Did you know that chives can grow in the very shallow areas along the stream? They can!
Looking at the Pond and Thinking about Pond Plants?
Now that we are well into the summer and the waterlilies are blooming, the fish are eating like crazy and sitting by the pond in the evening when it cools off is just a normal night, you might be wondering if the pond could be slightly more lush. So is it too late to add pond plants in Colorado?
Look at this gorgeous Chordata Chameleon! It has variegated leaves that often have pink in them! This time of year they are blooming with little white flowers. I love this plant anywhere on the edge of the pond or stream! In Colorado, this is a perennial.
Pond Plants Available in Colorado
Aquatic plants flood in about mid-May. By the end of July they can be hard to find. Some nurseries still have some but they may be a bit puny. If you are lucky enough to find some good looking aquatic plants now it is not too late to put them in.
I was at True Pump in Denver today and they have plants left that are really nice!
Creeping Jenny will fill in tight spaces nicely. Plant right in the space between some rocks and it will eventually spread. It can grow outside the liner in the dirt – but if you put it in the pond you don’t have to water it!
You've Got to put the Plants in at the Right Level
How the plants are installed will affect if they make it through the winter to come back next spring or not. Perennial aquatic plants need enough time to establish their roots before the fall and winter come.
If you buy the plants at a nursery, they usually come with a tag that tells you if they are perennials or annuals and what depth they should be planted at. Most aquatic plants prefer to be planted with the soil level with at the water level.
DO take them out of the pot.
DON’T wash the soil off.
DO put small gravel over the soil line to protect it from washing away.
DO make sure to read about the plant before you put it in. Invasive plants can be problematic if you don’t want them.
DO check the plant for duck weed and remove it before putting it in your pond.
Do check the type of plant you are getting so you know how and where it will thrive. Marginal Plant List With Photos HERE!
This is Milkweed. It has really cool flowers that butterflies LOVE! If you want Monarch butterflies – this is your ticket! They can be really tall and spread like crazy! So make sure you want really want them before yo put them in.
The Plants Need Time to Establish
If plants are put in too late in the season (like November) they probably won’t be established enough to make it through the winter and come back in the Spring. Late July is still ok, but by the end of August…you’re really pushing it. Did you know “annual” plants do not return after the winter? They have to be planted annually. “Perennial” plants will die back over the winter but reemerge in the spring.
Kristi's Tips
A pond should have 40 to 60% of the surface area coverage of plants. It helps keep the whole environment more healthy.
Read about the plants before you put them in. Many aquatic plants are invasive and can be a nightmare later to control.
Plants in a pond are the best experiment! You don’t have to water them! Some of them will make it, and some of them might not, but when the right plants for your pond are established, they will make your whole system POP with beauty!
* This blog was NOT written by AI. This was written by me. I am not a professional writer, I am a pond person. Therefore, if you see a typo, please forgive me!
*No koi were harmed in the making of this content.