Plants are essential to the ecology of a pond and are a hot topic of conversation among water gardeners. Listening in on the sales staff at Springdale Water Gardens, one might encounter many questions like those that follow. Plants are the most essential item for a successful water garden. They provide the pond with a cooling system by shading the water with their leaves. Try to establish a surface cover of 50 to 70 percent.
Water lilies vary in cover from four to twenty-four square feet each.
Each variety has a range of size that is determined by pot size and soil fertility. The larger the pot and the more fertilizer, the larger the plant will grow. These are potted several bunches per pot to conserve space on the bottom of the pond. These underwater plants cool the water much the same way a shade tree does. They are also useful as natural filters since they are planted in gravel and must take nutrients from the water.