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Planning Water
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Planning Container Water Gardens For Any Yard
Ryan Larson
I have an admission to make. I’m a natural born swamp-child. To
me, there are few things in this world more beautiful than the
marshy edges where pond meets woods and creates the perfect
growing environment for cattails, water-lilies, lotus, cabomba
and lush green ferns.
Alas, it has been my misfortune to live in the middle of the
city, in rented apartments with postage stamps for yards. For
years, I lusted after large, spacious backyards with room to
dig your own pond. I read articles on building water gardens,
koi ponds, and backyard fountains and sighed with envy. Then I
discovered a simple fact – all it takes to create a water
garden is a sunny spot that’s big enough for a pot of water.
It’s no more difficult to grow a water garden in a container
than it is to grow any other container gardens. If you have a
sunny spot – at the very least 6 hours of full sun daily
throughout the summer – you can create a water garden. Your
water garden can be as simple as a large tub with a few
submerged plants, or as elaborate as several arranged container
gardens with rocks and a fountain powered by a circulating pump.
If you’d like to try your hand at creating a simple container
water garden, you’ll find everything you need at a local home
supply store like Home Depot.
Planning a Container Water Garden
Location is the single most important factor in planning your
water garden. Your space can be as small as a single square
yard, but it MUST receive plenty of sun throughout the day.
Think twice about locating a water garden of any sort beneath
an overhanging tree. The leaves that fall will decay in the
water and can foul it. If you’re building an actual pond, or
using a large container like a swimming pool, check local
ordinances regarding safety.
The plants that you choose should be suited to the container
that you’re using. Choose plants that are hardy for your
planting zone. There are four basic kinds of water plants:
Floating water plants – like water hyacinth and cabomba –
require no planting at all. They float on the surface of the
water with their roots trailing to absorb nutrients.
Surface Plants – like water lilies, lotus and floating yellow
heart rooted in the pond’s bottom (or in this case, in a
submerged pot), and put out leaves on long stems to float on
the surface of the water.
Submerged plants – grow completely underwater, and seldom show
their leaves above the surface. They help maintain the balance
of nitrogen and other nutrients, and will require thinning to
keep them in check.
Marginal or Bog plants – grow at the edges of ponds in the
wild. They like to keep their feet wet, so to speak – with
their roots and lower parts of their stems underwater. Dwarf
cattails, black taro and sweet flag are examples of marginal
plants.
When choosing plants for your container water garden, keep in
mind the size of your container. Don’t overcrowd your garden –
the rule of thumb is that your plants should cover no more than
2/3 of the surface of the water.
About The Author: This article courtesy of
http://www.florists-guide.net
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