Water Garden
Presenter: Kim Syrus
Water always adds a special feeling of peace and tranquillity to any garden. No matter what sized yard you have, there is a water feature to suit. Kim shows you how to create a simple and easy water garden that will look absolutely stunning and more importantly use less than half a bucket of water a week to maintain.
Start with a visit to your local garden centre or specialist like Amaroo Water Gardens at Hope Forest to get some advice. Then wander around and discover the amazing range of aquatic plants to choose from.
Water lilies are one of the most recognisable and beautiful of all aquatic plants. There are two types - Hardy varieties, which flower directly on the surface and Tropical which bloom on longer stems, above the surface. Water Lilies (Nympaea Hybrid cv.) need to be planted 20 to 60 centimetres deep to grow and bloom their best.
Rushes and grasses help add texture and height to a water feature, most of these are marginal types, growing with the base of the plant placed on, or just below the water surface.
Marginals include the old favourite Umbrella Grass, the purple blooming Pickerel Rush, fluffy topped Egyptian Grass and Miniature papyrus along with plenty of others to choose from.
Glazed pots are an ideal container for a small water garden. Around 80 to 100 litre capacity is good, although the bigger the better.
Remember to put the pot in place first before adding water and choose an area that gets at least half a days sun, this will encourage flowering plants to bloom, while discouraging too much algae.
Add the water and leave to condition for a week before adding plants. Choose your plants, 4 or 5 will be enough for a smaller pot. Make sure you place them at the correct depth. Bricks or old pots are good for getting levels right. Balance the planting with tall foliaged ones at the back and floating leaved types in front.
Duckweed looks great in a water garden but it can quickly smother the surface in no time. It is really important keep removing some of this to allow enough light to penetrate and help the other plants to grow.
Just a top up now and again and you have an absolute beauty.
Water always adds a special feeling of peace and tranquillity to any garden. No matter what sized yard you have, there is a water feature to suit. Kim shows you how to create a simple and easy water garden that will look absolutely stunning and more importantly use less than half a bucket of water a week to maintain.
Start with a visit to your local garden centre or specialist like Amaroo Water Gardens at Hope Forest to get some advice. Then wander around and discover the amazing range of aquatic plants to choose from.
Water lilies are one of the most recognisable and beautiful of all aquatic plants. There are two types - Hardy varieties, which flower directly on the surface and Tropical which bloom on longer stems, above the surface. Water Lilies (Nympaea Hybrid cv.) need to be planted 20 to 60 centimetres deep to grow and bloom their best.
Rushes and grasses help add texture and height to a water feature, most of these are marginal types, growing with the base of the plant placed on, or just below the water surface.
Marginals include the old favourite Umbrella Grass, the purple blooming Pickerel Rush, fluffy topped Egyptian Grass and Miniature papyrus along with plenty of others to choose from.
Glazed pots are an ideal container for a small water garden. Around 80 to 100 litre capacity is good, although the bigger the better.
Remember to put the pot in place first before adding water and choose an area that gets at least half a days sun, this will encourage flowering plants to bloom, while discouraging too much algae.
Add the water and leave to condition for a week before adding plants. Choose your plants, 4 or 5 will be enough for a smaller pot. Make sure you place them at the correct depth. Bricks or old pots are good for getting levels right. Balance the planting with tall foliaged ones at the back and floating leaved types in front.
Duckweed looks great in a water garden but it can quickly smother the surface in no time. It is really important keep removing some of this to allow enough light to penetrate and help the other plants to grow.
Just a top up now and again and you have an absolute beauty.
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