Marginal Plants -<p>The Garden in Your Water Garden

Marginal Plants -

The Garden in Your Water Garden

A pond can be made to look as though it occurred in the space naturally, rather than man-made. The addition of aquatic plants in the pond will help it blend into the landscape.

In nature, marginal plants are typically found along the perimeter of ponds, lakes, wetlands and streams.
In a man-made pondscape, marginal plants soften the hard edges of the rocks and provide a smooth transition from the water in the pond to the terrestrial planting area that surrounds the pond.
Knowing the mature size and growth habit of the plants that you choose for your pond is important.
The result of not knowing is most commonly referred to as an overgrown "jungle" look, which then requires unplanned and undesired time spent maintaining control of the plants' growth.

Plants with different textures and colors will give the pond a natural, complete, unconstructed appearance. Choose the colors that you enjoy the most and let your creative juices flow. Emphasizing primary colors with larger plants is best. Complete the look with a variety of color and texture with plantings around the edge.

The ultimate ponding goal-create a truly low-maintenance water garden. It is key to have a pretty good idea of how large a plant is going to grow before you put it in the pond. When actually planting, make certain to give each plant sufficient room to grow.

MARGINAL PLANTS QUICK REFERENCE
Low-Growing Marginals
(0 to 8" tall) Medium-Growing Marginals
(18 to 36" tall) Tall-Growing Marginals
(36" +)
- Chameleon Plant
- Corkscrew Rush
-#* Golden Club
-* Lemon Bacopa
-* Marsh Marigol
-#* Monkey Flower, Yellow
- Parrot Feather
-#* Siberian Pink Cups
- Star Grass, Star Topped Sedge
-# Sweetflag, Dwarf Variegated
-* Water Bluebell, Dwarf Pink
-#* Water Forget-Me-Not
-* Yellow-Eyed Grass -#* Arrow Arum
- Blue Pickeral
-#* Bog Lily
- Calla Lily
- Cardinal Flower, Queen Victoria
- Cattail, Dwarf
- Lizard's Tail
- Monkey Flower, Lavender
- Papyrus, Dwarf
- Ribbon Grass, Strawberries & Cream
- Siberian Iris
- Soft Rush
-# Sweetflag, Variegated
- Water Bluebell
- Water Bluebell, Pink - Candy Stripe Reed
-* Canna
-* Cattail, Variegated
- Egyptian Papyrus
-# Taro, Black Magic
-# Taro, Violet Stemmed
-# Taro, Imperial
- Umbrella Palm
- Zebra Rush
TABLE KEY:
(-) Sun-Loving
(#) Shade-Tolerant
(*) Blooming

Image above: Canna
Resource information in part from:Aquascape Lifestyles Magazine, Winter 2003/2004 issue
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# *marginals

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