Nature's Beauty WaterGarden News: June 2013

Summer

Plants in the Water Garden

No water garden is complete without plants. Plants play an important role in creating a healthy ecosystem. Submerged plants live completely under water. They pull excess nutrients from the water, add oxygen, and provide habitat for baby fish. Submerged plants include hornwort and anacharis.

Floaters pull all their nutrients from the water. They float at the surface with roots dangling freely in the water--no planting necessary. Floaters include water hyacinths and water lettuce.

Marginals grow in soil or gravel along the edge of the water gardens. They too pull nutrients from the water but they also naturalize the feature. They do this by softening the edge between rock and water and blending them into our lawns and landscaping.

Perhaps the hallmark for water gardens are the water lilies and lotus. They root near the bottom of ponds and produce their signature round leaves on the surface. Lilies come in many colors and sizes and can be hardy or tropical. Hardy water lilies bloom during the day while tropical lilies bloom day or night depending on the variety.

Each type of water plant plays an important role in the garden. Together they help create a naturally balanced water feature that is both healthier and more beautiful. Nature's Beauty Watergarden's has a nice selection of all the types of water plants. Our tropical water lilies include 'Director T Moore' an intense violet blue with a yellow center; 'Evelyn Randig' leaves are splashed with purple and has hot pink blooms; 'Green Smoke' chartreuse blooms with smoky blue tips and speckled leaves; 'Red Cup' a night bloomer with a red rose flower; 'Alice Tricker' white blooms with green leaves with red flecks; 'King of Siam' a double dark purple bloom.

Watch this short video to see what water plants can do for your water garden!

Water Garden Myth No.1

None of us want to invite mosquitos into our yard and with 150 species in the United States there are plenty to go around. We know we don't want any containers left out that accumulate rain water, but what about water gardens? A properly built water garden, with or without a pond, should have plenty of water movement as the water falls and is recirculated. Ponds should have a turn over rate of 100% water volume going through your filter system per hour. Mosquitos are attracted to stagnant, still water to lay their eggs. If a mosquito forgets her place, your fish view mosquito larvae as a delicacy. If you have areas in your water feature that concern you Mosquito Dunks or Bits are safe and effective.

Go to nbwatergardens.com to learn how Nature's Beauty Watergardens build water features that have constant current and skimming action that do not attract mosquitos.