In order to plant a garden pond not only in a visually appealing way, but also with the most effective water-clarifying function possible, a few rules must be observed. We'll tell you which ones in this little guide.
Pond plants are not just a visual enrichment for a pond
No garden pond without plants
With your own pond in the garden you create a calm and life-giving water oasis. But it is not only the wet element itself that has an immensely enhancing character for the garden - only the planting creates a real ornamental value and, above all, a basis for numerous animal species. In addition, with the right choice of plants in a suitable pond foundation, you can also get a completely natural and free purification plant for the pond water!
The planting functions at a glance:
- jewelry value
- habitat for animals
- Natural water purification system
What has priority?
As you can see, there are many different interests in garden pond planting - and their priorities must be weighed against each other when laying out the pond.
More chic, less organic
If the decorative value of your pond is your top priority, you should perhaps choose unusual, possibly exotic plants and take measures to preserve the planting structure. This includes, for example, placing vigorous species such as calamus in plant baskets. This will prevent them from spreading uncontrollably and messing up the plant arrangement.
Pond plants, which look particularly impressive with their flowers and/or leaves, are, for example, the marsh iris, the false calla lily, the algal fern, papyrus and of course the elegant lotus.
If you concentrate primarily on the visual adornment of the pond system and want to pay less attention to the balance of the water environment, it is advisable to integrate a filter pump system.
More organic, less chic
If you are more interested in creating a valuable, functioning biotope, you should pay attention to the plant functions in the respective pond depth zones when choosing and arranging plants. In this way you attract likeable, interesting and useful animal guests and do not have to worry about the balance of the water environment. Such a natural pond can still be designed attractively.
A certain size and depth is important so that it regulates itself completely by itself. A stable biotope can only develop in a tank with sufficient water volume and different depth levels. The rule of thumb is an area of at least 6 m² and a depth of around 1.20 m at the deepest point. Create different depth levels for the plants so that they can fulfill different functions.
The lowest zone, the swamp zone, is mainly planted with plants that provide support and structure, such as common bulrush or reeds. The shallow water zone of 20 to 60 cm deep, which is about 1/3 of the total area, is intended for the important cleansing marsh plants. Here, nutrient-taking, oxygen-giving and thus algae-avoiding species such as sweet flag, rushes, frog spoons or angelfish should be used. The deepest middle zone is ideal for decorative water lily species or other floating leaf species such as the pond mummy or the sea jug.