Some people might look at a murky seasonal pond as nothing but an eyesore — but one homeowner saw it as an opportunity instead.
Posting on the subreddit r/Landscaping, they asked for advice on how to make the pond in their yard more appealing, given that it dries up in summer. The photo they shared depicts a shallow, bog-like pond, with leaves, grasses, and other yard debris filling its waters.
Fortunately, commenters were quick to jump in with improvement suggestions.
"Plant some cattails, buttonbush, shrub dogwood, clearance [plants], etc. around the edges of it," one person suggested.
"Get some aquatic plants. There may be some irises (i.e. blue flag) that are okay with this," another advised about the seasonal drying. "Horse tail rush and cat tails could also work. Try out 3-4 plants that survive standing water, even if it isn't standing all year."
This is a fairly common landscaping challenge, particularly for homeowners who have installed — or inherited — a water-retentive rain garden. While these gardens help nourish the soil by capturing and distributing excessive rainwater, they can occasionally lead to the pooling of stagnant water, similar to a seasonal pond. If water isn't moving, it can often begin to grow algae, which can take over an area quickly and deprive the native plants of their resources.
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Fortunately, one commenter explained, that with the right flowers and plants growing there, the algae in the seasonal pond should be kept in check. "It'll be a multiyear experiment," they said, "but I think you'll find something."
For homeowners looking to improve their yard's appearance while also keeping it healthy, opting for native plants is a great place to start. Because they're already adapted to thrive in the area where they're planted, they are much cheaper to maintain than geographically invasive species, including grass. Additionally, they also foster a healthy and diverse habitat — unlike grass, which creates a harmful monoculture — for wildlife and pollinators.
So while the pond may not look like much now, this homeowner is likely to see vast improvements if they follow the advice of fellow Redditors … and their local flora and fauna will be all the better for it.
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