Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
the danger is that you will be led to combine edible with ever more inedible but irresist-
ibly beautiful water plants.
No matter whether you choose a container or an in-the-ground pond, you should
consult water-garden suppliers. They can provide advice as to what will work best for
your climate and conditions, what kind of containers are available, how much they cost,
and what you'll need for the garden you have in mind. If you're completely at sea,
they'll even plan a complete container or pond garden for you. If you prefer to do it all
yourself, you'll find it easier than planning the usual vegetable garden.
IN-GROUND WATER GARDENS
If you have the room and the site, you may prefer a permanent pool for your Chinese water garden. An
in-ground water garden can be a charming, small woodland pool in very little space. Water gardening is
what you make it; whatever suits your lifestyle can be created with very little fuss. Although there are
winter-hardy water plants, these vegetables are not among them. If you live in an area where the temper-
atures go below freezing, an in-the-ground water garden of edible plants is more work than a tub garden.
You need to lift and store the plants over the winter, unless you can winterize the pond with a cover plus
deep mulch to keep it from freezing.
SITING . Siting a permanent pond must be done more carefully than placing a container that can be moved
if you should change your mind. If unsure of your own ability to integrate this feature into your present
setting, consult with a landscape architect. If you feel you can do it yourself, make rough sketches of dif-
ferent sites to help you get the feel of them. (You don't have to be an artist for these.) Check your local
building codes as well.
It's important to take into account how your present plantings will look when they mature several
years from now. A small tree that grows into a large one can turn a sunny site into a shady dell — a poor
site for a water garden. Think also of the uses of the area around the pond. A pond is a pleasant place for
contemplation; it may not be at its best next to the kids' play area.
WINTERIZING . Winterizing is greatly simplified by planting all plants in individual containers. If your
pond includes hardy ornamentals, those containers stay; the tender ones lift right out without arduous dig-
ging. Your pond will appear undisturbed, and in the spring the edible plants can be put back in place with
comparatively little bother.
What You Need to Get Started
Anything that holds water and is big enough for what you want to grow can be used
for a water garden. Plastic or galvanized-iron containers are usually recommended (al-
though an occasional water-garden expert frowns on metal containers). These can be
set inside something more decorative, such as a half-barrel, if you feel they're not suf-
ficiently attractive. Something as simple as a washtub or a child's wading pool works
surprisingly well. Water-garden suppliers have all sizes of tubs as well as a number of
free-form pools, so you don't have to hunt around if you don't want to.
 
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