Please help.

Hi every one.
A water garden forum? Did not know that there was one in DG!
I found this zink container a few days ago, and plan to make a water theme with it.
It is 32cm/12,5 inch high and 62cm/24,5 inch in deameter.
I have also posted this in container gardenin (did not know this forum exsistet)
Got some ideas there, but I am wondering if it is posible to ad a calla.
How should I do this and how deep should it be placed.

I am also having difficulty understanding what sort of soil is best to use.
Really think I am making it more complicated that it is LOL.
But please do make it easy to understand :o))

Zest,

When I recently moved from zone 10b to 8b, I brought my bulbs and planted them in the ground. When they started coming up this spring, I found 3-4 callas. So I dug them up, put them in a pot with part potting soil, and mostly the sand I have for yard soil. It needed to stay heavy enough for the planting medium not to float away.

Since I have no shelf in my pond I had to make a float out of styrofoam, with a hole in the middle of it to float the calla pot. For some reason, I think the callas act better as marginals, not fully submerged.

Sunday we went on a canoe trip down the Santa Fe River and collected more pond plands, so my pond is a bit full now. Hopefully I can drap more water vines over the styrofoam to camouflage it better.
Molly
:^)))
P.S. By the way, you can buy foam pot floaters at most water garden supply centers too.

Hi Molly.
It is so pretty, like the iguana statue, will have to copycat that :o)
Surprising that you calla made it trough the winter, thought they needed at least zone 9 to survive.
The floater seems like a good idea, but the container is to small.
Maybe if I ad some stone/bricks at the bottom?
I am more concerned how much water the calla can manage.
It looks as yours is half way down, so I am guessing that the calla can handle to have its roots wet for a long time. Did I get this right :o)

Zest,

You may copy anything you like. I am honored and very pleased.

The calla bulbs didn't start popping up til after last freeze, that was mid March.

It's probably just me, but I can't grow a calla in the ground in Fla. I blame it on the heat, so yes, you are right, with the pot only half submerged, the callas do fine, just wet feet.

At the end of your season, when the calla's start to die back, pull them out of the pond, let them dry out, dig the bulbs and do whatever people do with bulbs in colder climates. I'm an idiot for that info since our ground doesn't freeze. But I will have to figure out what to do about the calla bulbs when they die back. They cannot stand in the pond over winter. I'll probably plant them back in the ground until spring, then put them back in the pond.

Zest, you see that stuff the statue is laying on? That is river moss I took from dead wood in the river this weekend. I am floating that on another piece of styrofoam. We also got some pollywogs and minnows on our river trip. I was so excited about all these wonderful treasures we brought home.

Molly
:^)))

I usually bring in the calla when it gets colder, and grow it as an annual.
But probably will not do that this time, as it gets terrebly elongated,
even if it is right by the window.
Oh that was a good trip, and great souvenirs for you pond.
Love canaoing

Well the plan at the monent is, to ad the calla, gets one floating plant and maybe a grass looking plant.
Would like some small fish, but would not know what to do with them in the winter. So that is out of the question.

Look what I bought today!!
I am all pleased with this kit.
Besides the bulbs there is pebbles, clay, fertilizer tablets and pot.
It costed around 12$ dollars for each, do not it expensive, as all is here, just have to ad a bit of earth.
Decided not to use the calla after all, it is to big and also because I fell in love with the sagittaria.

The last thing missing is a oxygen plant, looking for one that is totally or almost totally under water. Will like to keep it a bit simpel and that you are able to se the most of the water.
There is a jungle out there, and can not find what I am looking for.
What size plant would be the best.
Monica

Monica,

I used to have a sagitarria. I loved it, in another lifetime in another pond. I think the underwater oxygen plant you really should get is the anachris. It is the best for oxygen and for filtration of pond goo/poo.

Good deal for you.

Molly

Monica
You got beaiutiful plants and these are Ideal for your tub. I also have water Iris and water bird of paradise in a Basket. Also have water hycinth in a basket. I will send you photos tomorrow.
Kaleem

Hi Molly, thanks you are just the best!
Ordered some anachris, if everything goes well it should get
her with in two weeks.

Kaleem can`t wait to se it, and coming from your garden
I know it must be unique

Here are photos

Water Hycinth

And 2nd one.

They really thought that water plants neded lots of space,
but these look very fine.
Monica

Monica
See here........whats blooming in the water bucket.
Kaleem

Oh wow, the center looks like peacock tail.
Hmmm.. maybe I should get that one instead of an underwater plant.

Here is close up.
Kaleem

Beautifull, it should be named water peacock.

Kaleem, what is that plant? The bloom is gorgeous. All your plants look really good. Mine will look better in a month or so. Cannot have really fancy ones because I cannot winter them over. Too cold and pond not large enough. That will teach me to move to the "Great White North!" LOL! BAM

This is water hycinth and Monica is right this is looking like peacock. I love this plant and this is very very common in Pakistan , you can see in every pond and every where in countryside.
As weather is warm and you know water plants love warm weather.
Kaleem

Thank you, Kaleem. The local nursery has some water hyacinth, but I did not get any when I bought my pond plants last week. The weather has turned very cold here again (ugh) in the 40s, so I hope the ones I have hang in there. They look okay as of this morning. I bought miniature cattail, horsetail rush, arrowhead, parrot feather, and umbrella palm. My daughter in law had already brought me a white water lily, since I lost the two lovely Perry's Pink Opal in the winter. Thank you again, BAM

Hi again :o))
Well here is my pond project.
The nymphea is growing very well, love it.
But the sagittaria has not grown a bit, took the corn up to se if it was dead, but it looks fine. Any ideas why? It has been very hot this summer, so it should have grown a bit?
Monica

Hi Monica. I made another trip for more plants and did buy a Sagittaria, and it has not seemed to grow a bit either. I have no idea, since all the other plants have grown very well. The water lily has bloomed five times this summer, and been very lovely. The cattails are about two feet tall, pots are full, and they are making little catkins. The Parrots Feather is everywhere, and the Arrowhead is bigger. The Horsetail Rushes have not made too much progress, because a Towhee insists on sitting on them to take a daily bath. What a sight to see. He will not use the birdbath, prefers the edge of the pond. One morning I saw a Robin bathing on the other side.
They may not do that anymore now, since a young bullfrog has taken up residence in the pond. This is a first for me. I usually attract a few young green frogs, and an occasional Pickerel Frog, but never had a Bullfrog before. I love to hear him croak. Of course, he will eat the smaller frogs if he gets a chance. I guess they will have to take their chances. I do not want to remove him. I do enjoy my little pond very much every year.
bambam

Hello, all!

I'm new to the water garden forums, but have been a member with Dave's for about a year now. Usually I'm in the daylilies forums, as I'm addicted to daylilies in particular, but really, you could just call me an all around gardening addict. If it grows, I'm trying to grow it.

Anyhow, I'm enjoying reading about your water container gardens. I have just finished putting in my first water garden that I made from a kit from Walmart. It is 3'x6' and about 15" deep. I have put in 3 calico fantail goldfish, which I will probably have to bring in for the winter. I have also put in a yellow water lily, water hyacinth, water lettuce and pickerel weed. I put in a lot of river rocks to hide the liner, but need to put in a few more. I'm working on a waterfall and I have a fountain with filter. I'm so excited about it! I plan on getting a few more plants and some fish that will overwinter with a pond heater (like comets and shubunkins). Would like some snails as well.

Monica, your garden is looking great. Kaleem, I loved the pics of your plants. I have been to Pakistan in the 80's, to Karachi, and I really liked it. Would love to go again someday. Molly, I like your garden too. Really wonderful!

Water hyacinth I know is invasive, but you can always take out the excess and compost it. I get a lot of nice "black gold" compost here with all the weeds, grass clippings and leaves in the fall. I try and chop everything up with the lawn mower to make it break down quicker. Water hyacinth will also not overwinter in cold climates, either, but it can be grown as an annual. It's cheap and multiplies quickly, so you only need to get a little piece.

Here are some pics of my water garden and plants.

Karen

Another view.

Waterlily.

water hyachinth and pickerel weed

water lettuce

my fountain

Hi Bambam.
Strange isn´t? I wondeer why they don`t grow!
Is your bulb looking healthy as well?
Would love some frogs in my little pond, but they are an endangered species in most of the contry.

Hi Karen.
Love your pond! It is really looking great, and when the plants around it get growing it will look wvwn more pretty :o))
Had plan to put some fish in my, but would have to come inside for the winter, and I am not interested in that.
Love the last phot, so dynamic you can almost hear the water
Monica

Thanks for the compliments on my water garden, Monica. I just added 3 more fish, this time comets. I want a couple of shubunkins and some snails, and that will be it for the animals. I'd like a few more plants now.

I guess frogs aren't endangered here, as I had one move into my pond just a day after I was finished with it. There is also a large bullfrog in a basin pond my sister has, which she just added water lettuce to it. There had been 3 frogs in there, then 2, now just one. 2 were quite large, including the one that is still there. I wonder if the smaller one got eaten by one of the larger ones, and maybe a snake got one of the big ones. The one in my new pond is just a little guy.

Karen

uhh.... snakes don`t like them

Actually, I have seen a snake eating a frog before.

Karen

Ohh... scary, glad I wasn`t there LOL