Water Gardens - How?

Everyone loves a water garden. Whether it is a small one in a pot or a large one in your yard, people are just fascinated by the ecosystem you can create with water and plants. Not only are they beautiful but they add a serenity to your garden that you will appreciate.

Water Gardens - How?
Making your own water garden in a pot is relatively easy and inexpensive. You have to find the proper container or pot first. It must be sturdy enough to hold a lot of water without collapsing or leaking. Glass, copper or galvanized metal are usually the best. Ceramic will work as well, but you want to stay away from terracotta. Terracotta will leak or just plain give out as it is not strong enough.
Next, you will need to choose where you want it - making sure it has plenty of sun - and buy soil and gravel for your plants . Make sure to buy a blooming plant as well, because it will make your water garden really look nice. The water in the garden needs to move to keep mosquito's from breeding as well. You can click here to see water pumps that are available for just that. 
If you are doing a large water garden, there are several things you must take into account. First, figure out where it is safe to dig in your yard.  Decide how large you want the garden to be. Some gardens can actually be built above ground with wood and flexible liners - these are relatively easy to put together.

 Photo by Martin Pettitt 

A Floating Garden?
You can also make a floatinggarden within your water garden by building floating "decks" to plant your regular garden on. Of course, you have to make sure they are wired to stay in one place so they wont damage your water plants. Floating gardens make for a two-in-one garden, are very beautiful and take up less space in your yard.
If you build a floating garden above ground, it can be drained and moved to a different location later on in life. That can be viewed as a double bonus, because after all that hard work in building and maintaining your garden, you really wouldn't want to leave it behind if you don't have to.

After Your Garden
Choosing the plants in your water garden is very important. You don't want to over crowd it and it will need "weeding" or "thinning" from time to time.  Make sure to remove any dead leaves or flowers as on a regular basis. If you don't you will get too much "compost" at the bottom of the water and it will get choked and can clog the pump.
Most of all, enjoy the work as you do it and the rewards will be well worth it. If you plan everything ahead of time and have all of your supplies handy, you will be finished in no time at all. 

Good Luck !