Container gardens are the perfect fit
by Kelly Tunney
What's holding you back from digging a hole and adding a
perfectly peaceful aquatic paradise to your backyard? Is it the price? The
size? The uncertainty of it all? Will you even like adding water gardening
to your list of outdoor hobbies? How do you make a transition into the wet
and wild world of water gardening? Container gardens.
The Perfect Fit For people with small backyards or a
simple porch, sometimes a container garden is the only way to get their
water garden fix. For some, it can lead to the dream of a big yard and a
bigger water garden. There are several types of small water gardens
available to potential water gardeners.
"A tub garden or container water garden is only limited
by the actual container you can find, as long as it holds water," Simon
Seah, Nursery Pro Technical Coordinator, said. "I've seen some unique
set-ups using bathtubs or even a boat sealed up and planted with
aquatics."
P. Allen Smith's Container Gardens: 60 Container Recipes to Accent Your Garden
Do-It-Yourself We're not suggesting you drag your
bathtub out to the yard, but there are many different containers that can
work in your garden, if you'd like to make your own. Pails, terra cotta
pots, whiskey barrels, and urns can be used, as long as they're treated
with a sealant or has some kind of liner keeping the water in place and,
of course, no holes! The bigger the better - anything that will hold
water.
Pick the container, check for holes, put liner or
sealant in it, making sure both are fish and plant safe. Next, put the
container in a safe spot in your yard. Fill it with water, making sure
that you declorinate it, so that plants and fish (if you plan on adding
them to your garden) will be healthy.
Buy It If you aren't the handy type, there are several
types of container water gardens on the market today. The mainstream is a
whiskey barrel and liner tub that you can get as a kit from virtually any
type of garden center or home improvement store. Some of these come with
pumps, fountains, tubing and hardware, and installation is a snap.
Planting Your Feet Plants can turn any boring container
garden into a gorgeous work of art, if you know what you're doing. You'll
want to go with water plants that you really like and are pleasing to the
eye. "A container garden can be nothing more than a giant planter for
lotus, which has an awesome look," Seah said.
If you're a beginner and just want to get your hands
dirty with plants, Seah suggests a more simple approach. "Depending on
size, a small, pygmy water lily might be your best bet, although some
people will still use a regular water lily," Seah said. "Mix it up with
marigolds and a floating plant or two. This simple combo can easily fill
up the entirety of a
Whiskey Barrel Planter
container garden."
Whiskey Barrel Planter
Fishing For Answers Will you be able to add fish, like
in a regular water garden? It really depends on what you think is best. A
20-gallon container is going to go through extreme temperature
fluctuations ... cooling and heating with the night and day.
"A goldfish in a heavily-planted container water garden
can suffice as the plants shade 90% of the surface area and keep the tub
cooler," Seah said. "A one-foot koi might look a little funny in 15-20
gallons of water."
Seah suggests throwing Gambusia (mosquito fish) into
your container garden because they can tolerate warm water quite well. Be
careful, though. Gambusia reproduce quickly and are banned in certain
places because they could escape into natural waterways. From your
container garden into the lake? It could happen if you get to many and
decide to release the extras into nature.
Small fantails will also be a good fit for your water
garden, and if you happen to have a larger container, you can even
consider a comet or shrub.
What About Mosquitoes? While many container gardens do
just fine without a filter or fountain, it's always best to have some
circulation in place, a small pump may be attached to a small fountain
head or may simply sit at the bottom, shooting a stream of water
vertically to give a gentle turbulence at the surface. A sponge pre-filter
or even an aquarium bubbler may also do the trick to keeping your water
moving.
You'll also want to steer clear of still water because
of the risk of mosquitoes. If you have some kind of agitation in your
water, you will usually have less mosquito larvae hanging around your
container garden. You'll also want to check with your local municipality
to see if you can be fined for having standing or still water on your
property. With the threat of the West Nile virus being so prevalent these
last couple of years, it's worth it to be educated. Fish in your container
water garden would take care of any larvae that hatch there.
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General Maintenance When it comes to container gardens,
maintenance is as easy or as hard as you want to make it. "Many of the
small containers are small enough that you may use a garden hose to top it
off, "Seah said. "And if there's no fish, you may use it to overflow the
system for severe cleaning."
You may not need to clean your container garden, but if
debris does accumulate, you can use enzyme-based products. Enzymes quickly
reduce the amount of sludge build up and are gentle on your aquatic life.
Remember, you will have to keep an eye on your container
garden to watch out for evaporation, especially in warmer climates that
can have high temperatures. Plus, warm water can be as detrimental to your
fish as freezing water is if you aren't careful. If you're in an area that
is prone to heavy rainfall, you'll also want to watch out for overflowing.
To keep your system healthy, you can add beneficial
bacteria, although it isn't necessary. If algae ever takes a hold of your
garden, you can also use a flocculant, a safe and natural product.
Chemicals can harm your fish and plants and deter other wildlife from
visiting your container aquatic garden.
What If I Already Have a Water Garden? You can never
have too many water gardens. Water gardeners everywhere use container
gardens to add a little more to their deck or patio and to help them learn
about new plants. Container gardens are also a great way to teach kids
about nature and can be a great starter pond for any young children
interested in water. Prices for container gardens are reasonable and they
can be a great pond learning experience for all ages!
Be careful, however, because once the water gardening
bug has bitten you, there's no going back! Next step, preformed pond or
micro-mini kit, then on to a larger water garden. Next thing you know,
you'll be living on a houseboat. Okay, maybe not, but you never know what
can happen when you just add water.
About the Author
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