BY RACHEL FOSTER
Untroubled Waters
Commune with plants and fish with container ponds.
T
he closest thing to a water feature in
my garden is the big blue water jar I
use to fill watering cans. I tend to
blame the omission on a lack of time, rather
than a lack of interest in a possible role for
water; but I must admit I’ve seen enough
problems with ponds and cascades to make
me think twice about building one. A spate of
recent garden tours have reminded me, how-
ever, how many quite simple ways there are
to bring the delights of water into the garden.
Three very different water features I vis-
ited — a sophisticated koi pond, a water jar
and a sizable above-ground pool without fil-
tration or moving water— have more in com-
mon than meets the eye. All share attributes
that make them appealing while at the same
time evading a com-
mon problem: how to
keep critters from eat-
ing the fish and mess-
ing with your water
plants. Their special
appeal comes from the
fact that you can walk
right up to them and
the water surface is
near your hands and
eyes, bringing you
closer to the fish and
water plants. And all
three are critter-proof
by virtue of their depth.
A koi pond that fas-
cinated visitors on this
year’s
Eugene
Symphony Guild tour
porary garden of Buell Steelman and
Rebecca Sams, owners of Mosaic, a garden
design and construction company. Their gar-
den’s infrastructure features metal fencing,
fine stone work and lots of gravel. The ex-
posed vertical sides of the tank look at home
in this setting and discourage raccoons, while
allowing you to get up close and personal
with water plants and fish.
Beyond the pea gravel terrace that sup-
ports this tank, you descend to another grav-
eled area adjoining a minimalist orchard and
a veggie garden. A wonderful visual break
from the pale, precise stonework and gravel
surfacing is a tall, brown stoneware jar full of
water. Too high and smooth for the most am-
bitious small mammal to scale, it puts a fra-
grant water lily right
where you want it,
under your nose.
Still-water pools
and jars like these make
acceptable homes for
small fish that should
prevent your water
project from becoming
a mosquito breeding
ground. They can also
accommodate many
kinds of plants. Water
lilies, most desirable of
aquatics, actually prefer
still water, and steep
sides are better than
sloping sides because
they help keep the
water cool.
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A wonderful visual break from the
pale, precise stonework and gravel
surfacing is a tall, brown stoneware
jar full of water.
was set behind a brick retaining wall, part of a
garden makeover designed and constructed
by Guy Gargiulo. Not only can you walk right
up to the water’s edge, but the height of the
wall allowed for a pool that is unusually deep
for its size without requiring heroic excava-
tions. Ponds of similar surface area often use
prefabricated liners that are not deep enough
to deter predators: the sides should be vertical
to a depth of about two feet to keep fish se-
cure from raccoons and herons.
Not everyone wants to keep animals out
of the water, of course. Water is an essential
element in making good backyard habitat.
Wildlife-friendly pools have shallow beaches
where birds and butterflies can drink and rac-
coons can wash their food. Shallow contain-
ers with sloping sides serve the same purpose,
and containers that serve only as a water sup-
ply can be small enough that they are easy to
turn out and clean periodically.
Why not have one or two bowls for
wildlife, and still indulge a yen for water gar-
dening?
A free-standing galvanized stock tank full
of water might not be everyone’s idea of a
good time, but it’s a perfect fit for the contem-
In a deep container, water-lily pots or bas-
kets should be supported on a stack of bricks
or blocks to bring them within a foot or two of
the surface. The exact distance depends on
the size and vigor of the water lily. Dwarf
ones are best for tubs, jars and smaller ponds.
Check under Ponds in the yellow pages for
places that sell fish and aquatic plants (and
this year there’s an aquatic plant vendor at the
Lane County Farmers’ Market). The sellers
can advise you what is best for your set up.
For a nice vertical accent, don’t overlook dry
land plants that are happy standing in a few
inches of water, such as canna lilies, papyrus
and certain irises.
On a practical note, Steelman and Sams
pointed out that if you use tap water to fill your
pond or water jar you should wait at least a
week for the chlorine to dissipate before you
add any fish. They also reminded me that still
pools require oxygenating plants to keep fish
happy, and that ceramic jars must be emptied
each winter to avoid breakage from freezing,
so you will need an indoor tank if you want to
ew
over-winter your plants or fish.
Rachel Foster of Eugene is a garden writer and
consultant. She can be reached at rfoster@efn.org
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JULY 8, 2004 31