A pond, waterfall, or fountain instantly becomes the focal point of your landscape — but the surrounding plants are what truly complete the picture. The right plant choices can soften stone edges, frame cascading water, add seasonal color, and create a natural transition between your water feature and the rest of your yard. Without thoughtful planting, even the most beautiful pond can feel unfinished or disconnected from its surroundings.
When designing around water, it’s important to consider more than just appearance. You’ll want plants that thrive in slightly moist conditions, complement the scale of your feature, and provide interest throughout multiple seasons. Height variation, texture contrast, and foliage color all play a role in creating a balanced, visually appealing setting you can enjoy from every angle.
Whether you’re looking to add bold pops of color, elegant structure, or low-maintenance greenery, the following plant selections are excellent choices for enhancing the beauty of your water feature and creating a landscape that feels both cohesive and inviting.
Coral Bell
Graceful, bell-shaped flower clusters open in late spring through summer; the pink, red or white flowers are actually inflorescences, or tiny clusters of blooms. These flowers are great for adding a “pop” of color around your water feature with their signature purple foliage.
Lavender
Lavender plants are small, branching and spreading shrubs with gray-green leaves and long flowering shoots. Lavender is great for the backside of your feature as it grows tall and its aroma can travel across the water.
Japanese Maple
Japanese maple is a small deciduous tree or large shrub with a broadly spreading crown. The plant can be grown as a small single-stemmed tree or large multiple stemmed shrub. Commonly found near water features, the Japanese maple is great for balancing the height of a water feature across your landscape while still looking great.
Dianthus
Dianthus plants range from tiny creeping groundcovers to 30-inch-tall cut flowers with mainly pink buds. Around water Dianthus looks great in any size and can be a great low maintenance plant.
Elijah Blue Fescue Grass
Blue fescue grass is a colorful ornamental grass with icy blue foliage and pale yellow flowers. Perfect to plant near water as it is an interestingly shaped plant that draws the eye towards wherever it is planted.
Birds Nest Spruce
The branches are spreading, horizontal to slightly ascending, making its form a dense, broad-rounded, shrubby, flattened globe. Perfect for the front side of a pond Birds nest spruce grow to be less than a foot tall and provide the classic green color of a larger evergreen plant.
Where To Start
The right plant selections can elevate your pond or water feature from beautiful to breathtaking. By thoughtfully layering color, texture, height, and seasonal interest, your landscape will feel cohesive and natural from every viewing angle. Whether you’re adding vibrant perennials, ornamental grasses, or architectural trees, plant placement around water requires both design vision and horticultural expertise. At Platinum Ponds & Landscaping, we specialize in creating balanced, eye-catching landscapes that enhance your pond and thrive in Michigan’s climate. Ready to transform your water feature with expert planting design? Contact us today to start planning a landscape that complements your pond and brings your entire yard together beautifully.
Our founder, Ryan Farnol, is a Master Certified Aquascape Contractor® (CAC). Born and raised in West Michigan, Ryan attended Cornerstone University where he earned a degree in Business Administration.
In 2006, Ryan began his landscaping career in the High Rockies of Colorado, honing his skills with natural stone and water features. He is an expert landscape designer and builder, and meticulously oversees each project from design to installation.
Hard work, communication, and innovation are the hallmarks of his business.