How to Select Water Garden Plants

This Better Homes and Gardens video presents the different types of aquatic plants and how to select the best ones for your water garden:

Aquatic plants come in three basic types: floating, bog and surface plants.

• Floating plants (floaters) have long root systems and literally float on the pond. They add oxygen to the water for your fish and keep the water clear.
• Bog plants grow on the edges of the pond, providing places to spawn for the fish and softening the edges of the water garden. These include arrowhead, iris, cattail, parrot feather and papyrus.
• Surface plants such as lotus and water lilies add the crowning touch to your water garden. Not only are they spectacular, but their large flat leaves cover the surface of the water, shading it and limiting algae growth.

Using a mix of these plants will make your water garden look more natural and help keep the water clear.