Small, Easy: Water Gardens
Small, Easy: Water Gardens
By: Karin Marie
Do not be des-POND-ent if you like water gar- dens but do not have the space or the time to construct a pond. Miniature water gardens created in containers and tubs may be just the thing for you. Smaller varieties of water plants can be grown quite easily in containers. Gardeners in China and other parts of Asia have been doing it for thousands of years.
These petite pondettes offer gardening aficionados an opportunity to try something new and enjoy a whole new plant palate. And unlike other types of plants, you cannot over water these!
Container water gardens are great for patios, porches and decks. They can even be designed for indoors. While a single container of aquatic plants is strong enough to stand on its own, a cluster of containers makes an even stronger statement, providing a cool garden feature in the hot summer months. Containers holding aquatics can also be set around a pond as accents.
CONTAINERS
Finding containers for water gardens is a task that combines practicality and imagination. Commonly used items are whiskey barrels, cement and terra cotta pots, stone sinks, troughs and even old bathtubs. Unusual items such as antique butter churns, watering cans, urns, kettles, washtubs or any container with a wide opening can also be utilized.
Once a container is selected, it is important to make sure that it is water tight. If a great candidate has a drainage hole in the bottom, simply seal it up with plumber’s putty, silicon or a plug. Terra cotta pots can be used if the entire interior is first sealed with a substance like spray polyurethane.
As an alternative, solid molded plastic containers can be purchased at water garden nurseries and inserted into the pots. If desired, the top edge of the plastic container can be sealed to the pot with silicon.
EPDM (ethylene-propylene-diene-monomer), the heavy black plastic used to line ponds can be purchased in sections and used to line larger containers.
(Note: Whiskey barrels must be lined to keep any tannins remaining in the wood from harming the plants or fish inside.)
Smaller containers, such as decorative bowls, can be turned into tabletop water gardens. The important thing to remember in making these ever-so-small water gardens is to select plants that are the appropriate size for this purpose.
PLANTS FOR TEXAS
Most of the plants used for water gardening are heat-tolerant, an important consideration in Texas. Aquatic plants can be broken down into two basic types: tropicals and hardy plants. The hardy plants are those that can tolerate cooler temperatures – temperatures that will kill the tropical varieties.
Many aquatics thrive in containers, although it is very important to select plants that have an appropriate size for container life. It is also a good idea to choose plants that do not grow too quickly or have a tendency to take over the garden and it is best to limit the number of plants for both aesthetic and space reasons.
Some aquatic plants need their roots to be planted in soil, while others float on top of, or just under, the water surface. As with other types of gardens, take into account each plant’s sun/shade requirements as selections are made.
Some good choices for containers are smaller varieties of water lilies and lotus, and marginal, or bog, plants such as horsetail reed, dwarf umbrella palm, arrowhead, Louisiana iris, canna, saw grass, and sweetflag. Water mint, water lettuce and water pennywort are also recommended.
Hornwort, anacharis and cabomba are oxygenating plants that will help keep the water aerated. These last plants, which live fully submerged, should be allowed to float in container gardens. If planted, they will grow too fast.
EXTRAS
The advent of ever-tinier submersible pumps now makes it possible to place a miniature fountain in a container garden. Installation is easy, the most important thing is to make sure the pump is supported properly. Never let it dangle inside the container by its cord. Water can be routed through stones to create the look of a natural spring bubbling up from below, while the use of spouting statuary provides a more whimsical effect.
Ponds are often the home of Koi and other fish, and there are some small fish that are quite happy living in container gardens, although two or three may be the limit.
With Texas temperatures, the water in outdoor container gardens can become quite warm so it is a good idea to select tropical fish for this purpose. Some varieties that can be considered are comets, bubble eyes, and even guppies or mollies. Colorful Siamese fighting fish are another possibility. All of these fish should be wintered in an aquarium.
PUT IT ALL TOGETHER
The list of supplies needed to put together a container water garden is short and sweet: a container, sealing material, if needed, aquatic potting soil, gravel, plants, water and possibly a few bricks (used to raise plants to the needed height). If a fountain is part of the design, then add a pump and supplies. Water garden plants are generally planted in an aquatic potting soil or heavy garden loam. Peat moss, a common ingredient in regular potting mixes, is discouraged because it is light and tends to float, although it is fine to mix a bit of compost in with the aquatic soil.
Depending on the container’s size, plants can either be left in their plastic pots or planted in soil laid across the bottom of the container. If using a deep barrel or tub, stack bricks securely where you want to place plants such as water lilies and lotus, then set the plants, in their containers, on top of the bricks. Raise the level even higher for marginals, which grow naturally in shallower waters. Once the plants are set in place, fill the container with water.
When planting in shallower containers, the plants can usually be planted directly into soil placed along the bottom of the pot, making sure that each plant is positioned at the proper depth for optimum growth. Pea gravel and stones make an attractive top dressing for these types of gardens.
Immediately after planting, the water will be cloudy and full of dirt particles. Give it some time to settle and the water will clear. Wait a few days before adding fish.
CARE
The primary task – and what could be easier – is to top off the garden with water as needed. It is preferable that the water be de-chlorinated since chlorine in tap water can burn the plants and harm fish. To de-chlorinate, let water sit out overnight so that the chlorine evaporates. Bottled water is another option, as is rainwater, and there are also commercial products that remove chlorine.
Algae bloom is always a concern in water gardens. Limiting the use of fertilizer, keeping the water clear of decaying plant material and feeding fish only what they will eat in about 20 minutes all help keep algae problems from occurring, as will a ramshorn snail or two.
Like all gardens, water gardens need winter preparation, and this may require some dismantling. Tropicals should be brought indoors since they cannot tolerate the colder temperatures. They can be wintered in aquariums, buckets or coolers. Hardy plants can often be left out if they are cut back to the top of their pots and covered with water. Alternatively, these can be stored in a garage or in the deep part of an in-ground pond.
Water gardening may seem strange at first, but it is not that different from regular gardening at the most basic level. Aquatic plants have sun/shade, temperature and planting requirements, and the same elements are necessary for growth – soil and water – just in different proportions than most gardeners are used to.