It is February so that means my ponds have been covered with the tents we built last year after the bottom filled with leaves the previous fall. It means my fish are all swimming or sleeping under a sheet of ice.
But that does not stop me from dreaming up my next water garden project.
I am planning to visit my sister in California in April. She is always eager for my latest ideas for water in and around her gardens. Her yard is great for working the soil. Her sandy soil is so easy to work compared to our clay and rocks in Missouri.
We started simple in her “world of water gardens”. She wasn’t sure she was ready to commit to the effort a pond might take to maintain. So, the first thing we did was put a Japanese Fish Bowl on her patio.
This is the easiest of all ways to add a water garden to your life. Heck, you don’t even need a yard or patio for that, a sunny window will do!
The first stop was Home Depot where she chose her “fish bowl”. The next place we went was to her favorite local garden center that carried pond plants. I chose a nice bunch of Parrot's Feather (Myriophyllum aquatica) while she went for a miniature cattail and a bag of duckweed.
All we had left to do was get her to decide where she wanted it set-up on her patio and set it up. We decided to place it just outside the door; now she could admire it from her dining room, her yard and get a nice close-up look every time she entered or left her house.
We filled it with water, added the plants we had chosen and it was done. Just that easy!
Three days later, I tested the water quality and went to a nearby pet store and got her a fat little Oranda.
He has since moved into the bigger pond we installed on my next visit. But, her Japanese Goldfish Bowl remains the perfect place to quarantine new fish or her ever-growing family of baby goldfish. And it is still a lovely addition to her patio.
So, what am I dreaming up for my next water garden experience? I have visions of sand and surf dancing through my head. I am thinking of an above ground water garden, surrounded by two tiers of a perennial flower garden.
If you have any idea’s you’d like to throw my way…I’ll be listening. Or if you would just like to comment on what you think of my idea’s, I’d love to hear from you.
I am planning to visit my sister in California in April. She is always eager for my latest ideas for water in and around her gardens. Her yard is great for working the soil. Her sandy soil is so easy to work compared to our clay and rocks in Missouri.
We started simple in her “world of water gardens”. She wasn’t sure she was ready to commit to the effort a pond might take to maintain. So, the first thing we did was put a Japanese Fish Bowl on her patio.
This is the easiest of all ways to add a water garden to your life. Heck, you don’t even need a yard or patio for that, a sunny window will do!
The first stop was Home Depot where she chose her “fish bowl”. The next place we went was to her favorite local garden center that carried pond plants. I chose a nice bunch of Parrot's Feather (Myriophyllum aquatica) while she went for a miniature cattail and a bag of duckweed.
All we had left to do was get her to decide where she wanted it set-up on her patio and set it up. We decided to place it just outside the door; now she could admire it from her dining room, her yard and get a nice close-up look every time she entered or left her house.
We filled it with water, added the plants we had chosen and it was done. Just that easy!
Three days later, I tested the water quality and went to a nearby pet store and got her a fat little Oranda.
He has since moved into the bigger pond we installed on my next visit. But, her Japanese Goldfish Bowl remains the perfect place to quarantine new fish or her ever-growing family of baby goldfish. And it is still a lovely addition to her patio.
So, what am I dreaming up for my next water garden experience? I have visions of sand and surf dancing through my head. I am thinking of an above ground water garden, surrounded by two tiers of a perennial flower garden.
If you have any idea’s you’d like to throw my way…I’ll be listening. Or if you would just like to comment on what you think of my idea’s, I’d love to hear from you.
The picture included is a small pond in my sister's garden.
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