Thinking of expanding a vegetable garden into the pond? Here are some additions to the garden that the neighbors won’t be growing. However, these plants make a tasty and somewhat wild addition to the indoor or outdoor water garden.
Like most wetland plants, aquatic herbs have the potential to spread. Check with local authorities and the garden center to make sure that a new plant will not invade wetlands.
Aquatic Mint, Scented Herb for the Water Garden
Fresh mint is a lovely, refreshing addition to teas and to scented products for the home. There are so many kinds of mint: lemon mint, chocolate mint, and even an aquatic mint. Mentha aquatica is an herb that is excellent for scenting the home. Considered too strong for most tea drinkers, add dried mint to pillows, sachets, and potpourris.
Mint is easy to propagate through divisions. In fact, it will take over a garden and a neighborhood! This is an ideal plant for a container water garden. Or plant it in a submerged container in the garden to prevent it from spreading. Aquatic mint is a true water garden plant, happiest when it is in up to six inches of water.
Bitter Leaf, Medicinal Herb for the Warm Pond Garden
Bitter leaf (Bacopa Monnieri) is also known as water hyssop. It loves to live on the edge of a pond. This herb is an antioxidant that has also been used to treat epilepsy and anxiety. It also seems to enhance memory. In Vietnam, it is called rau dang and is used as a seasoning for congee, a rice dish.
This perennial plant is propagated through cuttings. Bitter leaf can grow in the pond garden or in the indoor water garden or aquarium. Outdoors, it requires relatively warm conditions, so it is ideal for southern areas like Florida. Water hyssop is native to Southeast Asia.
Rice Paddy Herb for the Indoor or Outdoor Water Garden
Rice Paddy Herb (Limnophila aromatica) is also native to Southeast Asia. It is possible to grow in an indoor aquarium in northern climates. For those who have a warm climate year round, grow this plant in the wetter part of a pond or wetland garden. Rice Paddy Herb is used in soups and has a flavor that tastes like a mixture of lemon and cumin.
The Spicy Herb: Wasabi
Go hot, hot, hot by growing wasabi (Wasabi japonica), a water garden plant with a definite kick. Japanese horseradish is not for eating right out of the pond. It’s a seasoning suitable for those inclined to spicy Japanese cuisine.
Wet, shady areas are ideal for the wasabi plant. Grow the plant from seed: ask at an Asian grocery for suppliers. While wasabi doesn’t require a lot of maintenance, it does require time. The root generally takes up to two years until it is large enough to use. Grind it into a powder and mix it with water, and wasabi is the perfect accompaniment for sushi.
Herb gardens can be a delight. Whether they’re grown for medicine, food, or aromatic uses, these aquatic plants add a new dimension to the water garden, expanding the palate of the food gardener and adding a unique twist to a pond garden.
Tricia Edgar - Tricia Edgar is a gardener, environmental educator, and science writer from the Pacific Northwest.
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