I have used up many hours over the years trying to produce what I think is a picture perfect pond. One of the countless problems that I encountered was choosing what type of plants to situate into it.

Water Hawthorn (Aponogenton)

Aponogeton distachyos is an example of probably the best Deep-water aquatics, undoubtedly an easy plant to grow with leaves which are often evergreen and flowers that appear for months on end. These curious flowers borne on spikes which drift around the surface, each flower has waxy white petals and black anthers. The fragrance is strong, variously described as 'vanilla and 'Hawthorn-like'. The oblong leaves are often blotched with brown and also the eventual reach is about 2 ft. Different to the Water Lily it will do well in partial shade and moving water, but make sure that it is deep enough for those tubers that they are below the ice in winter.

Pond Lily (Nuphar)

It is a relative of the Water Lily family nonetheless it will not be as attractive as it's illustrious cousin. The flowers are small, rather plain and are carried on thick stems above the water. There are actually, however, a small number of distinct advantages, light and shade is no problem and neither is moving water. For an average sized pond choose 'Nuphar minima' (N. pumila). The yellow flowers are about 1inch across and the under-water foliage is translucent. Regrettably, the types on offer can be the large ones including N. lutea (Brandy Bottle) with its 3 inch bottle shaped yellow flowers which smell powerfully of alcohol. This really is only ideal for a large pond or lake.

Water Fringe (Nymphoides)

There is simply one basic species - Nymphoides peltata, commonly referred to as Floating Heart. Inside the catalogues you might locate it listed as Villarsia bennettii or Limnanthermum nymphoides. The tiny Water Lily-like leaves measure about 2 inches across and are sometimes crinkly edged and blotched or dotted with brown. The 11/2 inch yellow flower is more sort of a Buttercup than a Water Lily, and the petal edges are fringed. The blooms are borne in small clusters. This can be a useful plant for giving quick surface cover before Water Lilies have become established, but it could get out of hand.

Golden Club (Orontium)

Orontium aquaticum is mostly a trouble free and non-invasive plant with just one fussy requirement, it does need plenty of soil, so make sure you plant it inside of a deep Water Lily basket. It will grow in shallow water, but it needs a planting depth of no less than 1ft if you'd like the leaves to float over the water surface instead of standing erect out of the water. The foliage is attractive with blue-green colour above and silvery below. The superlative characteristic of this member from the Arum family is the unusual flower head. This stands above the water like a pure white pencil with a tip that is coloured gold by a mass of little yellow florets. This really is one aquatic plant that I would not hesitate to recommend to somebody.