A mere glance at a water garden is enough to stir up feelings of peace and tranquillity in many people. Unfortunately, many folks do not get to enjoy those moments of bliss often enough, because they think that installing and maintaining one is expensive and difficult.
For many of us, when we think of aquatic gardens, our first thoughts tend toward ornate features or spaces that recreate specific environments such as a bog or riverbank outdoors. However, you also can create something magical with a few basic supplies that you can find at a good supermarket, house and garden store, or nursery. These are our top tips for making a water garden the easy way.
1. Get Inspired
Before you begin, find an idea that inspires you. Do not think that you are limited to choosing a simple container such as a plastic basin.
Instead of a basin you could choose a small, tiered ceramic fountain, a galvanised bucket, bathtub, stock tank, or even an oversized glass teacup.
2. Gather Your Equipment
Once you have settled on a design, you should gather all the equipment you will need. You should be able to do this without any hassles at a garden centre or nursery, leaving you with plenty of time to indulge in some fun at an online gambling casino in NZ. As this article is about easy aquatic gardens, we will use a plastic dish that is 60cm across and 30cm deep.
We also will use a few bricks and stones, as well as various aquatic plants. When choosing plants for your garden, we recommend getting a few from the following list:
- Waterlilies (Nymphaea)
- Micro lotus (Nelumbo)
- Dwarf papyrus (Cyperus prolifer)
- Morning star sedge (Carex grayi)
- Imperial taro (Colocasia antiquorum)
- Marsh lobelia (Lobelia anceps)
- Tape grass (Vallisneria spiralis) – this plant is important because it helps oxygenate the water
3. Put It All Together
To plant your water garden, start off by rinsing out the container, which should not have any drainage holes, obviously. Next, position bricks on which the aquatic plants will stand in the container. If you are using tape grass, you will need to place it under the water.
You can fill the container with water once you have positioned the plants in their pots on the bricks. Use enough to ensure that the leaves of plants such as waterlilies float on the surface. You can then make any adjustments to the plants’ positions or the height of the bricks. You also can add rocks for additional interest.
4. Caring For Your Aquatic Garden
Looking after your water garden should not require too much effort on your part, but what you put in, you will get out. Ensure that the water level is topped up regularly, and position the garden so that it receives at least 6 hours of direct sun every day.
Prune excess growth, and remove dead leaves and flowers. To feed or fertilize plants, remove them in their containers, and either dig a small hole before putting in some bone meal and covering the hold again, or push a slow-release plant food stick into the soil.