Water plants and bog plants require specific conditions

Nardoo has attractive four leaf clover leaves that float on the water surface. The plant can be grown in water 5 - 30cm deep.

Water lilies require a depth of 30-90 cm.

Bog Iris can be submerged up to 20 cm below its crown.

Scaevola was planted in very late autumn and it survived frost, cold and temperatures to minus six. The plant has also survived some very heavy bouts of rain and waterlogged soil. The Scaevola is an Australian native of coastal Victoria and New South Wales and is sometimes known as Fairy Fan-flower.

Elephant ears are large attractive water plants with purple leaves. They are suited to moist soil and are best grown in water 30cm deep. In my Canberra garden the plant fell to the first frost.

Pickerel Rush have heart shaped leaves and bright blue flowers The plant grows in wet soil to 10 cm deep. Initially I had placed this plant in the deeper part of the pond. It looked out of place and only really began to flourish when I moved it to the margins.

Water poppies have round green leaves with a bright yellow flower. They grow in water 5 - 30cm deep. I grew these in too shallow an area and they have not done very well nor flowered.