Water garden planters give gardeners the opportunity to set a water garden nearly anywhere. Container gardens can be a cosmetic addition to decks or patios, or in the event of a floating planter, they can stay in the pond, bringing together the top of container plantings and large-scale water gardening.
Commercial Planters
A typical commercial water garden container is a simple plastic watertight vessel; because the plants in water garden planters are usually included in their pots, the outer container has little function other than to carry water. The container may be modest, but the larger the container, the more readily a stable ecosystem can be established from the planter; a container with a capacity of 15 to 25 gallons strikes a compromise between size and the manageability of the container’s weight.
Improvised Planters
Just about any container that holds water may be utilized as a water garden planter. Children’s pools, watertight barrels, livestock watering troughs, old tubs, washtubs or pails all make good water garden boxes. Water is heavy, about eight pounds per gallon, so a container, as well as the structure where it rests, must be powerful enough to support the weight of this water in the planter. The best containers possess a dark interior; dark colours make the bottom of the container harder to see, increasing the apparent depth of the water. Dark colors also discourage the growth of algae in the planter.
Wooden Planters
A homemade wooden box made of cedar or other weather-resistant wood and lined with watertight material makes an appealing water garden planter. Painting the interior of the box using a rubberized sealant, being careful to effectively cover all of surfaces, seams and nail holes, will produce the box watertight. Another option is to construct the box into the dimensions of a commercial water garden container or small pond liner and place the lining or container inside the box.
Floating Planters
Owners of an present water garden or pond may look at constructing a floating planter as an addition to their pond. These floating planters are appealing, and they provide shade for fish and also help to encourage the ecosystem of the pond. Commercial floating heels are made from plastic surrounded by plastic foam, which makes the planter float at the water’s surface. Gardeners will make their floating planters from spray foam made especially for water gardens and gardens.