| So the water garden bug has bitten. You've | | | | Both hardy and tropical water lilies are real |
| dug and leveled and sweated and said words | | | | sun worshippers. At least 5 to 10 hours a day |
| you hope that no one else has heard. Now it's | | | | is what it takes, along with regular |
| time for the fun part - picking out your | | | | fertilization, to keep these plant pals |
| water garden plants! | | | | happy. |
| | | | |
| Plant varieties within these four categories | | | | Everybody and their brother with a water |
| are what you need to eyeball: deep-water, | | | | garden wants a lotus plant. (Sisters, too, no |
| marginals, oxygenators, and floaters. (If you | | | | doubt.) These water-lily relatives come in |
| think these words are big words, just be | | | | hardy and not-so-hardy strains, so make sure |
| happy we're not talking about medicine.) | | | | you know what you're buying. Much bigger than |
| | | | water lilies, lotus have huge, famously |
| After you've diligently planted your new | | | | splendid blooms that not only will knock your |
| plants in plastic tubs, pans, or clay pots, | | | | socks off, but make you forget you have feet |
| packing the fertilizer- and chemical-free | | | | altogether. Their leaves and seed pods are so |
| soil down tightly, load the container down | | | | breathtaking, they're a favorite in costly |
| with pea gravel to keep the soil from | | | | cut-flower arrangements. Big, bold, and |
| floating away. (Don't ask why this works, but | | | | beautiful, with water-depth needs of 2-3 |
| it does.) Plunk your plant into the water at | | | | feet, these shouters are really better off in |
| the appropriate depth (You'll read about that | | | | big ponds that get plenty of sun. |
| in just a minute) and you're on ready to go! | | | | |
| | | | Marginals (sometimes called "bog" plants by |
| Plant-dunking should be generally be done | | | | those less high-falutin') are grass-like |
| during the growing season. For new ponds, | | | | plants that strut their stuff in shallow |
| wait four or five weeks for the water plants | | | | areas no deeper than 6" that border the water |
| to do their thing before you add your fish. | | | | garden. They also do well in mud. Cattail, |
| If you just can't hold your horses, or your | | | | bamboo, rush, papyrus, and many other plants |
| fish, for that long, you can jump the gun a | | | | fall into the family of marginals and grow |
| couple of weeks, but the idea is to let the | | | | best with a minimum of at least three hours |
| plants first get established. | | | | of sun. |
| | | | |
| When picking your plants, you'll no doubt be | | | | Some plants are there but not seen, working |
| wowed by water lilies of the tropical | | | | stoically under water and without fanfare to |
| persuasion. These aquatic wonders are popular | | | | fight algae, oxygenate the water, and provide |
| compared to their hardier cousins with | | | | food for fish. (In lieu of these plants, if |
| knock-out fragrance, big blooms day or night | | | | your pond is small, you can fake it fairly |
| - depending on the variety - and a habit of | | | | adequately with an aquarium pump.) Easy on |
| blooming their little hearts out nearly every | | | | the wallet, varieties of these plants can be |
| day during the growing season. They love | | | | bought in bunches and like their soil sandy |
| their warmth, though, so unless you live in a | | | | and/or gravelly. Like hardy water lilies, |
| year-round, warm-weather climate, be prepared | | | | they, too, will warrior it through the |
| to hasten them into a greenhouse or at least | | | | winter. |
| muster up some funds to buy them some "grow" | | | | |
| lights to tough it out through the winter. | | | | Water hyacinths have become a recent rage, |
| | | | especially for the lazy among us. No soil is |
| They will definitely bite the dust at | | | | required for these beauties. Toss them in the |
| freezing temperatures, but give them | | | | water and they're "planted." A water hyacinth |
| night-time temps of at least 65F and daytime | | | | ain't just another pretty face, though; these |
| temps of 75F or warmer, and your love affair | | | | plants do their part in the war against algae |
| with tropicals will only grow that much more | | | | and blanket weeds by keeping sunlight scarce |
| torrid. | | | | on the water's surface. But one note of |
| | | | caution: This plant may take over the world |
| Hardy water lilies, while not the showboaters | | | | if allowed. It's invasive as all get out, so |
| that tropicals are, are . . . well, hardier. | | | | keep it under control or you (and your |
| Their big advantage is that they can stay in | | | | neighbors) may wish you'd never laid eyes on |
| the water year 'round unless it freezes so | | | | it. |
| deeply the rootstock is affected. And being | | | | |
| the tough guys they are, you can plant these | | | | A water garden isn't a garden without plants. |
| puppies deeper than the tropicals, some | | | | Take your time, know your climate, and choose |
| living it up in depths of 8 to 10 feet. | | | | wisely. Your rewards will be great in return. |
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