Avoid overwhelming the pool with over-vigorous plants - check their ultimate height and spread so you don't have a jungle obscuring the view. And be careful when choosing water lilies, which range from miniatures to thugs that should only be planted in lakes.

There's usually a good choice of plants at aquatic garden centres and from mail order suppliers, but remember that they are often gown under cover so you'll need to harden them off (ie get them used to cold winds and cool night temperatures) gradually before you plant them out. The best planting time is mid-summer to give the plants time to establish before their first winter.

A few plant suggestions

Floating plants:

No need to plant these - just throw them in. But avoid duckweed (Lemna spp) which rapidly covers the pool's surface and is difficult to eradicate once in the pond. Unfortunately it is often caught up in plants you buy to put in the pond, or spread from other ponds to yours by birds. Scoop it out as soon as you see it.

• Frogbit (Hydrocharis morsus-ranae): Like a tiny water lily with white flowers, hardy (sinks to pool bottom in winter).
• Fairy moss (Azolla caroliniana): A fern-like plant, quite hardy, turning reddish in winter, but will not survive severe cold.
• Water soldier (Stratiotes aloides): Pineapple-type floating leaves, white flower, hardy, prolific. Provides shelter for insects.

Submerged oxygenators:

Mostly out of sight, but vital for pond health, taking up excess nutrients and shading the water from sunlight, so reducing blanket weed and green water. They also provide plenty of cover for amphibians, fish and insect life.

• Hornwort (Ceratophyllum demersum)
• Canadian pondweed (Elodea canadensis): Can be too successful.
• Elodea crispa (Elodea crispa)
• Autumnal starwort (Callitriche autumnalis): the best of the starworts and good for a wildlife pool.

Water lilies (Nymphaea):

These like still water so don't place them near fountains. Check the planting depth required and their eventual spread. Beware of tender varieties that will not survive our winters, so have to be brought inside before it gets cold.

Other deep-water aquatic plants:

These need at least 30cm (12in) of water above their roots.

• Water fringe (Nymphoides peltata): Floating leaves similar to water lily, yellow fringed flowers and very hardy.
• Water hawthorn (Aponogeton distachyos): Floating leaves, white flowers spring to autumn, hardy.
• Water crowfoot (Ranunculus aquatilis): Small white flowers in spring, floating leaves are clover-shaped and submerged leaves are ferny. Happy in moving water.

Plants to place in pots on a submerged shelf or plant at the water's edge:

• Water plantain (Alisma platago-aquatica): Upright leaves and flower spikes. Seeds provide food for wildlife.
• Water forget-me-not (Myosotis palustris or scorpioides)
• Bog arum (Calla palustris)
• Flowering rush (Butomos umbellatus)
• Sedge (Carex/Cyperus/Scirpus): Semi-evergreen types provide winter cover for wildlife.
• Bog bean (Menyanthes trifoliata): Flowers are good for insects.
• Cotton grass (Eriophorum angustifolium)
• Water irises (Iris laevigata)
• Yellow flag iris (Iris pseudoacorus): Invasive. Flowers attract insects; seed provide food for wildlife.
• Variegated manna grass (Glyceria maxima 'Variegata')
• Corkscrew rush (Juncus effusus) 'Spiralis'
• Water mint (Mentha aquatica): Can be invasive. Flowers are good for insects.
• Pickerel weed (Pontaderia cordata)
• Marsh marigold (Caltha palustris): Attractive to insects.
• Houttuynia (Houttuynia cordata)
• Dwarf reedmace (Typha minima): Often referred to incorrectly as bulrush, reedmace has a brown poker-like flowerhead. Can be invasive.
• Brooklime (Veronica beccabunga): semi-evergreen, grows on water and boggy soil, tiny blue flowers.
• Arrowhead (Sagittaria sagittifolia)

Bog plants:

Many of those marginals listed above will thrive in a bog garden. Additionally, there are numerous other wet soil lovers including these:

• Day lily (Hemerocallis): range of colours.
• Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria)
• Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia): For soil at the pond's edge, so the trailing growth can hide the pond edge. Can be invasive. Bright yellow spring/early summer flowers.
• Astilbe (Astilbe)
• Goat's beard (Aruncus dioicus)
• Japanse iris (Iris ensata)
• Siberian iris (Iris sibirica)
• Monkey flower (Mimulus)
• Drumstick primula (Primula denticulata)
• Candelabra primula (Primula spp)
• Globe flower (Trollius)