- Bring the tranquility of a water garden to any space, no matter how small.
- Container water gardens are surprisingly easy to set up and maintain.
- Create dramatic and vibrant displays using aquatic plants with contrasting shapes and colors.
- Enjoy the dynamic beauty and unique foliage of water plants up close.
- Perfect for sunny spots, requiring minimal ongoing care once established.
Imagine a miniature oasis right on your patio, balcony, or even a small garden corner. That’s the magic of container water gardens! As someone deeply immersed in the world of aquatic plants and large-scale water features, I’ve discovered that the greatest joy and creative freedom often come from designing these stunning displays in small containers. Forget needing acres for a sprawling pond; a simple pot or barrel can hold a vibrant, living water world. Not only are they beautiful, adding flickering reflections and unique textures to your summer space, but they are also incredibly forgiving. If a design doesn’t quite work, rearranging is as simple as moving a few pots submerged in water. With minimal maintenance and a requirement for just sunlight and something that holds water, container water gardens offer endless inspiration for bringing unique beauty to your outdoor areas this summer.
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Choosing the Perfect Container for Your Water Oasis
The first step in bringing your miniature water garden to life is selecting the right container. The good news? Almost anything that holds water can be transformed into a charming aquatic display. Even if a container has drainage holes, a little creativity with inexpensive corks or sealants can often make it watertight.
While many options exist, the widely available half whiskey barrels are a popular choice. Their size, typically around 24 inches wide by 16 inches deep, provides ample space for a dramatic planting. However, the wood can sometimes leach toxins into the water, which isn’t ideal for plants. A simple solution is to use a durable plastic liner specifically designed for half barrels, readily available at many garden centers. Alternatively, you can line the barrel with flexible PVC, layering it at least twice if it’s on the thinner side (10mm or less) to ensure longevity.
Clay and plastic pots also make excellent container water gardens. For porous ceramic containers, applying two coats of a suitable sealer will prevent water from seeping out. I’ve also found stylish black plastic containers, often designed to mimic cast iron, in various sizes (like 15, 12, and 9 inches across). Grouping these together can create a cohesive and eye-catching display.
Selecting Aquatic Plants for Compelling Summer Displays
Water itself in a container adds beauty, with its shifting surface and reflections. But introducing aquatic plants elevates the display to a truly dynamic art form. To create vibrant compositions, I love using plants that offer strong contrasts in shape, color, and size. The more contrast, the better!
Try pairing tall, upright, spiky plants like the slender Yellow Flag Iris (Iris pseudacorus) or Sweet Flag (Acorus calamus) with the broad, generous foliage of easy-to-grow tropical marginals such as Taro (Alocasia or Colocasia spp.). Varieties with variegated or deep purple leaves add an extra layer of visual interest. Marginal plants are those that naturally grow in shallow water along the edges of ponds and lakes, making them perfect for the varying depths within a container.
water garden in a half whiskey barrel container
For a special touch, I might add a bright splash of color with a cut water lily flower. Freshly cut in the morning, these can last for about three days in the container. While stunning, I typically don’t grow full water lilies or lotus in my container compositions as they require too much space. Instead, I might incorporate a truly unique aquatic specimen like the variegated Spider Lily (Hymenocallis caribaea ‘Variegata’) or the brightly colored Chameleon Plant (Houttuynia cordata ‘Chameleon’). Plants with a unique story, like insect-eating Pitcher Plants (Sarracenia spp.), can also serve as dramatic accents, captivating viewers with their trumpet-shaped leaves.
To complete the look, a few small floating plants, such as Water Lettuce (Pistia stratiotes) or Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes), scattered across the surface add texture and cover. Allowing a cascading plant like Water Mint (Mentha aquatica), known for its fragrant foliage and lovely powder-blue flowers, to spill over the edge can soften the container’s lines and add a graceful touch.
floating aquatic plants in a container
Crucially, always keep the plants in scale with your chosen container. An oversized plant overwhelming a small pot won’t create a harmonious look. There are no strict rules, but aim for a combination that feels balanced and proportionate, allowing each plant to contribute to the overall picture without appearing cramped.
Designing Your Summer Water Garden Composition
One common mistake beginners make is overcrowding their container water garden. While a larger container like a half barrel can technically hold several plants in 2-gallon pots plus floaters, jamming too many in can result in a chaotic, rather than captivating, display. Simplicity is key, especially when you’re starting out. You can create stunning designs with just two or three carefully chosen plants. As you gain confidence, you can explore more complex arrangements with a wider variety of species.
variegated sweet flag and other aquatic plants in a water garden container
How you place your plants is just as important as which ones you choose. The goal is to arrange them as a cohesive unit that creates the visual effect you desire. Consider how the container will be viewed. Designing for a container seen from only one or two sides is generally easier than creating a display meant to be appreciated in the round.
For containers viewed primarily from the front, place a tall, spiky plant at the back and center. This creates a strong vertical element and a dramatic backdrop. Then, arrange one or two broad-leaved marginals in front or to the side. Their large leaves will provide a striking contrast to the slender forms of the taller plants. Remember to keep it simple to maximize the impact of these contrasting shapes. If your container will be seen from all sides, position the tall, vertical plant in the center and arrange the broadleaf plants around it.
adding bricks to water container to create height differences
Don’t be afraid to experiment with placement and height. Arranging and rearranging plants is part of the fun! You can easily adjust the height of submerged potted plants by placing them on bricks or inverted empty pots. Most marginal plants thrive with their crowns submerged 6 inches or less below the water’s surface, regardless of whether their leaves are thin and vertical or broad and horizontal. Only after positioning the main plants should you add accent elements like floating plants, cascading plants, or a special specimen.
Simple Care for Your Summer Water Garden
Once your container water garden is planted, caring for it is surprisingly straightforward, allowing you more time to simply enjoy its beauty. The most common issue is insufficient light; if your plants aren’t thriving, try moving the container to a spot that receives at least six hours of direct sun daily. If the container is too heavy to move full, simply remove the plants temporarily, empty some water, relocate it, and then replant.
While water plants grow quickly, you can encourage robust growth with fertilizing tablets specifically designed for aquatic plants. For new plantings, wait until you see signs of new growth before adding fertilizer. When a plant becomes too large, it’s time to divide and repot it. Use heavy clay soil for repotting; its density prevents the water from becoming cloudy when you place the pot back in the container. Always firm the soil tightly before submerging the pot. If plants seem to be growing too vigorously, you can manage their size by keeping them in smaller pots and trimming back the oldest or tallest leaves.
Changing the water in a container garden is rarely necessary. Just remember to top it off every few days, especially during warm summer weather, to replace water lost to evaporation. Mosquitoes are seldom a problem in well-maintained container water gardens, but if you want absolute peace of mind, you can wash away any potential larvae by overfilling the container with water periodically, or introduce a few mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis), which are voracious eaters of mosquito larvae. Aquatic nurseries also offer safe, specially formulated products for mosquito control.
Summer may fade, but the joy of your container water garden doesn’t have to end with the season. Many tropical water plants can be brought indoors for the winter, thriving as houseplants, in an aquarium, or even in a tub of water in a cool basement. Hardy plants can often remain in the container outdoors but may require protection in severe climates to prevent the water from freezing solid. A birdbath-type heater can be a simple solution in colder regions.
When spring arrives, your plants will likely be ready for dividing. The extra divisions are perfect for starting new container water gardens, inviting you to become even more immersed in the fascinating world of aquatic plants.
