Water Gardens

While I'm not interested in water gardening myself (I'm sticking to fruits and vegetables and possibly flowers next spring), I have heard it's the latest fad with homeowners.

When I visited Longwood Gardens last month, I even went to a talk all about water gardening!

So I thought I'd share what I've learned:

• Add a harmless black dye to your water garden to create a dramatic effect (but only if you don't want to see your fish).
• Ecological balance between plant life, insects and algae will keep your pond clean.
• Less than half of your pond surface should be covered with plant life.
• Limit fish to no more than a dozen per 4' x 4' section of pond area.
• Submerged oxygenating aquatic plants (like Anacharis, Canadian pondweed, Eel grass, Fanwort, Hairgrass, Hornwort, Pondweed, and Water Hyssop) are great for battling algae.
• It's best to plant water lilies and many other water plants in containers at the bottom of the pond.
• Marginal plants or bog plants vary widely in size, texture, and form and are planted at the edge of ponds as accents. Some popular bog plants are the calla lily, taro, water chestnut, bamboo, papyrus, and corkscrew rush.
• Lotus are beautiful hardy, deep water plants which come in several sizes and are a staple in many water gardens. They can be grown in large tubs which hold up to 30 gallons.
• Water lilies are beautiful in every garden and come in tropical and hardy varieties, and day and night blooming varieties.

Here are some books I'd recommend:

• Encyclopedia of Water Garden Plants by Greg Speichert and Sue Speichert
• The Master Book of the Water Garden: The Ultimate Guide to the Design and Maintenance of the Water Garden by Philip Swindells
• Water in the Garden: A Complete Guide to the Design and Installation of Ponds, Fountains, Streams, and Waterfalls by James Allison
• Water Garden Idea Book (Idea Books) by Lee Anne White
• Water Gardens (Sunset Series) by Susan Lang and T. Jeff Williams
  

Happy gardening!