What plants to decorate around my new garden pond?

[Startingagainandagain]

I just finished digging and installing a small ready-made garden pond liner today :) and putting pebbles and water inside.

Next I am going to get some aquatics plants to help keep the pond clean, but I am wondering as well what to plant around the pond to make it an even nicer feature?

I am thinking of getting more pebbles from the beach (the advantage of living by the sea...) to create a border around it but want to add some green stuff as well.

Suggestions most welcome!

I also want to make sure that as a beginner gardener I get plants/flowers that won't put off the toads/frogs insects from using the pond.

You need a toad house.

I got my dad one for Fathers’ Day and the toads in his pond are very cosy.

I love the sound of a toad house!

I really want to attract toads as I am really hoping they will reduce the army of snails and slugs living in my garden...

Get a hosta…everyone will tell you snails will eat it, they certainly do! But the snails attract frogs & toads which in turn eat the gastropods!
We have grasses & geums which provide ground cover for the frogs etc!
if you’re happy with the size of your pond now… next year you’ll wish you’d gone bigger!

Thank you @Gall10.

It was such a pain to dig in the sun today so I think I am happy with a smaller pond :). I might add a water feature later on nearby but no more digging for me!

I’ve got things like catmint, various perennial geraniums (can't think of the proper name at the mo), lupins, bergenia, irises, salvias. Mostly things that spread and hang over the edge that look pretty and give cover for things getting in and out and have big leaves for cool,shelter. Don't forget to make a way for any animals that fall in to get out. A pond is the loveliest thing, enjoy yours.

@FizzingAda

Thank you for all the suggestions! Yes the idea of the plants providing shelter for the critters sounds good.

My ready made pond shape has 'shelves' so that anything falling in will be able to climb out.

I have cats so I was also thinking the daft things might fall in so better to make it easy for them to get out as well, hence why I chose something ready made with different depths.

Around my tiny pond I have ferns, hostas and calla Lilly's which look nice and offer some shade over the pond.

Shelves are great for the plants that need different depth, but animals like hedgehogs and voles,need something like a beach so they can actually scramble out (we had a hedgehog drown in our previous pond 😭). Here's pic of our pond in it's first year - we made a 'beach' so anything can get out. Maybe if you put some stones on one of your shelves to bring it near the level of the water? Little insects like the the ‘beach cos the water is warmer there.

Bees love a pebbly beach bit for drinking.
Get some tall thin things which stick out of the water so dragonflies have somewhere to emerge from.

@FizzingAda

That looks really beautiful! thank you for the inspiration. I will definitely create a 'beach' around it. :)

You only need one bit for a beach, as big or small as you like. You'll get lots of birds bathing and drinking there. Have fun!

Can you please put in a plank of wood or a ramp in case any wildlife goes for an unexpected dip?? Frogs will return to their pond they were born in.....so might be worth getting some frog spawn next year. The insects will love it

I have cats so I was also thinking the daft things might fall in so better to make it easy for them to get out as well, hence why I chose something ready made with different depths. We watched one of our cats being chased by the dog of a visiting workman down next door’s garden. He burst through the hedge, cleared the 2m wide pond in an elegant leap, then turned round to watch the dog emerge and topple straight into the pond.

For in the pond I would recommend marsh marigolds and water forget me nots. Both native and don't take over too crazily unlike some. Personally I'd give hostas a miss as I planted some but they've just disappeared because they were always immediately eaten by slugs and snails. Instead of hostas but looking a bit like them IMO I'd recommend Pulmonaria, it does like a bit of shade if you have a shady area and is a very early flowerer so great for early nectar.

All our ponds have a stone surround about 20cm wide. In summer, you often see frogs on it, prepared to dive in the pond if disturbed. Beyond the edging there’s dense planting on at least 50% of the perimeter. In the wider garden, the most likely places for me to bump into a frog are a) among the alpine strawberries b) the wildflower meadow

Thank you everyone for all the advice!

I built the pebble beach around half of the pond yesterday and added a few plants to start with on the other side using the suggestions provided.

Now I need to get some aquatics plants for the inside of the pond somewhere else as the local garden centre did not have any.

Saw the cats sniffing the pond and plants this morning and looking puzzled...:)

With a pre-formed pond the area around the outside of the pond is unlikely to be damp/moist like the area around a natural pond. It may even be quite dry because of the pond. So don't be tempted by marsh/bog plants that might be suggested by pond books or gardening magazines unless you're taking measures to ensure it is staying damp.

Hosta are pretty hardy and will cope with slightly drier soils as well as damp soils - they grow a bit tougher and more slug resistant in drier soils. Alongside Heucheras, Tiarella, and Huecherella, they make good plants for outside the pond edge.

Avoid introducing salt to the soil (or pond) by rinsing thoroughly when using beach pebbles - and strictly speaking, unless you've commoner's rights to gather shingle you shouldn't be taking it from the beach.

Now I need to get some aquatics plants for the inside of the pond somewhere else as the local garden centre did not have any.

Try Facebook Marketplace. A lot of garden centres will have run down their stock of pond plants from early summer. But about now a lot of people with ponds in their gardens will be thinning out the aquatic plants before Autumn. I sold three large buckets of surplus pond plants last year through FB. Mostly to people who'd built their ponds over summer.