There is a new rage in container gardening these days. Thanks to the gorgeous new pots now available, the wide diversity of water plants and advances in pump technology, water gardening is becoming less mysterious and more accessible to an increasing number of people.
| The Container |
Almost any container can be pressed into service as a water garden. Large stone garden pots, plastic and concrete can all be used once the drainage hole has been corked and sealed with silicone to prevent seepage. Your customer may find a few leaks tolerable on an outside deck in the summer. However, once bitten by the water bug, it is very likely they will want to place a container indoors in the winter months to over-winter tropical flowering plants and in this case, it is wise to invest in a proper, water-tight container.
The key to a good pot lies in the thickness of the wall. The thicker the plastic or concrete, the more likely it will stand up to the rigors of freeze-thaw cycles, ultra-violet rays and the natural corrosive elements in the water.
As with many design endeavours, the type of container to be used is limited only by one's imagination. Recycled plastic barrels used for potable water or juice are acceptable. Bathtubs and wooden barrels are still popular but are increasingly difficult to find. Any container - even wooden planters or even a chest of drawers - may be turned into a water garden by lining with a 45 mil E.P.D.M. (rubber) liner. Avoid swimming pool P.V.C. or thinner grades of polyethelene if you are looking for longevity.
| Jar Gardens |
The latest trend is to large jar gardens for use indoors and out. Manufactured of high-fired clay in 1 ½-inch thickness and UV-resistant glazes, they are both decorative and durable. Most jar gardens stand 24 to 39 inches tall and have a mouth opening of up to 18 inches. This brings the plants and any water effects closer to the viewer and makes the garden more comfortable to maintain. The nest jar designs provide a removable insert bowl about 10 inches deep. Inserts allow for a limited amount of water in an indoor or weight-restricted setting, and are just the right size to hold a few tropical plants indoors through their winter dormancy period. Now it is possible for your customer to enjoy a water garden year-round.
| Water Container Plants |
In any water garden setting, aquatic plants provide filtration, gas exchange, colour, habitat and some algae control. It is even more important to provide these necessities in the smaller environment of a container garden. The season is short and a good balance is more easily achieved in a diverse and well-planted container. More is better when stocking plants in a container. Just like their terrestrial cousins, aquatic plants vary in texture and flowering displays. Many suppliers import tender tropical plants to add a flavour to water garden designs that would be difficult to achieve with just local hardy plants.
If your container has a deep reservoir, you can stock it with a complete mix of plants that do well in very deep to very shallow water depths.
Maximize your container by filling it as completely as possible. Each plant group has a job of its own to do. Experiment with different combinations to achieve maximum colour, filtration and algae control.
Aquatic plants suitable for containers fall into the following groups:
| Marginals |
Marginal or bog plants are those plants most often seen at the edges of ponds with the waterline two inches over or under the crown. Thes
