Planting depths are measured from the top of the planting basket to the surface of the pond.
The shallowest planting basket we do is the 2 litre shallow square which is only 9cm (3.5in) tall. Our other baskets range from 10cm (4in) to 19cm (7.5in) tall, so when planning your planting you need to make sure that the depth of water you are putting the basket in is at least the height of the basket plus the required planting depth for the particular marginal pond plant, as you don’t want the basket sticking out above the water (not a good look!). You should use this as a guide when working out the depths of your marginal planting shelves when constructing a pond. If your marginal shelves are very shallow, too uneven for a rigid planting basket or you don’t have any at all please see our guide to alternative planting options.
Marginal pond plants will usually tolerate a range of different planting depths and can adapt to cope with different water levels -see individual plant descriptions for guidelines on the range of planting depths. Generally speaking, younger plants (those in smaller than 9cm pots or baskets) should not be placed to their maximum depth straight away, and as a general rule most marginal plants will be happy as long as they are submerged up to a few centimetres.
Deciduous (most of them) shallow water marginal pond plants will tolerate more water over their crowns in winter when they are dormant than in summer.