article: Container Water Gardens

Container Water Gardens

If you don’t have a large area for a huge water garden, you can create a small water garden right on the patio or the deck of your home. You will need to make sure that your porch or deck is in good condition and that it can hold the weight of the size of the water garden that you want to build but most likely any size small container that you are going to use will hold fine. You can use multiple containers and build a large water garden without having to dig in your yard if you like by completing these steps more than once.

One of the first things that you are going to need to do is decide what size and type of container you would like to use. Small buckets with large areas on the top, or wooden barrels that you can put plastic in or tubs that are used to wash dogs are always great choices and you can decorate them as well. Any type and size of pot, basin, bowl, or jug is going to enable you to have a water garden that you can enjoy.

For the small water garden on your deck or patio, your containers should be about a foot wide so that you have room for a few types of plants to grow. The container that will hold about five or ten gallons of water would be optimal. Some containers that you can easily put water in without having to decorate them too much would be large bowls, tubs, barrels, plastic planters or terra cotta containers.

You are going to be limited in your space. Choose at most, three types of plants that you want to grow in the water garden. Putting these plants in the container that you have chosen and filling it with water you are going to be creating the optimal water garden space that will produce flowers and fragrance for your enjoyment. While the water garden is not huge and will not hold fish, you can start this small water garden and just about forget about it! Be sure to make a mental note to add water at certain times of the summer so that the water in the container does not totally evaporate and so your plants have fresh water every so often.

Start with a plant that you are going to use as the eye catcher, one that is going to be the focal point of the container garden and work around that. The focal point could be the largest plant, the assortment of colors or just the point of the container that is most often seen. If the container will be on a corner of the porch, the focal point might be the side of the container that is actually further most from the onlooker because you will see that portion of the container more.

You can grow floating water vegetables in the container just as you would grow water lilies and blooming surface plants. Be sure to explore your options in water garden plants and have fun with it!