicate blooms, a tall plant at 4-6 feet but unlike many tropical plants this one will over-winter when submerged in deep enough waters.

A Season of Color

Just like any other garden, the idea is to have something of color or interest performing at any given time.  Whether it be a grouping of hydrangeas with full pom poms of color or a Euphorbia’s delicate changing foliage rooted in the earth, the garden is in constant flux and should be evaluated each 6 weeks or so to make sure there is always something of interest to draw the eye towards.  Michael Parmley suggests the following aquatic plants for a non-stop show in our Kansas climate.

Early Spring:  Water Hawthorne’s, they might even bloom again in the late autumn.

Late Spring:  Iris

Summer:  Lilies, Lotus, Water Cannas

Fall:  Tropical lilies, Cannas, Marsh Hibiscus and Water Willow for foliage