What type of plants should I plant around the waterfall to compliment it but not hide it?

Question

We completed the top portion of the water feature last year and just added the lower part to the pond. It's now time to focus on the landscaping around it and I don't know where to start.

Douglas Hunt · Answer

Congratulations, Adria. That looks like a lot of work! I would start by thinking of things that like moist conditions: ferns, clethra, itea, red-twig dogwood, many types of iris, ligularia, etc. There have been tons of posts about waterfalls here on Hometalk. Do a search for aquatic plants using the box at the top of the page and you'll find lots of inspiration.

360 Sod (Donna Dixson) · Answer

Hi Adria, I would think about what I am trying to acheive with my fall. Do you want an alpine mountain theme or something lush and tropical. Then research what plants will give the desired result based on the conditions you have. Looks pretty woodsy so it would be easier to do an alpine design I am thinking.

Jeanette S · Answer

Great job for what appears to have been a big job! This is going to be stunning. I am not qualified to suggest plants, but do look forward to seeing the results.

Karen Sheilds · Answer

I would suggest taking a walk around one of your local parks that has a stream or take a walk in woods near your home. What you find around a naturally occuring stream should work for your waterfall. Plus an additional benefit will be less maintainence with plants that grow in your area naturally. You have done a lot of hard work, I would love to see the end result!

Belle · Answer

even monkey grass...something airy looking for sure.

Pamela · Answer

ground cover sedum is nice with yellow flowers. Also some lower growing trillium.

Cp C · Answer

Here's my LITTLE waterfall when we first planted it!! :) HOPE it might help you!!

Funnygirl · Answer

Looks like you have a lot of sun.always like plants that don't need a lot a attention.I would start with several trees first.The height of the trees will give a nice base.I just added several small trees and now my flower beds already so much better.i planted a dwarf pear tree,an dwarf apple tree.I think a weeping willow tree towards the top always is pretty and fun near a water feature.They grow very fast and they are so much fun to sit under on a hot day.You have a really large water feature!It is really beautiful.You want to have color through the seasons.Azaleas and forsythia are beautiful in the spring.Redbuds are beautiful in spring with small pretty purple flowers.For summer,I love hydrangeas if it is not too sunny.They like some shade.Olianders are beautiful maintence free but are poisonous so would not use if you have small children.Daylilies are so pretty in the summer!dogwood shrubs have a beautiful red bark when the weather gets cold.double knockout roses are great choices.no deadheading needed although I do have trouble resisting.Last but not least winter choices are camellias  of all different colors,they love the cold sunny weather,and or an evergreen tree that you can decorate for the Christmas holidays.Beautiful space! needs a bench  and some garden art

Libby Yuewhoo · Answer

@30 results are available, use up and down arrow keys to navigate.Adria can you post a picture of the results?

Faye Duke · Answer

@Adria Whitford I am from the great land of Aus. so plants probably vary quite a lot but enclosed 2 pics of what I did around my water feature. Used different types of plants for effect and everyone comments how lovely it is. So just to give you an idea of what you can achieve

Faye Duke · Answer

Oops sorry I commented before adding the pics, so here they are, cheers

Faye Duke · Answer

For some reason they didn't load will try again now, at last success lol, click on the pics for a better view

Idyllic Pursuit · Answer

We have a lot of hostas by ours:)

Christine · Answer

depends on light value and be careful about root systems . elephant ears and miniature weeping willows to start cannas love moist areas, you did a beautiful job good luck and God bless.

Rosanne Cannon-Schiedel · Answer

I use variegato, serrato aloe to hide the black of the plastic that feeds the waterfall. They bloom orange flowers on long stems, and the dragonflies like to set on them. Behind that I have lilies that are yellow and they also provide a long stem the draggies like to sit on. Not a big fan of low growing succulents, the weeds hide them much too easily.

Mary · Answer

I've had better luck with ground covers such as sedum and ice plants. But as you can see from the attached pictures, most anything goes!!

Dorothy · Answer

I'd use a variety of hosta (esp if you have summer shade around it), some ferns.....maybe smaller ones like Japanese Painted Ferns, lady ferns, licorice fern. Some water iris of some kind.....don't know if the yellow flag iris are a noxious weed there but they are lovely. Also some vertical accents like the variegated leaved iris. Other plants could be papyrus, dwarf bullrush, horsetails. I'd probably put a BUNCH of bulbs under/around the larger plants. A nice touch is something like a cutleaf Japanese maple for some color (and some varieties are very slow growing and can be pruned into bonsai type shapes). Some of the ornamental grasses could also be lovely....Japanese blood grass or the lovely green/gold striped type whose name I can't remember at the moment. Ground covers could be things like mosses (Irish/Scotch), wooly thyme, and there are others (there's one that is tiny leaved and mint scented.....another name that escapes me at the moment)...or sedums like dragons blood. So many options in your climate!!

Barbara Smithwick · Answer

This is several months old. What did U finally do with it?? Atlanta has a great selection of plants that u can use that are LOW growing and sun loving to help set it off and not hide it. Post a pic please of what plants U did use, @Adria Whitford

Deb K · Answer

Hi Adria, that looks great, how about a miniature willow shrubs.

Mogie · Answer

Talk to or call your local master gardners and find out what native species would do best in that area.

What type of plants should I plant around the waterfall to compliment it but not hide it?

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What type of plants should I plant around the waterfall to compliment it but not hide it?

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