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 Explore
the World of Water Gardening
Looking for a new and fascinating way
to grow and enjoy plants? How about exploring the small world
of container water gardening? The color and fragrance of container-
grown aquatic plants can transform even the smallest space
into a living work of art. Don't let lack of experience, space
or time put a damper on this gardening project. All you need
is an hour or two, a suitable container, some lovely aquatic
plants, and a sunny place on your patio, deck or porch.
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Beauty
in a Barrel
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A barrel water garden is
perfect for inexperienced gardeners or gardeners
with space limitations. Start by purchasing a
sturdy whiskey barrel that has been cut neatly
in half, sits steadily on its base and has tight
metal hoops. Scrub inside and out thoroughly,
then wire-brush and repaint the hoops. Be sure
to use marine grade paint if you decide to paint
the barrel.
Preparing the inside of
the barrel
- Use a sheet of heavy,
extra strength plastic for a liner.
- Fit the liner snugly
into the barrel and staple it to the inside
upper rim. Or, fold it over the top and staple
it to the outside.
- If you staple the liner
to the inside of your barrel, trim the plastic
around the top. If you fold it over the edge
of the barrel and then staple, trim the excess
below the staples. The liner may have to be
folded to make it fit, so be sure to use staples
that are long and heavy enough to penetrate
several layers of plastic.
You can also buy a preformed
plastic liner or PVC pond liner cut-to-fit from
a gardening center or the gardening section of
a home improvement store. Some ready-made barrel
liners are even available with a drain near the
top as an overflow in rainy weather.
Adding your plants
- When the liner is in
place, put the barrel in its final sunny position
before you do anything else.
- Fill with water and wait
a couple of days before planting to make sure
it's waterproof and to allow chlorine to dissipate.
- Use this time to stack
bricks or rocks on the bottom of the barrel
to create various levels for displaying your
plants. You can also add wire shelves to support
potted plants at varying heights.
- Complete your barrel
water garden by adding a few healthy aquatic
plants. Because so many water plants thrive
in this type of container, it may be difficult
for beginning water gardeners to make a selection.
Just remember to choose plants in keeping with
the scale of your container and avoid overcrowding
the surface of your water garden.
Here is one pleasing combination
of water plants to help create your first colorful,
fragrant barrel garden.
- Submerge a Hardy Water
Lily with sunny yellow flowers 6 to 12 inches
below the barrel's water level.
- Add an 8 to 12-inch tall
Sweet Flag grassy plant for vertical foliage.
Place it anywhere up to 6 inches below water
level, where it can grow from 2 to 3 feet tall.
- Finish up by floating
Parrot Feather or Water Mint on the surface.
Both these cascading plants are fast growing
and provide a good source of oxygen to help
keep the water clear.
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Choose a Container
The first step in planning your water
garden is to decide on a container. Just about anything that
holds water qualifies. Container water gardens can range from
a small ceramic bowl holding a few gallons of water to a much
larger tub, pot, basin or barrel.
As a general rule, the container should
hold at least five gallons of water, be 18 inches wide at
the top and l-l/2 feet deep. When choosing your watertight
container, consider size, weight, location, mobility, price
and types of plants you want to grow.
Some good container choices are:
- Terra cotta planters
- Galvanized buckets or tubs
- Oversize dishes and bowls
- Livestock watering troughs
- Half-whiskey barrels
- Plastic planters
Keep It Simple
The most pleasing designs can be created
with only a few plants. Start with a focus plant, such as
a miniature water lily, water poppy, floating heart or water
snowflake. Some other good focus plants include pigmy lilies,
teacup lotus and dwarf lilies. You'll be surprised how many
flowers you'll get from just one of these surface-blooming
plants.
Next, consider a floating plant. Water
lettuce, water chestnuts, fairy floating moss and water hyacinth
are all good choices for containers because they help suppress
algae and catch debris floating in the water. Be aware that
most floaters reproduce rapidly and need to be culled from
time to time.
Depending on the size of your container,
you may want to include a vertical growing plant to show standing
leaves above the water. A few favorites include water iris,
umbrella palm, cattail, cardinal lobelia, Japanese arrowhead
and cotton grass. As you gain experience, you can experiment
with greater numbers and varieties of plants.
Pick a Sunny Spot
Container water gardens permit you to
get close enough to appreciate the spectacular flowers and
vibrant scents of aquatic plants. Pick a sunny spot on your
deck or patio, where you can keep an eye on the container
and its contents. Tub-type containers can also be tucked into
a bed of flowers, or placed on the porch near your front door.
Water gardens are healthier in sunny
locations. Most aquatic plants require a good dose of sun,
and should receive from four to six hours of full sun every
day. Lilies, lotus and other blooming water plants prefer
morning sun, as do plants growing in small or shallow containers.
Although the best location for a water garden is in an open,
sunny area, try to select a spot that's protected from wind
and leaves.
Place your container on a level surface
for both visual effect and to maintain proper water level.
Use bricks or garden stones to provide a level, stable foundation
for heavier containers. If you are planning to use moving
water, make sure there is a convenient supply of electricity
and fresh water close by. Finally, don't place the container
near areas where you are using herbicides.
Pot Some Plants
Although your water garden will have
a few floaters, you will need to pot up other varieties of
aquatic plants before sinking them in the water container.
Use sturdy plastic or terra cotta pots. Those black plastic
pots that regular nursery plants come in can also be used
- and they're free. Water plants must be grown in high-quality
topsoil or potting soil made specifically for water gardens.
Never use a commercial potting mixture. It's too light for
aquatic planting.
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Lilies
in a Pot
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Water lilies are fragrant
perennials with big, round leaves and showy flowers
that float on still water. You don't have to invest
in a pond or submerged water garden to enjoy their
continuous color from late spring until frost.
Just buy a pretty pot and plant one variety of
small water lily, such as "Dauben,"
"Charlie's Choice" or "Helvola."
- Use almost any large
glazed or ceramic container makes a beautiful
home for miniature water lilies. It's best to
select a pot that is at least 18 inches high,
18 inches wide and without drain holes.
- If you want to use a
favorite vessel with drainage holes, just plug
them up with an inexpensive cork or a piece
of heavy plastic liner spread with caulk.
- Place the container in
a sunny spot on your deck or patio.
- Fill with water and wait
two days before planting to make sure it is
waterproof.
- Put each lily in a plastic-mesh
planting box and gently submerge into the clean,
watertight container.
- Use a brick or a small
inverted clay pot to raise the lily high enough
so that all leaves will sit above water level,
then sit back and enjoy the show!
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To pot the plant and sink it in the
water:
- Remove it from its original container
and rinse thoroughly to wash away any insects.
- Partially fill the pot with fresh
topsoil and gently position the plant.
- Fill in with additional topsoil,
leaving about an inch below the rim.
- Spread a layer of pea gravel or aquarium
gravel on the top of each newly planted pot to keep soil
from muddying the water.
- Slowly lower the pot into the water
at a slight angle, allowing time for air to escape without
displacing dirt.
- To position an aquatic at just the
right depth in your container, simply set it on a brick
or two.
- Keep the plant high enough so that
its leaves sit above water.
Add free-floating plants such as water
hyacinth, to the container after potting up and positioning
other aquatics. Simply float them in the water - they don't
need any soil. They have beautiful flowers and keep the water
clear of algae and weeds by minimizing the amount of sunlight
on the surface of your container garden. Remove excess floating
plants by lifting them above the water and cutting off unwanted
parts.
Care for your water garden
Taking care of your container water
garden is usually a simple matter. There's no need to change
the water, but do top it off every few days to replace liquid
that has evaporated. Check to make sure the plants are thriving
every time you add water. If you see a wilted or dying plant,
it's likely the garden isn't getting enough light and should
be repositioned.
- Because water plants grow quickly,
use fertilizing tablets sparingly - if at all. Never fertilize
new plants until they show signs of growth.
- Keep water plants in small pots to
limit growth and trim off any dead or diseased areas.
- Carefully cut off spent flowers to
promote continued blooming and to keep your water garden
tidy.
- Dip out any debris or fallen leaves.
- Thin by removing overgrowth every
few weeks.
Favorite Aquatic Plants
No matter the size, any container water
garden will look best when a variety of plants are brought
together. You can use a tall plant for drama, a flowering
plant for color, a cascading plant to extend blooms outside
the container, and a floating plant to top off your creation.
Vertical Foliage Plants:
SWEET FLAG - a grassy plant with fruity fragrance that grows
2 or 3 feet tall.
DWARF PAPYRUS - bell shaped flower clusters atop 18 to 24
inch stems.
CATTAIL - 4-foot spires of foliage topped by brown flowers
that look like sausage.
Fantastic Floaters:
WATER LETTUCE - palm-sized plant with soft, wrinkled leaves
with a velvety texture.
WATER HYACINTH - lilac-blue flowers bloom about 6 inches above
the surface.
FLOATING MOSS - tiny floater that's ideal for small container
water gardens.
Cascading Plants:
WATER MINT - fast-growing with fuzzy, round leaves and tiny,
powder blue flowers.
PARROT FEATHER - soft, feathery tufts of foliage trail over
the edge of the container.
Magical Marginals:
VARIEGATED SPIDER LILY - green and white leaves with fragrant,
white blooms.
CHAMELEON PLANT - a spreading, delightful mound of red, green
and cream leaves.
YELLOW PITCHER PLANT - trumpet shaped leaves with white and
red veins.
WATER CELERY - provides fragrance and delightful, green and
pink foliage.
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Swamp
Thing
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Do you know you can grow
water plants in a containerized miniature swamp?
It's true and it's the simplest form of water
gardening you can think of. All you need is a
traditional terra-cotta pot, pea gravel, aquatic
potting mix and a couple of water plants.
- For best results, treat
the pot as if it were a miniature swamp.
- Fill the container at
least two-thirds full of aquatic potting mix,
add the plants, top them off with pea gravel,
and then add water.
- Make sure the plants
stand in 6 inches of water or less.
- "Rose Queen,"
"Aurea" and "Flore Pleno"
are just a few of the colorful plants that thrive
in this type of water garden.
If your little swamp attracts
mosquitoes, add a drop of cooking oil to the water
every couple of weeks. It creates a film over
the water surface that is harmless to plants but
prevents mosquito larvae from coming up for air.
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Something
Fishy?
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Add a few fish to your water
garden for extra appeal. Guppies, mollies, swordtails,
mosquito fish and small gold fish are commonly
available and live happily in a small container.
These little fish not only add interest, they
help keep plants healthy by eating aphids, mosquitoes,
and other insect pests.
- Wait one or two weeks
after planting the container to add fish. During
this time, your water garden will grow enough
beneficial algae to provide a healthy environment
for a few fish.
- Limit the number of fish
you select. The larger the container, the better
it is for even the smallest fish specimen. For
example, a whiskey barrel half is adequate for
only four or five tiny fish.
- To reduce stress caused
by the variation in water temperature, float
the bag you bring the fish home in on the surface
of the container for about 30 minutes.
- Before releasing them,
add small amounts of container water to the
bag to acclimate your fish to their new home.
- It's likely there will
be enough food in the container water garden,
including wayward insects, to support a few
fish. But if you need to add supplemental food,
watch to see if the fish are actively swimming
before feeding them for the first time.
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