What Are Water Gardens?
So you want to be a water Gardener?  Well what the heck is a Water Garden, anyway?

You guessed it.  A water garden is a garden area that uses water as part of its landscape design.  Such water environments like a pond or stream. The water gardens use plants that float or stay submerged under the water or plants that grow along the edges of the water boundary (mosses or some lilies).

The nice thing about establishing a water garden in your yard is that soon you will be able to grow a potential wide variety of elegant water (aquatic) plants.

Water Gardening Is Popular

If you take the time to walk around your neighborhood you will probably see that your neighbors are water gardeners and don’t even realize it. 

If you see small ponds with waterfalls, koi ponds, etc. then there are water gardens in them thar houses.

Many cultures embrace water as a necessary ingredient in their environment like the many Asian cultures such as Japanese, Chinese, Philippine and Southeast Asian peoples.Water, whether standing in a pond or moving as in a waterfall or stream, has a peaceful and serene effect on most people.  It is relaxing to sit and watch and hear water in motion.

Water Gardens Are Easy to Install
The nice thing about a water garden is that it can be built in 2-3 days and if you do it correctly they will give you many years of joy and pleasure.  You can spend very little money or you can go crazy and spent a fortune.  The choice is up to you.Most people when they establish their first water garden start small.  Remember you can install a shallow water garden for small birds and salamanders and frogs or you can create a large and deep water garden for a more varied selection of plants, fish and other wildlife.

Location, Location, Location
Remember that your water garden requires a minimum of three to six hours of sun a day for best results. Be sure to locate your water garden away from trees and shrubs.

Basic Ingredients For Your Water Garden
Be sure your water garden is accessible to an electrical outlet for any pumps, filters and lights that you want to install in and around the garden itself. Your water garden foundation is critical. The preformed, plastic liner design is the easiest for first time water gardeners.  The plastic liners allow you to shape the size of your water garden so you can get a more natural look.

If you are going to have a professional landscaper to do the work for you, it will be expensive and you will probably wind up with a concrete basin water garden.

Another ingredient you will need will be a pump and filter to re-circulate the water and keep it clear.

Once you set the theme of your water garden you may wind up adding some patio furniture, bird feeds, statutes, lights, colorful and unusual rocks, fish, and speakers for your piped in music and other features to enhance the beauty and design you have created.

Be sure to ask for help from your local nursery or garden supply salesperson.  They are very helpful in advising you on your garden design and may even recommend other stores you can visit to acquire supplies that they don’t carry.  You can also use the internet for some more basic research and help.

Be sure to draw out your garden design on paper.  Some people use a water hose or rope to lay down a rough outline of the garden.  This is helpful to give you the physical dimensional look of the garden.

Enlist Your Family’s Help
It’s always fun to have your small children 6-10 year old to help you in the water gardening weekend.  They will get great joy in seeing an interesting project take shape right in front of their eyes.

Be sure to explain to them before hand what you are doing and why.  You don’t want to come home one day and find your kids made their own water garden mud hole in your favorite vegetable garden or petunia patch!  Enjoy the project and enjoy your water garden for years to come.  Good Gardening to you all.