Hardy Marginal Plants
     Information & Care

Hardy marginal plants are grown in the shallow areas of your pond also referred to as the 'margins'.  They are great hiding places for amphibians, beneficial insects and small fish, and they create a fabulous transition between your pond and the surrounding gardens. Hardy marginal plants are also perfectly suited for Rain Gardens and Constructed Wetlands.

Planting

Marginal plants are best planted on the shelves built into your pond. See the varieties sections of the Hardy and Tropical marginal plant pages for proper planting depths.  If you do not have enough shelf space in your pond, you can create them with rocks and gravel. Alternatively, you can try using blocks and inverted pots to correctly position plants.  They are best planted in odd numbered groupings to resemble their native growth patterns. A good planting ratio would be one plant for every two feet of shoreline.

Method

In Aquascape ponds they can be planted bare root right into the gravel layer covering the liner.  Remove the plant from the nursery pot and gently rinse off the excess soil.  Be careful not to damage the roots or the crown.  Move the gravel away from the marginal shelf and plant as you would in soil.  Cover the roots with a layer of 3/8" to 5/8" river washed gravel and voila!  There is no need to fertilize as the plants will draw all required nutrients from the surrounding water.  It's best to do this prior to September 1st to allow the plants to establish before winter.

If you do not have an Aquascape rock and gravel lined pond, marginal plants are best transplanted into and kept in 8" pots.  Keep in mind that wide based pots are more stable for taller plants.  Fill the 8" pot half full of moistened, tamped soil.  Don't cover the holes at the bottom, as they allow for the roots to grow out into the water. Place the plant into the centre of the pot.  Then add more soil so that the roots are well covered.  Leave the crown of the plant, from which the leaves grow, protruding from the soil.  Push 2-3 fertilizer tablets into the soil around the crown.  Tamp soil down gently.  Cover the soil with a layer of gravel and soak with pond water before placing the pot into the pond to prevent muddying up your pond water. Fertilize monthly to encourage growth and bloom.

Over Wintering

Most hardy marginal plants can tolerate being frozen so long as recommended planting depths are respected.  After the first frost, cut back and remove dead plant material to a height of 3"-4" above the water line.  This will allow the root system to "breathe" during the winter.  In spring, they will pop back up on their own, just like all other perennials.

Hardy Shallow Water Plants are available from May 1st - Sept 30th