Water lilies are perennially attractive |
Garden Codger has had his thinking
cap on. If my garden was small, how could I introduce water into it? I can
easily imagine a situation where the owner wants to preserve a good playing
area for children and, perhaps, for safety reasons, a pond is out of the
question. What should I do?
Mind you, there is a key
assumption here: that this would be a good thing to do. Well, in my mind, that
is beyond question. Apart from any other benefits, the attraction to wildlife
is the supreme advantage. Having water increases the range of wildlife – from insects to birds,
from birds to frogs and toads – bringing a natural balance to the garden. It is
this balance that allows you to bring pests under control. If water, then, is
essential how do we handle the practicalities? A first step for a small garden might be a simple container growing a few aquatic plants
The web abounds with information
on water gardening. It can cost a lot – but it can also be done very cheaply. For
starters, it is not necessary to buy an expensive oak half-barrel – mind you, they
look nice. There is an American example here (see also photo below right)
These days every home seems to abound in plastic storage containers. Look at the assemblage in the photo – a few that I collected together in less than 10 minutes. (I was somewhat surprised we had so many - and there are more!)
Which one would you for? Well, the under-bed storage is cheap and large – but, sorry, it is the wrong choice. The water in it would heat up in the sun and cook the contents. Poached tadpoles anyone?
These days every home seems to abound in plastic storage containers. Look at the assemblage in the photo – a few that I collected together in less than 10 minutes. (I was somewhat surprised we had so many - and there are more!)
Which one would you for? Well, the under-bed storage is cheap and large – but, sorry, it is the wrong choice. The water in it would heat up in the sun and cook the contents. Poached tadpoles anyone?
The author's favoured cheap option - it offers depth |
For example, frogs spend only a very small amount of time in water – they want to get out and about to where the food is (like among your plants gobbling up the slugs). So, access for small creatures is an important consideration
The right plants
An example of a container water garden |
First, we can supply, off the shelf, Siberian Iris – I divided ours earlier in the season so we have plants readily available
Also, we would be pleased to help with a water lily. Now is exactly the time to take a root cutting - that is, after the leaves have appeared and before flowering
So, once again, if you wish to benefit just get in touch. But you need to do this soon. I will need to get your root cutting done and potted up before more growth takes place. Unless you say otherwise, I shall supply a miniature variety suitable for container growing
Readers can find many suggestions
for creating a small water garden on the web – plenty of videos available. But,
at least we can get you started. Just one piece of advice. The biggest danger
is that you may, inadvertently, end up with pea soup – or what very much looks
like it. This is caused by algal growth. One reason for offering readers a water lily
is that they help counteract this problem. As the lily pads grow and expand across the surface they cut down the amount of
sunlight entering the water. While the lily gets established you may find it necessary
to use a tile, or something similar, to partially shade the water. The iris will also
help by taking up minerals from the water. Once again, it is all about balance –
surplus sunlight plus surplus minerals = algae. Finally, a little more on wildlife …
Encouraging
wildlife
Have you been viewing Springwatch on BBC?
Codger likes the lockdown version very much more than the usual rendition which
he thinks gets a bit silly at times. (The grumpy old thing gets fed up when the
presenters flirt with each other on air - they call in 'chemistry' - seems more like biology to him). Friday’s programme included an a truly excellent section on
wasps. Amazing creatures. We were told by Meg McCubbin that in the UK there are 9,000 species of wasp – yes, 9000! You can check this out here (incidentally, Codger predicts that we will be seeing more of our Meghan in future productions)
I learnt that only 250 of these are the bigger sort that we usually think about. The overwhelming majority are tiny things, some almost microscopic. Despite the sting, wasps are the gardener’s friend dealing very neatly with all sorts of pests that, when they multiply, are a problem. We get quite a few wasps in our garden. Probably more bees, it is often difficult to tell. The point is this: both bees and wasps are not only attracted by the flowers but by the presence of water. When you add in birds, frogs and toads it is a win-win-win situation!
I learnt that only 250 of these are the bigger sort that we usually think about. The overwhelming majority are tiny things, some almost microscopic. Despite the sting, wasps are the gardener’s friend dealing very neatly with all sorts of pests that, when they multiply, are a problem. We get quite a few wasps in our garden. Probably more bees, it is often difficult to tell. The point is this: both bees and wasps are not only attracted by the flowers but by the presence of water. When you add in birds, frogs and toads it is a win-win-win situation!
Siberian iris on left - miniature water lily on right |
Winding up
So, today, we have given a bit of advice –
particularly on water garden containers. Not exhaustive advice, by any means – but there is plenty of that available elsewhere. And we have offered a couple of
plants: Siberian iris or water lily – you are welcome to both if it will help you get started with water in your garden.
Get in touch the usual way (remember, it's essential I know this week if you choose water lily)
I hope to be with you again on Wednesday when I will tell you about a plant that chewed up concrete in our garden
I hope to be with you again on Wednesday when I will tell you about a plant that chewed up concrete in our garden
Best wishes
from the old Garden Codger
At a pinch you could find you some Mimulus as well - an easy plant near water |
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