How do trees sitting close to the pond affect the water garden?
Trees can affect a water garden in a few ways. The shade that trees create will alter the choices of plants you can use in and around the pond. Also, the leaves from deciduous trees will need to be cleaned out of the pond in the fall. Ponds that are equipped with skimmers have this done automatically – those without will need to manually remove the leaves. Some flowering trees will create the same problem in the spring with the petals from their flowers. Again, the skimmer should capture most of them, but those without skimmers will need to manually remove the petals from the pond. One last consideration due to trees is with species such as oak and elm that can stain the pond water a dark tea color – usually in the spring. This is due to the tannins in the bark and leaves of the tree running into the pond after rains. While not harmful to fish or plants, it can make the pond unsightly. Using activated charcoal or partial water changes can clear the water back up.
