Water Garden Plants: Best Choices and How to Grow Them in the UK
When you think of a water garden, a garden feature that uses water as a central design element, often with plants growing in or around it. Also known as a pond garden, it brings life, movement, and calm to any outdoor space. But not all plants survive in wet soil or standing water—some need shallow edges, others deep water, and a few thrive only in mud. Choosing the right ones makes the difference between a thriving ecosystem and a muddy mess.
Water lilies, floating plants with broad leaves and showy blooms that shade the water and reduce algae are the classic choice, but they’re just the start. bog plants, species that like wet soil but not submerged roots, such as iris and marsh marigold work well along the edges. Then there are aquatic plants, a broad category that includes submerged oxygenators like hornwort and floating plants like water hyacinth, which clean the water and give fish cover. The UK’s climate is perfect for many of these—cool springs, mild summers, and wet autumns mean you don’t need to fight the weather to keep things alive.
What you plant depends on your pond’s depth, sun exposure, and whether you want flowers, foliage, or just clean water. A shallow shelf? Go for water garden plants like pickerel weed or sweet flag. Deeper water? Try water lilies or lotus. Need to control algae? Add submerged plants like elodea. And don’t forget the edges—bog plants like astilbe and ligularia add height and color without drowning. Many of the tips in our posts cover exactly this: how to pick plants that match your space, how to avoid invasive species, and how to layer them for year-round interest.
Some of the posts you’ll find here dig into soil prep for wet areas, how to keep plants healthy without chemicals, and even how to choose plants that attract dragonflies or support frogs. You’ll see how permaculture principles apply to ponds, how to use compost to feed aquatic plants safely, and why some gardeners swear by rainwater over tap. There’s no magic formula, but there are clear patterns—what works in a small container pond is different from a large natural-style lake. And yes, some of the same plants that thrive in your water garden also grow well in damp borders or rain gardens. It’s all connected.