Floating Water Plants

When you get into water gardening you can discover a whole new dimension of enjoyment. Plants can add so much to even the smallest water feature. A pool or a fountain without plants, well it's like your patio or terrace without flowers.

However, selecting the right plants for your pool or water feature is also important. At least five hours of direct sunlight is critical for most aquatic plants for optimum growth.

You'll find that many nurseries now carry these plants to keep up with their growing popularity. There are so many interesting varieties to choose from.

Now everything in this pool is actually growing in a container like this, they are anchored to the bottom. But there is a whole category of water plants that actually float on the surface. Probably the most familiar of the floating plants is the water hyacinth. It is supported by these balloons-like structures just behind the leaves and it produces a lavender flower. You will never have to worry about having an aching back from planting water hyacinths. All you do is dropped them in.

Now one of my favorites is this water lettuce even though it's not the sort of thing I normally put in a salad. They are beautiful floating on top of the water.

For a lush, velvety effect you might try the Parrot's Feather or something even more delicate is this azolla or sometimes called Fairy's Moss.

All of these, because they cover the surface of the water, create a shady and comfortable environment for fish. And the fish in turn fertilize the plants with their waste making these floating water plants some of the easiest plants you can grow.

From the garden, I'm Allen Smith.

P. Allen Smith Gardens

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