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To start with plants that go in the water: many are specifically adapted to aquatic life. "Floating plants not rooted in the ground" are one category. These mobile greens are fascinating. This year I am growing water lettuce (Pistiastratiotes) which is a lovely green rose-like plant. These plants are available at local nurseries or by mail. They are tropicals and I treat them as annuals, because they cannot stand cold winter weather and die with freezes.
The next water plant group is the lovely lily-either hardy or tropical. I'm growing the hardy variety so that I can leave it in the pond over winter. No brown mush for me, thanks. As with many plants popular since Victorian times, there are hundreds of cultivars to chose from. The size varies from pygmy to XXL. My pond is pretty shallow so I have one dwarf and two of moderate size. I could add more, but I like the look of open water. Look online at www.lilypons.com for one national mail order source.
Also available are lotus, papyrus and aquatic iris species, many of them lovely. Another plant I grow whose roots are completely under water at all times is the groundcover "Hot Tuna" (Houttuynia cordata "Chameleon"). This colorful and rampant grower can be a problem in the open ground, and isn't recommended for planting in perennial garden borders in western Washington. It is better controlled in a pot and it lives quite happily under several inches of water in part shade on the edge of my pond. I like the contrast in foliage between the variegated red Houttuynia. This plant seems to winter with no problem.
There are a variety of plants that make the transition from water plant to bog or marginal (edge) plant. Marsh marigold (Caltha palustris), papyrus of various types (Cyperus alternafolius and Cyperus papyrus) and my favorite blue pickerel weed (Pontederia cordata) are a few to consider. The marginals have one thing in common-they grow best in muck. If your pond edge includes a "bog" section, they'll be happy. But if they are in ordinary ground outside your pond liner, you'll need to water constantly to keep these alive.
Outside of my pond proper, I have sandy, well-drained soil that won't support water-loving plants at all. So, to make the transition from water to border, I grow herbs along the edge of my pond. I put a mother of thyme lawn to the east and I have creeping jenny (Lysimachia nummularia) tucked into the stones. Both of these plants need irrigation, but they have jumped the rocks and now trail into the water itself. I love the effect! Since my pond is in a hot, dry area, I also put sedums and houseleeks around among the rocks and they have settled in well. All of my choices are low growers that make mats or carpets. I don't want my pond to be crowded out with taller plants so that I can't see the water or the fish.
I didn't put taller plants closer than 6 to 8 feet from the edge of the pond. I have made the plants move up in height gradually, with low perennials and spring bulbs closer in and trees at the farthest fringes. For one thing, you don't want shrubs or trees dropping leaves into the pond-this is a maintenance problem for water gardens as well as swimming pools. But, you do need shade so it becomes a balancing act. I have erred on the side of openness and I pay for it with algae blooms that thrive in the same conditions as the water lily blooms.
Part of the problem is that my pond is usually viewed from the second story of the house. It's a birds-eye perspective. My aim was to create an open meadow effect with the pond as a jewel in the center and privacy screening pushed to the outside edge closest to the road. I have done that, but at a price since I have put water where it would not appear in nature. My artifice makes problems that a real wetland would not have. You can't have it both ways. If you have a natural stream and pond to work with, you will always have the problems of a variable water table and silting from runoff. If you create an artificial water feature, you must fight Mother Nature's desire to have her own way and this creates a lot of work for the gardener. Still, I find a lot of pleasure in my ponding and I'm willing to keep it up as long as the back and the bank account hold out.
For more information on ponding, I highly recommend Water Garden Magazine. for a look at their articles on ponds, plants, filters and fish.
Hortsense: Managing plant problems with Integrated Pest Management
