Ponds can be a beautiful addition to your garden. However, your sparkling clear water can quite easily be ruined by an onset of weeds. Ponds that are particularly large might well manage to stay clear and unspoiled, however for most of us with smaller ponds the battle to keep them weed-free is an ongoing struggle. Our best advice for maintaining your pond is to introduce plenty of attractive plants.

Pond plants are typically split up into a few different categories. Deep-water aquatic plants, floating type plants, marginal plants and oxygenating plants. Let's take a brief look at each category.

Deep-water aquatic plants are, as the name suggests, plants that grow from deep at the bottom of your pond with the mass of their foliage rising on or above the surface of your pond. These types of plants provide a natural look to your pond and offer shelter to aquatic wildlife. Good examples of these types of plants include waterlilies, the golden club and four-leaf clovers.

Floating plants have no roots and because of this rest gently on the surface of your pond. They are an easy addition to any pond as they require no planting. Equally, you can quickly remove them should you need to have a clear up. They help the eco-system of your pond, providing oxygen and keeping algae and blanketweed at bay by competing with them for nutrients in the pond water.

Marginal plants grow around the shallower edges of your pond. They are typically anchored in the soil below the water surface either on planting shelves or with pots. Some examples of marginal plants include marsh marigolds and irises.

Oxygenating plants do what they say on the tin. They oxygenate and grow quickly, draining excess nutrients from the water and keeping algae and blanketweed from discolouring your water. They offer shelter to pondlife and give a very natural look to your pond with both under and overwater foliage.

Best practices for pond planting
While the best time to plant pond bulbs is between the end of winter and the beginning of spring, there is nothing stopping you from planting at any time of the year.  The amount of plants that you use is also down to your own preference. If you decide to plant just a small amount then it will take much longer for your pond to have that 'full' and 'alive' look about it, however if you plant lots then you may need to begin thinning it out again sooner.

The type of plant bulbs that you choose are very much dependent on the kind of pond you are trying to create. If you are hoping to have a pond that is brimming with aquatic life such as fish, then you need to make sure that there is plenty of oxygen in the water which is achieved through oxygenating plants and floating plants. Equally if you want dragonflies then you should introduce marginal plants with tall stems for the larvae to grow. However, if you don't intend on having fish then you have more options as to which plants to choose and your choice can come down to texture, shape, colour and other features. Here are just a handful of options available from us:

White colours: Anemone Nermorosa, Chionodoxa Lucillae Alba and Exotic Emperor

Red colours: Aladdin Lily Tulip, Apeldoorn Darwin Tulip and Burgundy Lace Fringed Tulip.

Black, blue and purple colours: Black Parrot Tulip, Blue Parrot Tulip and Candy Prince Tulip

Click HERE for a full and extensive list of our bulbs suitable for water gardens.

If you need more help or advice then please contact us. Boston Bulbs Wholesale is a privately-owned business with over 35 years experience of importing only the finest quality horticultural products throughout Europe and from farmers and growers all over the UK. Whether you're a landscaper, nursery, local authority, wholesaler, retailer, private business or individual gardener, just give us a call on 01775 769 333 or visit / for help with flower bulbs, grass seed and more.