In this article, we are going to discuss the best plants that garden ponds in Ontario can support.
Ontario features deeply cold winters and very hot summers. Finding the best plants for your garden pond can be a challenge. The experts at Clearwater Creations have been building water features in Peterborough and surrounding areas for over a decade. We know what your garden pond needs to thrive – contact us today and we can help you create the perfect pond for Ontario’s climate.
Now, let’s dig in and suggest some plants for your garden pond, Ontario, including lilies, submerged oxygenators, and marginal plants.
What Plants Can You Have in Garden Ponds Ontario?
There are three main types of the best plants for garden ponds Ontario can support: oxygenators, floating plants, and marginals.
Garden Ponds Ontario: Oxygenators
Oxygenators are underground plants and are very important for water quality. They absorb excess nutrients from your pond’s water and release oxygen during the day. This helps to clear your water and prevents the growth of algae that causes green water.
These plants are essential if you have a garden fish pond, as they create a more natural habitat. They also help in the raising of baby fish, who find shelter and protection among the foliage.
Types of oxygenators include:
Most oxygenators are hardy plants that bounce back quickly in spring
These plants not only help your pond stay healthy, they look great too!
Floating Plants For Garden Ponds Ontario
As the name suggests, these plants float on the surface of your garden pond. Because of this, they do not require planting or watering!
Floating plants are more commonly known as lotuses and lilies. Similar to oxygenators, these plants help control algae by shading the water. At a minimum, 25% of your garden pond should be covered with a combination of floating plants and water lilies.
Lilies are beautiful floating plants that are perfect for garden ponds in Ontario
Types of floating plants include:
Floating garden pond plants should be treated as annuals, meaning they will need to be removed from the pond in fall and replaced in spring.
Marginals
Marginal plants are added along the edges of your pond. They are great hiding places for frogs, are beneficial for insects and small fish, and create a nice visual transition between your pond and surrounding gardens.
Marginals are broken down into hardy and tropical categorizations. Hardy marginals are generally better suited for Ontario garden ponds.
Types of hardy marginals include:
To prepare them for winter, trim back the foliage and leave 6″ – 12” above the crown of the plant. The additional foliage left behind acts as insulation during winter months.
Hardy marginals are better suited for Ontario garden ponds, but tropical marginals can add lots of colour!
Tropical marginal plants require more upkeep than their hardy friends, but they can add a spectacular splash of colour to your garden pond and are very much worth the effort!
The key thing to remember here is that you’ll need to keep them in their pots, for ease of transfer when it’s time to bring them inside for the colder weather.
Preparing Your Backyard Garden Ponds Ontario For Winter
If you’re planning to build the kind of small garden ponds Ontario can support, you’ll want to make sure you plan to get it ready for the winter months.
While you need to remove fallen leaves and decaying plant material, you can leave fish and hardy plants in ponds that are at least two feet deep.
Marginal hardy plants freeze in winter and revive in the spring but tropical plants must be taken indoors to survive.
Remember: As plants decompose in your pond water, gases are produced. In warm temperatures, these gases escape out of the water’s surface, but when the pond is frozen, they get stuck under the ice cover and can be toxic to fish.
To prevent these gases from getting stuck under ice, therefore, use a pond heater to prevent ice from covering the surface or create a hole in the ice using an aerator.
You’ll also need to prepare for winter by keeping your pond clean and well filtered. This will mean that less organic matter is broken down and ultimately less gas being produced.
Fall maintenance and cleaning services are a must.
Let Clearwater Build Your Garden Ponds Ontario!
As a Certified Aquascape Contractor (CAC), Clearwater Creations is proud to be part of the best team of pond builders in the world!
We have the education and experience to enhance ANY outdoor living space and pride ourselves on being the best aquatic feature and landscape company in Peterborough and surrounding areas.