Using Aquatic Pond Plants Like Water Lilies to Create Shade
in a Water Garden Fish Pond
Most ponds are (and should be) positioned in full sun. Without shade
this can at times be uncomfortable for koi and goldfish especially
in shallow garden ponds. Water plants can be effectively used to
create shade and with shade comes an ability to provide the fish in
your pond with protective cover against predators such as herons.
The ideal and classical shade providing pond plant is the water lily
(Nymphaea family or lotus flower). With their broad and spreading
leaves they crate not just perfect pond shade plants but also
provide a welcome resting place for other insect and aquatic life
that might happen to stop by your pond ... insects like dragonflies
and damsel flies. Small frogs love to sunbathe on them to.
Be aware that koi especially and goldfish to a much lesser extent
like to rummage and actually eat pond plants or parts thereof. If
you plant any aquatic plants in a pond then always place pebbles
onto the surface of the planting basket or pot to minimise the
disturbance ... the fish will continuously trim the roots and growth
that comes out of the holes in the planting basket and this might
just inhibit growth of some plants. This is another reason why often
a veggie
filter is useful.
Suggested Pond Plants For Shade
The water lily although this plant family generally need deepish
water to do well.
For shallower areas try Nymphoides peltata or Villarsia. Also called
the water fringe lily. This water plant is quite a vigorous grower but
can be kept in check easily. The leaves of the water fringe lily are
a small version of the classic water lilies. This aquatic plant
produces a small funnel shaped yellow flower.
If you have 10cm (4 inches) of water then the water hawthorn, Aponogeton
distachyos will do a good job of creating shade.
Marginal style plants that will create shade and fish protection
include the following ...
-
Bog bean, Menyanthes
trifoliate
-
The pickerel weed,
Pontedaria cordata (blue
flower in late summer).
-
Mimulus guttatus
-
Mimulu luteus
-
Sagittaria
-
Sauraurus
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