How to Landscape Flowers & Plants Near a Pond

Identify your location on the U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zone map to learn the average low temperatures your area experiences. Use the zones to find plants that will be hardy in your landscape.

Consult with the extension program in your area for information and advice about invasive species. Avoid incorporating invasive plants and flowers into your landscape, because the plants will escape from your yard and invade nearby areas.

Choose plants and flowers that are native to your area to reduce the chance that you will need to provide large amounts of artificial fertilizer.

Use taller plants, such as reeds and grasses, only on the far side of the pond to avoid blocking views of the water. Use low-growing flowers for color, and for viewing their details close up.

Add a layer of sand over a small open section to create a beach for you to enter the pond and where animals can bask in the sun. Create nesting and hiding areas for birds, small mammals and amphibians near the pond's edges

Put plants into baskets or containers when adding plants near the border of the pond. Partially fill the container with garden soil. Avoid adding soil lighteners that will float away into the pond. Submerge the containers along the edges of the pond.

Pull weeds before they establish themselves in the landscape. Trim and cut back plants to limit over-growth.