Patio Water Garden Containers
Since you won’t be digging a pond, the size of your garden is going to be determined by the size of your container. Patio water garden containers can be just about anything that holds water. Plastic kiddie pools and old bathtubs are made for the job, but less watertight things like barrels and planters can be lined with plastic sheeting or molded plastic. Drainage holes in planters can also be plugged with corks or sealant. Bear in mind that water is heavy! One gallon weighs a little over 8 pounds (4 kg.), and that can add up fast. If you’re putting patio water garden containers on a raised porch or balcony, keep it small or you may risk collapse.
Patio Water Garden Ideas for Plants
Patio water garden plants can be split into three main categories: underwater, floating, and shoreline.
Underwater
Underwater plants live their lives completely submerged. Some popular varieties are:
Parrot feather Wild celery Fanwort Arrowhead Eelgrass
Floating
Floating plants live in the water, but float on the surface. Some popular ones here include:
Water lettuce Water hyacinth Water lilies
Lotuses produce their foliage on the surface like floating plants, but they bury their roots in underwater soil. Plant them in containers on the floor of your patio water garden.
Shoreline
Shoreline plants, also known as emergents, like to have their crowns submerged, but produce most of their growth up out of the water. Plant these in containers of soil and place them on raised shelves or cinder blocks in the water garden so the containers and the first few inches (8 cm.) of the plants are underwater. Some popular shoreline plants are:
Cattail Taro Dwarf papyrus Water plantain Sweet flag grass Flag iris
