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Make a Big
Splash with a
Tiny Water
Garden
by Joseph TomocikPlunge into the world of aquatic plants by
designing a mini-pond in a small container. I’m into little
water gardens in a big way. Small gardens permit you to get
close enough to really appreciate the intriguing foliage of the
aquatic plants, their spectacular flowers, and their sometimes
vibrant scents. They’re foolproof, too. If you wind up with a
design that you don’t like, it’s easy to rearrange the plants.
And the plants are tough - most are almost hard to kill and
require virtually no maintenance. All you need is a sunny spot
with at least six hours of direct sun a day, something that
holds water, and a few plants. The first step in designing a
small water garden is deciding on the container. Anything that
holds water can contain a water garden. I find widely sold half
barrels to be perfect.
The problem, though, is that toxins oozing from the wood can
foul both water and plants. My solution is to purchase a
durable, plastic liner made to fit perfectly. These are
available at many garden centers. Or you could line the barrel
with a flexible PVC liner; just be sure to use at least two
layers if the material is 10 or fewer millimeters thick;
otherwise, the liner will only last a year or two. I’ve also
used clay and plastic containers. To keep water from seeping
into and through the porous clay of a ceramic container, I apply
two coats of sealer. I also enjoy using black plastic containers
that look like cast-iron pots.
Next, use plants with contrasting shapes to create appealing
compositions. Plants with contrasting shapes, colors, and sizes
offer interesting contrast. I like to combine the tall, slender,
spiky shapes of an erect, fine-leaved marginal plant like yellow
flag iris or sweet flag with the broad-leaved foliage of an easy
to grow tropical marginal like taro. Marginal plants are those
that are usually placed along the edges of a water garden; in
the wild they grow in shallow water. I especially like using
plants that have a story of their own: pitcher plants, for
example, eat insects, digesting small bugs in the recesses of
their large, trumpet shaped leaves. To finish off a planting, I
sprinkle a few small floating plants – like water lettuce or
water hyacinth over the surface of the water. I also might
soften the hard edge of the container by letting a cascading
plant like water mint, with its fragrant foliage and powder-blue
flowers, tumble over the side. Whatever plants I use, I try to
keep them in scale with the container. Huge plants spilling out
of a tiny container most likely would not create a pleasing
effect. There are no strict guidelines to follow, so I just aim
for a plant and container combination that looks harmonious and
proportionate.
For a crisp look, use only a few plants. The first mistake
beginning water gardeners make is jamming too many plants into
their container. Though a half barrel-sized container easily
accommodates up to four plants potted in 2-gallon pots and a
host of floating plants, there’s no need to use that many. An
overcrowded container often results in designs that are chaotic.
Keep it simple. Especially when you’re starting, it’s easiest to
make pleasing designs with only two or three plants. As you gain
experience, you can graduate to more complicated compositions
using greater numbers and varieties of plants.
However many you use, how and where you place plants in the
container is of paramount importance. The plants should fit as a
unit to create the picture you want.
First, determine how the planting will be viewed. Designing a
container that will be seen from a few directions is a lot
easier than making one that’s meant to be viewed from all sides.
 Unless the container is to be displayed in the round, place a
tall, spiky plant at the center rear to create a dramatic
backdrop. Then use a broad-leaved marginal or two in front or to
one side, where their generously sized leaves will contrast
sharply with the whiplike fronds of taller plants.
Remember to keep it simple, otherwise you risk diminishing the
effect. For containers that will be seen from all sides, I put
the tall, vertical leaved plant in the middle and arrange broad
leafs on each side. For either kind of design, I arrange and
rearrange the plants until I get the effect I’m looking for.
It’s easy to change the height and position of plants by
perching them on bricks or empty, overturned containers. Most
marginals, whether their leaves are thin and vertical or broad
and horizontal, give excellent results when their crowns are
placed 6 inches or less beneath the water’s surface. Only after
the main parts have been positioned do I begin adding accents
like floating or cascading plants, or for a special touch, an
eye-catching specimen. Container care is easy. If the plants
don’t seem to be thriving, more than likely the problem is not
enough light. If that’s the case, then move the container to a
brighter spot. If it’s too heavy to lift, remove the plants,
empty out the water, move the container, and then rearrange it.
Water plants grow quickly but I encourage them by using
fertilizing tablets. For new plants, I delay fertilizing until
they show signs of growth. When a plant gets big, I divide and
repot it in heavy clay soil. Dense soils won’t cloud the water
when containers are moved, and, just to be sure, I always firm
the soil fairly tightly before lowering the container back into
the water. If the plants seem too robust, I limit their growth
by keeping them in small pots and trimming off the oldest and
tallest leaves.
There’s no need to change the water in a container garden,
although you should top it off every few days to replace liquid
that may have evaporated. I’ve never had problems with
mosquitoes breeding in containers, but if you want to eliminate
any chance of establishing a breeding ground for insects, you
might wash the larvae out by overfilling your container with
water or add a few mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis), voracious
eaters that feed on mosquito larvae. Aquatic nurseries (see
Sources) have also developed specially formulated products for
killing mosquito larvae. When winter comes, it doesn’t have to
mean the end of the garden. Most water plants can be brought
indoors and used as houseplants, kept in an aquarium, or even
placed in a tub of water in a cool basement. Hardy plants could
be left in the container but may need protection against
freezing. Where winters are severe, birdbath-type heaters can
prevent your container water garden from turning into a giant
ice cube.
When spring comes, plants are usually ready to divide. Use the
extras to start a new water garden - by then you’ll probably be
immersed in the world of aquatic plants.
(Reprinted from the September 2002 DVWGS Newsletter)
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