Jumping in

Joined
Jul 26, 2014
Messages
56
Reaction score
54
Location
IA
Hardiness Zone
5b
I'm tired of looking on in jealousy of my son's water garden.

So I got my own half barrel pot. :)

We rearranged the front porch a bit since we couldn't sit and look at his at all the way things were, and I was tired of sitting in the slll I also wanted to be able to sit next to mine.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_20140901_155959.jpg
    IMG_20140901_155959.jpg
    242.3 KB · Views: 365
  • IMG_20140902_121011.jpg
    IMG_20140902_121011.jpg
    257.2 KB · Views: 352
Joined
Jul 26, 2014
Messages
56
Reaction score
54
Location
IA
Hardiness Zone
5b
Those pics where from yesterday. Today I visited a local pond and got a few plants. One large and two smaller arrow arums, and a handful of this other unknown plant.

Now I'm wondering if I should fill that barrel half full of dirt and leave about 4 inches of water so that its a bog container. I'm not sure if I want to deal with multiple pots in the barrel. I think it would be too distracting. Plus I think it'd be cool to lay a layer of gravel over the dirt, toss in a couple rosy red minnows...

What do you all think?
 

JBtheExplorer

Native Gardener
Joined
Apr 2, 2013
Messages
5,186
Reaction score
9,912
Location
Wisconsin
Showcase(s):
1
Hardiness Zone
5b
Country
United States
I wouldn't fill it with dirt. Pea gravel would be the way to go, but I don't know how container bogs work in comparison, so maybe others can chime in.
 
Joined
Jul 26, 2014
Messages
56
Reaction score
54
Location
IA
Hardiness Zone
5b
Good morning JB!

My thinking was that the plants were pulled from mud and muck in about 4 inches of water. Instead of having multiple pots with individual plants, which in my opinion would be distracting in this tub, I would have one pot with multiple plants.

I was recently at a pond store, and they had 2 gallon pots with bog and marginal plants in them and the pots had standing water in them. This wouldn't be too different, just bigger pot..

Or am I being silly? Pea gravel is used in in-ground ponds for drainage, and it assists in the way they are used as a biological filtration right? Am I understanding this correctly?
 

addy1

water gardener / gold fish and shubunkins
Moderator
Joined
Jun 23, 2010
Messages
44,337
Reaction score
29,089
Location
Frederick, Maryland
Showcase(s):
1
Hardiness Zone
6b
Country
United States
Since it is a bog pot garden, dirt, kitty litter, pea gravel anything will work. The dirt might be better since you don't have a bunch of fish doing their business to give the plants food.

Nice arrangement. I have had pot gardens used kitty litter to plant the plants. Mainly because I had a bunch of it and our dirt is yuck.
 
Joined
Apr 30, 2011
Messages
807
Reaction score
423
Location
Nebraska
Showcase(s):
1
Hardiness Zone
5b
Country
United States
This is one of my water gardens I just threw together. I have pea gravel on the bottom and everything seems to grow fine in it. I do have a small pump to keep the water circulating (and the mosquitoes from having any fun in there).
 

Attachments

  • ag25^053.jpg
    ag25^053.jpg
    232.8 KB · Views: 318

sissy

sissy
Joined
Jan 17, 2011
Messages
33,086
Reaction score
15,702
Location
Axton virginia
Showcase(s):
1
Hardiness Zone
7A
Country
United States
everything works what ever the space you just have to find what works for you
 
Joined
Jul 26, 2014
Messages
56
Reaction score
54
Location
IA
Hardiness Zone
5b
so far my pond had only cost me $15 and the 20 gallons or so of water to fill it. :)

I'm going to try the dirt. looking at the arums, it looks like they were sitting in about 8 inches of water, not 4. even better, less dirt. :)
 

j.w

I Love my Goldies
Joined
Feb 1, 2010
Messages
32,946
Reaction score
20,252
Location
Arlington, Washington
Showcase(s):
1
Hardiness Zone
USDA 8a
Country
United States
I have a tub pond that I put some liner in out in the back and I threw in some old leftover mucked up compost mixed w/ sphagnum moss and dirt I had from growing Taro in it. It was like compost and I put it in the bottom of that tub so I could grow some Azolla and a reed plant. Boy that really worked well for those plants. They are growing like crazy! I had to take out the first reed plant and replace it w/ a smaller one in this photo cuz the other one grew so big.

IMG_5963.JPG
 
Joined
Sep 14, 2013
Messages
6,208
Reaction score
4,963
Location
Cincinnati, Ohio
Hardiness Zone
6 A
Country
United States
I planted a resin barrel earlier this summer and filled it with pea gravel and bog plants from Addy:) It's done beautifully this summer. I keep the water level, just below the gravel so I don't have mosquitoes.

I'm not sure what will happen to it this winter though.
 

addy1

water gardener / gold fish and shubunkins
Moderator
Joined
Jun 23, 2010
Messages
44,337
Reaction score
29,089
Location
Frederick, Maryland
Showcase(s):
1
Hardiness Zone
6b
Country
United States
I have some container type planters, they stay full of water, I just let them freeze over winter, they seem to survive and the plants always come back.
 
Joined
Jul 26, 2014
Messages
56
Reaction score
54
Location
IA
Hardiness Zone
5b
I was considering letting mine just freeze too. I know for certain the ground I pulled these plants from was frozen a good three feet down this past winter. at least let it freeze so that the water doesn't slosh me when I move it. might take it to the basement ...

calling Colleen, line 1, my son and I have ambitions for a pond, but aren't looking to rouse the boss. :) Were thinking a preform liner pond in the 200-300 gallon range would do.

Im already hooked. I'm a gardener by nature and the plants are so enticing.

I just may end up with 20 pots around the yard all filled with water..
 

Ask a Question

Want to reply to this thread or ask your own question?

You'll need to choose a username for the site, which only take a couple of moments. After that, you can post your question and our members will help you out.

Ask a Question

Members online

No members online now.

Forum statistics

Threads
30,780
Messages
508,552
Members
13,042
Latest member
lucaryan

Latest Threads

Top