Gardening


 I love water gardens.  I think the sound of moving water is very relaxing.  This project was a product of sheer inspiration.  I wanted something Grand to be at the front door, and I wanted it to be something unusual and unexpected.  I have even Grander plans for the pond in the backyard someday, but this Summer our little container pond brought us all hours of enjoyment.  I don't think anyone could walk in our out of the house without looking for tadpoles or minnows, to see what they were up to!!




 This was a project I started in the spring. The container was purchased from Walmart.  It was plastic and water tight.  In the bottom I put large cinder blocks to lift the plants to the right height.  I filled the top with Smooth River Rocks.  I bought a small pond pump/filter to keep the water circulating.  Very Important if you don't want  a mosquito hatchery.  The plants were bought from a local nursery.  They are all Marginal plants, meaning the tops of the plant's containers should not be any deeper than a foot below the water surface.  Most prefer much shallower water, more like 1-6" below the water surface.  The kids went to the local pond and brought home tadpoles. A friend of mine after a fishing trip still had some minnows left over from the bait shop, they also made a lovely addition to our pond.  We had so much  fun atching them grow into frogs, and hoppingaway!



This is how much my plants grew by the end of the season.

The water actually stayed this clear without any chemicals all summer.  The plants, rocks, tadpoles, and water circulating, kept it very clear.

I mostly container garden.  The yard is small and we have a "few" dogs.  Not to mention kids too!   Excuse the poor quality photos they are from my phone.  But this is from my Garden the other year.

Wave Petunias are one of my favorites.  They last from Spring until late fall around here. 








I love the little solar powered lights for planters.  I found them at Menard's.


If you ever wondered if the Topsy Turvy really works??  Take a look at how well my tomato plants did in them.

Tomato and Hot peppers

Mint and Chives