| Designing a water garden is enjoyable and simple; it | | | | plant the most sun, water depth, and soil that it |
| can be created by a person or by a professional | | | | needs to be healthy and thrive. Some plants will need |
| landscaping company. A water garden design should | | | | the long "window box" type of plastic planters to |
| factor in the space allowed, the plants preferred, and | | | | allow the plant room to grow. |
| the typical weather of the area the garden will grow | | | | If fabric pots are unavailable or undesired plastic pots |
| in. | | | | will also work well for water garden designs. The |
| Digging A Hole | | | | pots can be placed on cinderblocks while young to |
| Making a water garden in one's back yard begins by | | | | encourage them to grow faster and lowered slowly |
| digging a hole in the ground. When planning the dig, | | | | as the plant matures. |
| increasingly slope the sides to allow different plants | | | | Choosing The Types Of Plants |
| optimal growing conditions. Some water plants flourish | | | | There are too many beautiful water plants to talk |
| in deeper water and others are suited for shallower | | | | about each in detail; however there are some general |
| water. | | | | buying guidelines to follow when selecting appropriate |
| Some water garden designs will begin with a shelf for | | | | plants for the region in which one lives. The United |
| plants that enjoy one foot of water or less and from | | | | States is divided into ten climate zones; these zones |
| that point the pond will slope to around eighteen | | | | are based on the date which there is no longer a risk |
| inches and the deepest point over twenty-four | | | | of frost for that year. |
| inches deep. This will allow for a variety of plants to | | | | Water plants labeled tropical will only do well in |
| be grown in one water garden. | | | | extremely hot conditions; they prefer the very edge |
| Choosing Pots | | | | of Florida, Texas, and southern California. Most other |
| A water garden design should be planned similarly to | | | | areas even in the south will not have consistent |
| a container garden because that is essentially what a | | | | favorable temperatures for enough of the growing |
| water garden is. One difference is the type of pots | | | | season. |
| needed for water gardens, water garden plants will | | | | Plants labeled hardy will grow in most areas of the |
| do best if they are fabric pots which allow the water | | | | United States except for extreme climates such as |
| to flow freely around the soil and the roots. | | | | Alaska and a few other pockets of the country. |
| Also even the smallest water plants will need a pot | | | | Hardy plants are ideal for most people's water garden |
| at least ten inches wide to allow the water plants | | | | designs as there is a large variety of plants that can |
| room to grow. Water garden designs should figure | | | | suit anyone's taste. |
| places for pots to be placed to allow the particular | | | | |