Each year, I usually spend close to twenty dollars on pond plants. Often they are puny specimens, easily killed off by the cold, small, and overpriced. The typical price for water lettuce and hyacinths is over three dollars apiece. This year, not wanting to waste my money,  I gathered up every cutting I had rooting in water. I also raided the philodendrons I had in the betta bowls.  I ended up with a good variety: curly willow, coleus, spider plant babies, arrow philodendrons and the plainer heart-leafed variety. I potted these in plastic pots with a coffee filter over the drainage holes, a few large heavy rocks, and plain unfertilized potting soil. I added the rooted cuttings, covered them with more soil, and added an inch of sand on the top. I placed these in my pond on top of overturned terracotta pots. It’s been about two weeks and other than a bit of sunburn they seem to be thriving. I’ll update later in the summer.