The blending of water and earth creates a corresponding balance that relaxes the body and mind as it inspires the soul. Yet water gardens can be challenging, too.

At first glance they may seem to be complicated places filled with unfamiliar plants with unusual needs. Happily, aquatic plants can be simpler to care for than they first appear.

Whether you want delicate floating plants, exotic water lilies, or carnivorous bog dwellers, you’ll find suitable choices for your taste and climate conditions.

The beautiful yet undemanding aquatic plants featured in our water garden plants section are sure to brighten your spirits as well as your garden for years to come.

Aquatic plants — also called hydrophytic plants or hydrophytes — are plants that have adapted to living in or on aquatic environments.

Another, often overlooked, use of plants in the pond is protecting your fish from hungry predators. Whether it is tall plants at the water's edge that help prevent a raccoon from reaching the pond or the water lily pads covering the surface that give the fish a place to hide from a heron, a few plants may be all that is needed to avoid making a meal out of your pet fish.