Aquatic Plants

It's spring and the birds are singing, the sun is shining (sometimes) and our ponds are getting opened for the season.

Here are some great pond plants that are easy to care for:

 Forget-me-nots-Myosotis is a genus of flowering plants in the family Boraginaceae.  Henry David Thoreau wrote, "The moose-ear forget-me-not, Myosotis laxa, has now extended its racemes very much, and hangs over the edge of the brook. It is one of the most interesting minute flowers. It is the more beautiful for being small and unpretending; even flowers must be modest."^[7]

Biological Classification: Genus

Symbol of: Alaska

 MARSH BETONY HARDY (Stachys palustris) 

2’ tall plant with whorls of pink flowers held above lance shape leaves 

Grows 18"-24" tall in full sun or partial shade

Prefers damp soil or water just over the top of the pot. 

Pitcher plants are carnivorous plants able to use their tube-shaped leaves to trap and digest insects.^[1] The insects are drawn in by a sweet nectar and visual lures. The inside of the tube is often too slippery for the insect to climb out. When the insects fall into the pool of water on the inside, the insects are digested by enzymes or bacteria. The reason these plants formed this method of seeking nutrition is because their native soils lack minerals or are very acidic, and this method enables the plants to compensate by getting nutrients from insects.

 It's possible to place this plant in an island floating pot.  They will thrive as long as they don’t get water above the pot. We had them last year and they did fantastic and even survived the winter in our greenhouse (look at picture below).

Obedient Flowers –(Physostegia virginiana) The lavender flower spikes accent the water garden nicely.  It’s a very vigorous grower and gets 2-3’ high with a spread of 1-2’. It growns in sun to part shade but will tolerate deep shade.  

Gail Hermann

Koi Villa Water Garden Center

2260 Flat River RD

Coventry, RI 401.392.0255