Early Interest for the Water Garden

by Jan Bahr, CPH

In winter the water garden can seem lifeless. The water lilies, iris and other hardy plants that provide so much summer color and texture have retreated to their pots. Tropical plants like cannas, taro and papyrus are sleeping in protected winter storage or are quietly composting - ready to provide nutrients to a new generation of plants. Fish are hovering at the bottom of the pond, conserving energy and waiting for the weather to warm. It seems that the only interest comes from the movement of streams and waterfalls and the plop of raindrops on the water's surface.

There are many hardy plants that can break the monotony of winter. Evergreen rushes, horsetails, sweet flags and sedges have attractive foliage year round. They are unfazed by winter's snows and blows and remind us of summer's bounty. Evergreen rushes to look for include Corkscrew Rush Juncus effusus 'Spiralis' or 'Unicorn', Juncus inflexus 'Afro', Gold Strike Rush Juncus effusus 'Gold Strike' and Lovesick Blues Rush Juncus inflexus 'Lovesick Blues'. The Japanese Sweet Flags come in green Acorus gramineus, white variegated Acorus gramineus 'Variegatus', gold variegated Acorus gramineus 'Ogon' and miniature golden forms Acorus gramineus 'Pusillus Aurea'. Drooping Sedge Carex pendula has attractive wide foliage. Evergreen horsetails Equisetum scirpoides, Equisetum hymale, and Equisetum hymale 'Robustum' provide great winter texture. Don't be afraid to use them in your water garden. They are easily confined in pots in a lined pond and do not escape to the rest of your garden.

All of the plants listed above have upright growing habits and provide winter interest with the varying textures and colors of their foliage. What we really need in the winter is a plant that acts like a water lily - a plant that produces lovely flowers and leaves that float on the water's surface. We're in luck! During our mild winters Water Hawthorne Aponogeton distachyus thrives. A mature Water Hawthorne plant produces 2" by 8" leaves and white, vanilla scented blooms nearly all year. If ice forms on the surface of the pond the foliage and flower buds on the surface may be killed, but new foliage and flowers soon take their place. Water Hawthorne actually prefers cool water. If it does go dormant, it is during summer's heat when the water lilies are putting on their greatest show.

One last plant to consider for early season interest in the water garden is the Marsh Marigold. Marsh marigolds prefer cool weather so they start to wake up from dormancy in February while the other hardy perennials are still asleep. By late February or early March, depending on the weather, they start blooming. The bloom season usually extends into late April. Marsh Marigold Caltha palustris and Giant Marsh Marigold Caltha polypetala produce bright yellow single blossoms that look like buttercups. The flowers of Double Marsh Marigold Caltha palustris 'Plena' or 'Multiplex' are very double and actually look like marigolds. Caltha palustris 'Alba' has white single flowers. Marsh marigolds prefer shade and cool water during the heat of the summer. Their foliage may look a little tattered and tired in August but cooler weather perks them back up and they occasionally rebloom in the fall. They are the perfect bridge plant between the restrained beauty of the water garden in winter and the lushness of summer.

Don't let your water garden succumb to the winter blahs! Add some of these reliable cool season performers to your water garden and enjoy!