| |
| |
|
Landscaping & Gardening Information |
|
|
|
How To Choose Water Garden Plants
So. The water garden bug has bitten. You've dug and leveled andsweated and said words you hope that no one else has heard. Nowit's time for the fun part - picking out your water gardenplants! Plant varieties within these four categories are what you need toeyeball: deep-water, marginals, oxygenators, and floaters. (Ifyou think these words are big and weird, just thank your starswe're not talking medicine.) After you've diligently planted your babies in plastic tubs,pans, or clay pots, packing the fertilizer- and chemical-freesoil down tightly, load the container down with pea gravel tokeep the soil from floating away. (Don't ask why this works, butit does.) Plunk your prize into the water at the appropriatedepth (You'll read about that in just a minute, so hang on toyour hat.) and you're on your way! Plant-dunking should be done during the growing season. Wait fouror five weeks for the water plants to do their thing before youadd your fish. If you just can't hold your horses, er, your fish,for that long, you can jump the gun a couple of weeks, but theidea is to let the plants first get established. When picking your plants, you'll no doubt be wowed by waterlilies of the tropical persuasion. These aquatic wonders lord itover their hardier cousins with knock-out fragrance, big bloomsday or night - depending on the variety - and a habit of bloomingtheir little hearts out nearly every day during the growingseason. They love their warmth, though, so unless you live in ayear-round, warm-weather climate (in which case, you are used tobeing hated and has absolutely nothing to do with this article),be prepared to hasten them into a greenhouse or at least musterup enough moolah to buy them some "grow" lights to tough it outthrough the winter. They will definitely bite the dust atfreezing temperatures, but give them night-time temps of at least65F and daytime temps of 75F or warmer, and your love affair withtropicals will only grow that much more torrid. Hardy water lilies, while not the showboaters that tropicals are,are . . . well, hardier. Their big advantage is that they canstay in the water year 'round unless it freezes so deeply therootstock is affected. And being the tough guys they are, you canplant these puppies deeper than the tropicals, some living it upin depths of 8 to 10 feet. Both hardy and tropical water lilies are real sun worshippers. Atleast 5 to 10 hours a day is what it takes, along with regularfertilization, to keep these plant pals happy. Everybody and their brother with a water garden wants a lotusplant. (Sisters, too, no doubt.) These water-lily relatives comein hardy and not-so-hardy strains, so make sure you know whatyou're buying. Much bigger than water lilies, lotus have huge,famously splendid blooms that not only will knock your socks off,but make you forget you have feet altogether. Their leaves andseed pods are so breathtaking, they're a favorite in costlycut-flower arrangements. Big, bold, and beautiful, withwater-depth needs of 2-3 feet, these shouters are really betteroff in big ponds that get plenty of sun. Marginals (sometimes called "bog" plants by those lesshigh-falutin') are grass-like plants that strut their stuff inshallow areas no deeper than 6" that border the water garden.They also do well in mud. Cattail, bamboo, rush, papyrus, andmany other plants fall into the family of marginals and grow bestwith a minimum of at least three hours of jolly old Sol. Some plants are there but not seen, working stoically under waterand without fanfare to fight algae, oxygenate the water, andprovide food for fish. (In lieu of these plants, if your pond issmall, you can fake it fairly adequately with an aquarium pump.)Easy on the wallet, varieties of these plants can be bought inbunches and like their soil sandy and/or gravelly. Like hardywater lilies, they, too, will warrior it through the winter. Water hyacinths have become a recent rage, especially for thelazy among us. No soil is required for these beauties. Toss themin the water and they're "planted." A water hyacinth ain't justanother pretty face, though; these plants do their part in thewar against algae and blanket weeds by keeping sunlight scarce onthe water's surface. But one note of caution: This plant may takeover the world if allowed. It's invasive as all get out, so keepit under control or you (and your neighbors) may wish you'd neverlaid eyes on it. A water garden isn't a garden without plants. Take your time,know your climate, and choose wisely. Your rewards will be greatin return. ************************************************** He also publishes a free monthly newsletter called PondStuff! with a reader circulation of over 9,000. To sign up for the free newsletter and receive our FREE 'New Pond Owners Guide' visit MacArthur Water Gardens today!
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Plan Before Buying Rose Bushes So, you have decided to plant rose bushes in your yard or on your patio, porch or balcony. Now all you have to do is go out and buy some bushes and plant them. Composting and Composters: A Basic Introduction Why Compost?Recent studies show that an average family throws away approximately 200 pounds of organic kitchen waste every year. Combine this with all the leaves, grass clippings and other organic garden waste accumulated over time and that's a lot of household waste being added to the already mountainous waste disposal problem. Garden Benches - What They Are Putting in a flower garden or any garden for that matter takes time and dedication. However, the result is gorgeous color, magnificent fragrance, wonderful foods to eat, and an overall sense of accomplishment. Gardening with Bamboo Myths and factsA misconception about bamboo is that they spread like wildfire. This is not entirely true as only a some species of bamboo will be invasive. Herbs: Growing Your Own The first thing you need to do when deciding to create your own Herb Garden is to decide on the size of the plot of land you want to use. This will depend on what herbs and how much you want to grow. Beauty With Indigenous Species A garden a serves a man's every day need for s refreshing and pleasent experience.We have to appreciate that the garden serves as a home not only to the trees and plants that appear, but is a home to lots of small and big creatures of animal kingdom. How to Grow Hydrangeas Whether you call them Hydrangea Macrophylla, House Hydrangea, French Hydrangea,, or Mopheads, growing Hydrangeas in the home garden can be an enjoyable experience. They are lovely, whether used as single plants or in mass, such as in a hedge, or border. Growing and Preserving Cut Flowers There is nothing more cheerful than vases full of fresh flowers placed around the house that have been grown and cut from your own garden. A cut flower is one that has been cut at the stem and placed in a vase of water. Vegetable Garden Layout The size of your yard will determine your final vegetable garden layout. What can be fun is the planning of the garden and the decisions surrounding the kind of garden you want. Hydroponics Gardening - An Introduction To Hydroponics Gardening For Beginners (Part 3) Lighting THE BASICS OF HYDROPONICS.An Introduction To Indoor Plant Grow Lights. Nontoxic Pest Control for Your Home and Garden Pesticides are toxic and, while often effective against pests, can be dangerous for your family and pets. Outdoors, sprayed pesticides might drift on a breeze and dust your vegetable garden or your neighbor's yard. Gardeners: Contain Yourselves! Whether you live in a tiny city apartment or on a large country estate, gardening in containers is a way to add colour and the beauty of nature to your surroundings. The three main elements of creating successful containers gardens are:Choosing the potsGetting the right planting mediumSelecting the plantsIn all of these elements, the key is to create a healthy growing environment for the plant roots. Basic Lawn Care - Mowing, Scarifiers, Aeration, and Watering Tips The arrival of summer heralds a time of increased wear and tear for the average garden lawn. Children's yard games, barbecue parties, outdoor sports and generally more activity in the garden means your lawn is set to come in for something of a beating and without a little TLC is likely to start showing more than a little worse for wear. Are You Being Taken Advantage of when Ordering Flowers Online? Did you know that you can send flowers many different ways on the internet? With a few different options of delivering and ordering flowers online, you must be aware of security and safety of your personal information. Not only that, but you could be left with disappointing flowers for your event if you choose the wrong online florist. The Rich History of Wild Roses Wild roses, of the genus Rosa, are those naturally occurring natives found in Northern Hemispheres around the globe. Wild Roses can be found in forests, canyons, logged wastelands and thickets. Planting Bare Root Roses Before planting, the plants must be prepared. The following suggestions will help insure that your roses grow into healthy bushes, trees, etc. Popular Adirondack Chairs - Everything You Need To Know Adirondack chairs were invented during the early 1900's by a vacationer who was looking for ways to furnish his summer home. By utilizing materials found around his Westport, NY, vacation home, Thomas Lee crafted a unique chair that caught the attention of a local carpenter and would eventually gain widespread popularity. How to Grow Snow Peas Snow peas may have been named because in bright sunlight their light green pods look as if they might be tinged with frost. One of the oldest vegetables, the earliest recorded pea was grown in 9750 BC on the Thai-Burma border. Bare Root Roses, What To Look For When Buying The first thing to look for is the plant's grade.Nearly all bare root roses sold today are grown in the field and are approximetly two years old. Want a Garden, But Don't have Enough Dirt Or Space? Hydroponics Gardening Is The Answer! Hydroponics gardening is the perfect solution for anybody who wants a garden, but does not have enough space or dirt. Hydroponics gardening is, simply put, a method of growing plants using a nutrient solution instead of dirt.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
