Episode: #8 21/10/2006
Presenter: Sue McDougall

A water feature in a pot is easy to create and can be made from start to finish in just a few hours. Adding a water feature adds another dimension to the garden and a portable one in a pot is a fantastic solution for the person who is renting or is short of space, but loves the idea of a water feature.

Virtually anything that holds water can be used for a potted water garden. All you need to use is some silicon to block off the holes and paint the inside of the pot with a sealer.

Next, place the bowl in its position when empty and fill to at least a third with washed sand. This is going to absorb any impurities and have something for the plants to anchor their roots into. Place a thin layer of gravel over the top to prevent fish moving the sand around.

There are many different water plants and the choice is endless. If you happen to get hold of some plants that are overgrown, you can split them and re-pot before they go into the water. Get brutal with them, they are impossible to kill. Re-pot into sand and add a couple of aquatic fertiliser pills around the roots. Place a light layer of gravel over the top, so it weighs the mix down. Bury a little of the pot into the sand at the bottom so it stays upright. Tall plants tend to fall over easily.

Once you have placed the plants start filling up with water. Then you can plant some small pieces of Vallisneria in the bottom gravel. The plant is an oxygenator and adds oxygen to the water for the fish. It is also a great habitat for frog?s eggs as they stay on it when it is floating in the water. Just a tip when you buy it and take it home it needs to stay in water all the time before it is planted or it will dry out very quickly.

At this stage add zeolite to the water. This amazing natural mineral has the extraordinary ability to absorb, hold, release, and exchange different chemicals, nutrients and toxins, because of its structure. It is perfect for contained water features where there can be a build up of nutrients over a period of time and it will keep the water clear.

If having a water feature is a concern because you have small children around. Add a piece of mesh just under the water surface. This will give you piece of mind, and very soon the plants will get bushier and you wont even know its there.

Mosquito larvae can become a problem in water features, you can put gold fish in, but if you want your water feature to attract frogs and for them to breed you will have to substitute the goldfish for Pygmy Perch. These small native fish will live happily in a contained pond or pot and will not eat the frog eggs, but a mosquito larvae happens to be their favourite food.