Episode: #8 21/10/2006
Presenter: Phil Dudman

Water features can be very transforming to a garden. They have peaceful sounds and reflections and are a place to grow new and interesting plants. They don?t have to be grand either; even in a small garden you can easily create something that will enhance your space.

Water gardens come in all shapes and sizes from the specially designed to the do it yourself. The first thing is to choose your container. Big pots give you more planting options but it doesn?t have to be expensive, a plastic pot can look just as effective.

If you would like something more exotic then the sky is the limit. Glazed pots comes in all shapes, size and colours and are ready sealed. Terracotta is great too, but if they have a draining hole you are best to plug it up with an apoxy resin as well as seal the inside with something like Yates Pot a Seal.

Once that is sorted, place your container where you would like your potted water garden and use a spirit level to get it sitting just right.

Phil chose a variety of water plants from Suncoast Water Gardens, one of Queensland?s leading suppliers. Water lilies are easy to grow in a sunny spot and their flowers are magical. If you are looking for something really special then you should try the amazing lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) with its gorgeous fragrant summer blooms. Phil loves the dark Green Taro (Alocasia macrorrhizos cv.) as they will add a lovely bit of height and colour to any arrangement.

A few old bricks and plastic pots come in handy for arranging the plants at different levels. Try to mix things up a bit with a variety of shapes, sizes and colours. It is also a really good idea to put a cover of gravel on top of the pots to stop the soil mix from making the water cloudy.

After that it is just a matter of filling the container gently with tap water until the plants are fully submerged. Fish are a welcome addition in any water feature but most of all they do a great job of killing mosquito larvae. If you are keeping fish then make sure you use a chlorine neutralizer, which you can pick up from any aquarium supplier. You can add a few oxygenating plants as well.

A potted water garden can look great in any sized garden and are so easy and fun to create.

SUNCOAST WATER GARDENS & WHOLESALE NURSERY
Margaret Vita & Paul Lancaster
283 Fraser Road Beerwah 4519.
Ph: (07) 5494 8234
Fax: (07) 5494 1495
Mob: 0418 948 233/0437 856 287
Email: sales@suncoastaustralia.com
Website: www.suncoastaustralia.com

Wellington point Nursery - Brisbane
Redcliffe Garden Centre - Redcliffe
Manawee Garden Centre - Buderim
Limberlost - Cairns
Eden at Byron - Byron Bay
Betascapes - Rockhampton
Bucasia Gardens And Gifts - Mackay
Garden R Us - Sydney
Boyds Bay Garden World - Tweed Heads

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