Water Plants Garden Nursery Landscaping Guide
Water Plants In Your Fish Pond
By Suzzie T Franklin
Water plants in a fish pond in the backyard, are quite common
these days. Although many people place plastic plants, which require
less maintenance, I choose to use live water plants, as I have
plenty of experience with growing plants in water. I do not mind
the extra time needed to keep the plants from taking over the
living conditions of the pond.
When growing plants in a fish pond, you need to review your options
and ensure that the plants to do not take over the pond and make
the conditions difficult for fish. Just like, you need to keep
weeds out of your garden, you need to ensure the plants in your
pond do not proliferate everywhere and block out the light, making
it difficult for the fish to survive and move around.
The extra work required to maintain water plants, is one of the
reasons some people choose to use plastic plants in their ponds
and aquariums.
Include Real Plants In Your Fish Pond
In your average aquarium, the water plants are an afterthought.
Most people never even include real ones. They throw in some fanciful
fake coral, strands of plastic algae, and perhaps a fake water
lily or two.
No thought is given to a consistency, and the whole effect is
rather fake and tacky – like putting a plastic treasure chest
at the bottom of the fish tank. In my case, however, the water
plants were the first thing I thought of. The interest in fish
came next.
Frightened As A Kid By Giant Strands Of Algae
You see, I have been interested in under water plants for as
long as I can remember. Plant growth in water used to be mysterious
and vaguely terrifying to me. We went to a very murky lake to
go boating when I was a kid, and I used to be frightened of the
giant strands of algae that would stretch to the surface all the
way from the bottom.
I would picture them getting tangled up in the propeller, then
slowly climbing aboard to grab us and drag us down. I was so frightened
of them, in fact, that it was difficult for my dad to even convince
me to go swimming.
Studied Marine Ecology In College
Somewhere along the way, my water plant phobia became a love
of them. I don’t know when the change happened, but by the time
I was in college, I was studying marine ecology. I was interested
in the growth of plants in water, and how it was affected by environmental
pollution.
In the area I was living at the time, you see, this was a big
issue. Water pollution was making algae blooms occur in the lakes.
This had the effect of turning many previously clear lakes into
swamps within a few years. It was wreaking serious havoc with
the watershed, and we wanted to understand the process.
Pond Plants Are The Main Attraction
Of course, nowadays water plants are more of a hobby for me.
I have a koi pond in my backyard, but the fish are not the main
attraction. The pond plants are. I have many plants that, at least
according to most experts, shouldn’t be able to grow in a small
backyard ponds like mine.
I have certain secrets that I’m not willing to divulge, and they
have earned me a well-deserved reputation as a master of underwater
ecosystems. My aquarium is no less impressive, and people come
by to see it all the time, as well they should. After all, what
else does a retired ecologist do with her time?
An Organic Garden In Our Backyard
I also have an organic garden nearby, where I grow much of the
organic produce we use for cooking and making delicious salads.
Now that I have more time to look after my garden, I use my knowledge
to grow my pepper, tomato, cabbage, garlic, onions and many herbs.
I now even have a small greenhouse nearby, so that I can grow
my vegetable, fruit and herbs all year round, free from pesticides
and toxic chemicals.
I have also placed a small number of miniature fruit trees, to
grow fresh fruit, and pick them, fresh off the branch, whenever
we need them. As our backyard is not huge, we have just enough
room for the fish pond, the organic garden and the miniature trees.
Although, in our front yard, I have placed a bird bath and a
couple of flower beds, with many varieties of flowers to bloom
all year round. Some flowers bloom in summer, some bloom in the
fall, while others bloom in the winter.
But my biggest fascination and closest to my heart, is the fish
pond with the living water plants.
About the Author:
Suzzie T Franklin has written a number of articles on nursery, gardening and landscaping including
Bonsai Trees,
Flower Gardening,
Planting Guide,
The Japanese Garden,
Zen Garden,
Cherry Blossom,
African Violets,
Wire Topiary Frames.
Keep a lookout for more of her articles on this website.
Little Known Gardening Facts....
How much plant food should I use?
You do not want to use a lot of plant food.
Please remember that you are dealing with a small tree in a small
area. Use just the recommended dosage on the package of fertilizer.
If you are using organic fertilizer, you
can find the recommended dosage on the internet or purchase a
book to help you know how to care for your bonsai tree. That way
you will have all the information you need right at the tips of
your fingers and you will not have to worry about constantly looking
up the information on the internet.
What is the history of bonsai trees?
Historians believe that the bonsai tree came
to us from the Han Dynasty when people wanted small trees to decorate
their houses and their gardens. This was courtesy of the Chinese
people. Later the Japanese began to use the trees during the Tokugawa
period to landscape their property and began to use a variety
of trees in their plantings.
These were not dwarf plants rather they were regular trees used
to make the bonsai tree through careful pruning and potting. Special
containers and skills were needed so it became a pastime of the
wealthier and was a mark of the nobility to have landscapes that
featured these special living art pieces.
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