Where the garden meets the wild 

Photograph © Dorrie Woodward

Here we present some of our favorite water-loving plants. Above:

All photographs on this page are copyright. Copyright owners are named on the pages devoted to each species. 

RESOURCES  "I popped out one little rock and the entire lake drained away!"  Just kidding. But sound information can help you avoid mistakes.  

WATER & WETLAND  PLANTS A-Z  Browse all the possibilities.

WHAT  PLANT  WORKS WHERE  Is your site a barrel, a pond, a riverbank, a seashore, an estuary, a vernal pool, a seep, a waterfall? Is it sunny or shady?

A wetland is an area saturated or covered with shallow water for at least part of the year. It may stand alone or be next to a deeper body of water ~ a pond, lake, river, ocean. 

Wetlands help to cleanse water of  sediments and pollutants. They mitigate floods and drought. They are also irreplaceable habitat for many of our fellow creatures. 

To be useful to them, wetlands need a surrounding buffer zone ~ the wider the better ~ of plants above the waterline. Here grasses, sedges, reeds, shrubs and natural debris can shelter ducks, herons, frogs and salamanders that use the water for mating but raise their young on higher ground. Migrating whooping cranes, herons and other shore birds also feed in wetlands.  

RESOURCES

Before you embark on a water project, we recommend some detailed, practical information:

• Fresh Water, by E. C. Pielou. University of Chicago Press, 1998. ISBN 0 226 66815 0. Do you know the natural water system you're dealing with? This book explains how fresh water behaves in its many guises, from underground lenses to oxbow rivers. Like all books by this author, it's a wonderful read, deftly presenting complex information in a conversational style, with pen-and-ink illustrations. 

• The Streamkeepers Handbook. A practical guide to stream and wetland care, edited by Gary Taccogna and Karen Munro. Salmonid Enhancement Program, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, 1995. ISBN 0 660 15906 6. What needs doing? How do we do it? From planning through evaluation and continuing stewardship, this binder explains all, in modular form, with black-and-white drawings. Available from the Pacific Streamkeepers Federation, 720 Orwell Street, North Vancouver, B.C., Canada V7J 2G3. Telephone 1-800-723-7753. The price is $30 Canadian, with shipping included inside Canada and at cost to other destinations. Updates of the Handbook can be downloaded at www.pskf.ca, where you will also find other useful resources. 

• Landscaping for Wildlife in the Pacific Northwest, by Russell Link. University of Washington Press with Washing Department of Fish and Wildlife, 1999. ISBN 0 295 97820 1. Whether you live in the boondocks or in a high-rise, you'll find ways here to attract and sustain your fellow creatures with plants. This book covers wetlands and other habitats, with color photos and black-and-white drawings. While the focus is on northwestern North America, much applies to temperate climates everywhere.