Gardening

The best plants for UK ponds

If you are new to gardening then it can be daunting wondering which flowers and plants to raise and cherish in your borders and beds.

If you have a pond, you may be aware that there are some species of non-native aquatic plants, like the fast growing floating pennywort, which are invasive and which have now been completely banned for sale.

So which plants are recommended for ponds?

Water lilies are popular, with beautiful flowers which open during the day and close at night. However, you will need plenty of space to successfully grow these plants. If you only have a small pond, there are dwarf varieties to choose from.
Marsh Marigolds come in a variety of shades of yellow from pale lemon to gold. These need to be planted around the edge of a pond in damp ground.
Hornwort, with whorled green leaves, is a submerged plant which grows loose near the bottom of a pond. It helps oxygenate the water – essential for any animal life in the pond, and it is also ideal for discouraging the growth of algae.
Bog Bean has pretty light pink flowers and is particularly good for attracting dragon fly to the garden.