Water always seems to have a soothing, calming effect on people. It is beautiful, sparkling, and gentle. Water gardens can certainly add interest to an otherwise bland yard. They can include waterfalls, ponds, fountains, and aquatic plants.

Generally, water gardens are ponds or containers of water that house plants, and sometimes also contain fish or other aquatic animals. You should be very careful to choose the right spot for your water garden, because it would be extremely difficult to relocate it once it’s been established.

You need to be sure to pick a spot that gets a lot of sun, because most fish and aquatic plants need quite a bit. The best spot is a place that gets at least six or eight hours of sun every day. Be sure to keep the pond away from large trees and shrubs that can cast leaves into your pond and shade it.

If you have a small yard, you should probably stick with a smaller pond. Larger yards can comfortably house larger ponds. If you have very little space, you could use a container for your water garden.

You don’t need a lot of fancy features in your water garden. You can start with a standard pond, and then add in other features later. You can add special lighting, waterfalls, fountains, rocks, and other features whenever you want.

When you plan the plants for your water garden, you should be sure not to plant too many. You don’t want to cover more than around 50% of the water surface. If you add too many plants, the sun won’t be able to reach any fish or other animals in your pond, and you may have more problems with algae and other issues. You could also cause overcrowding, and your plants might not survive.

You can choose from several different types of plants for a water garden. Free floating plants float through the water without being anchored in soil. Marginal plants typically float, but their roots are usually anchored in soil or other material.

Submerged plants are generally located under water only, and aren’t very visible from the surface. The type of plants you choose will depend on what you want your pond to look like.
Fish and other aquatic animals can be a very useful addition to your water garden.

They help keep oxygen moving through the water, preventing the water from going stale. They can also help control mosquito larva, which can be a really bothersome part of water gardening.
Emergent plants, also called marginals, are usually found at the edges of ponds.

Their roots are anchored into the bottom, usually in mud. Cattails are one very well-known type of emergent plant. Water lilies and lotus are also emergent plants. Submerged plants are the ones that remain almost totally underneath the water.

They help fight against algae, because they consume the nutrients the algae needs to grow. They also produce oxygen during the day, supporting fish and other animals. They can be potted in gravel, because they don’t use their roots to collect nutrients.

Floaters are not anchored at all. They float freely through the water, either on the surface or submerged. Floaters are sometimes prolific multipliers, so they may need to be thinned out on occasion.

They are used to enhance the look of the surface of the pond, and to enhance the appearance of water lilies and lotus. Duckweed, water lettuce, and water hyacinth are all types of floaters.