Plants for Your Pond by Nancy Shepard

Nymphaea 'Colorado' Hardy Water Lily
Photo: Gardenia.net

If water gardening hasn't been in your landscape routine, don't be intimidated by the challenge of a new learning curve. It's not as difficult as you might expect. I have a small pond I got when I bought my house and over the years I've experimented with putting plants in it. (Fish will be my next year's experiment.)

Spring in the Water Garden by Nancy Steinke

Photo:  Nancy Steinke

As the snow melts and the days grow longer, water gardens come to life. As with other areas of your garden, your pond requires extra attention this time of the year. Cleaning after spring thaw, when the water temperature is 50 to 55 degrees F, removes the excess nitrogen that can lead to overgrowth of algae, or “greening”. This causes the least disruption of the colonies of beneficial bacteria, essential to maintaining a balanced ecosystem.