Ponds can come in a wide range of shapes and sizes, be it a totally natural pond or a large koi pond, most people can’t help but admire the beauty a pond can create.

This got me thinking…

I love to grow my own vegetables in my garden and I am sure there are plenty of you out there that have tried with varying degrees of success! However, I wondered what I would be able to use my pond to grow? After all, ponds that have fish in usually have high Nitrate levels which is a fertilizer at the end of the day!

So is it easy to use your pond to grow food? The answer is YES! All you need is Velda Floating Plant Oasis and some ‘grow your own’ salad leaves, you can then cut what you need rather than having to throw away that half-empty bag of salad in your fridge at the end of the week.

* Make sure you are not using any form of chemicals or treatments in your pond if doing this.

Edible potted pond plants:

If you don’t have fish, the chances are there will be less Nitrates in your pond, that doesn’t mean you can’t grow plants! However, you might want to consider potted pond plants, we have teamed up with Anglo Aquatics to be able to bring you a Massive Range of Aquatic Plants. The one that sticks out for me though is the Rorippa Nasturtium Aquaticum 'Watercress' as it can be made into a tasty soup!

For anyone out there who as well as a pond enthusiast is a bit of a foodie like me, check out this recipe -

• butter 3 tbsp
• onion 1 large, chopped
• potato 1 large, peeled and diced
• vegetable stock 1 litre
• watercress 250g, woody stems removed
• mint 15g, leaves only
• baguette 6 slices, toasted
• olive oil
• firm goat’s cheese 50g, sliced
• orange zest to decorate (optional)

Method

• STEP 1

Heat the butter in a pan and add the onion with some seasoning. Cook for 10 minutes then add the potato and stock and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the watercress and simmer for 2 minutes then add the mint and blend in a food processor.

• STEP 2

To make the crostini, brush the bread with oil and top with a slice of cheese. Pour the soup into bowls and top with a crostini, sprinkled with orange zest if using.