I know there are a lot of people out there who believe they just won’t be able to have any pond plants due to their cold climate. I want you all to be aware that this just isn’t necessarily so. Over the years many gardening solutions have become available and I will explore those here.
Firstly you need to establish just how much sun your water garden is going to be getting every day. Most water garden plants will need a minimum of 5 hrs sun a day. But that is only half of the picture. Sun during the day is certainly important. But it is the temperature of the winter nights that really determine the health of your water garden. If you have bad frosts in the winter you’ll need to think about how far you are prepared to go to maintain your water garden plants.
Don’t fret there are solutions for the winter water gardener! Firstly did you know that you can get water lilies in a “hardy” version? They may not be as pretty as their tropical cousins, but they can tolerate substantially colder winters. The hardy water lily will survive a winter in which your pond doesn’t freeze completely.
If you have a small greenhouse (which comes in VERY handy for many different uses which I will elaborate on over the coming months) you can nurse your tropical water lilies through the winter – providing you are prepared to put some time in of course.
Another alternative is that you can invest some money in “grow lights” to help them through. These lights will provide heat and warmth through the winter months to support and nourish your pond plants. You might even want to consider a pond heater to keep the water at an even temperature – another useful gardening tool for those in colder climates.
These and more solutions are out there waiting for you! Don’t let your environment put you off. Water gardens are for EVERYONE.
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