Your four-week winter garden planner
The right choice of plants can improve the look and the overall health of your water garden. Some plants can create oxygen, which reduces algae growth, others can be used as ground cover around the pond while other plants are purely decorative.
Despite their small size, oxygenator plants will grow towards the sunlight. They can be placed on the floor of the pond, 30 centimetres deep. Because the plants are already potted, there is no need to have a bed of soil or gravel at the bottom of the pond, which will help reduce algal growth.
To make your pond look more interesting, use house bricks to sit the plants on. You can place some of the plants so they sit well above the water and others just above the water. Place the bricks around the pond and put the plants on top. Move the bricks and plants around until you achieve the look you want.
Planting ground cover around the pond helps to soften the landscape, hide wires and cables and protect your fish from predators. Choose ground cover depending on what look you want to achieve. To plant the ground cover, dig a hole, deep enough for the roots. Put the plant in the hole, cover it with soil and water it in. If you disturb any rocks around the pond, put them back in place, to give the job a professional finish.