DIY Network

Indoor Water Garden Learn how to create a fun indoor water garden. From "Home Made Easy" episode DHME-165

Gardening Made Easy expert Fran Sorin joins host Stephanie Lydecker and shares tips on how to create an indoor water garden that's easy, fun, and inexpensive. This is a wonderful way to add tranquility to your home.

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	Guest Fran Sorin, right with host Stephanie Lydecker, shares tips on creating an indoor water garden.
	Figure A
	Figure B

Indoor Water Garden

Materials:

ceramic pot
soil
fertilizer tablet
water lilies
water hyacinth

1. Choose a good container — large metal or glazed ceramics are good, but you can also use sealed cement, porcelain or metal. Be creative with your choices. If you choose terra cotta, you must paint the inside with a water sealant. You also must choose containers that do not have drainage holes in them.

2. You have to choose the plants you like to use. There are two major categories — potted and floating. Potted plants are placed in the soil and then in a container of water and floating plants float directly in the water (figure A). Water lilies are beautiful flowers with big luxurious leaves. If you need to hold the plants down with something you can add moss or bark chips.

3. To plant the water lilies, first take the container and fill it with a heavy soil. Then take the water lilies and pot them in the container using your hands. Once the roots are in, pat down the soil around the lilies. Place this container inside a larger ceramic pot. You can use bricks to elevate the container and they help make sure that once the water is added the lilies are submerged. You want to make sure the water lilies are sitting on top of the water. About once a month add the granulated fertilizer tablet to the soil.

4. Room temperature water is fine. Keep in mind, outdoor water gardens are usually filled with just the hose. Fill the container two thirds full of water and you can see how fast the water garden is coming together.

5. For the floating water plants, you simply purchase them at a local nursery and place them in the water. You can place river rocks (as many as you like) in the bottom of your vase, and the add water. Just place the plant(s) in the water (figure B). About every other week or monthly, just add some liquid fertilizer to the water. Replenish with fresh water as needed.

   Tip: Around the holidays, you can add cranberries, oranges or peppers to the bottom of the water for a festive touch.

6. Great water plants to try:
   • Four Leaf Clover (Marsilea Mutica)
     
   • Floating Moss (Salvinia Minima)
     
   • Duckweed (Lemna Minor)
     
   • Spider Lily (Hymenocallis Caribaea "Variegata")
     
   • Umbrella Palm (Cyperus Alternifolius)

7. Place containers in southern or southeastern windows. They need about one half a day of sunshine daily.

RESOURCES :

Pruners
Smith and Hawken
Website: www.smith-hawken.com

Tools and Equipment
Fiskars
Website: www.fiskars.com

Water Plants
Ponds Plants and More
Website: www.pondsplantsandmore.com

GUESTS :

Fran Sorin
Author, Digging Deep: Unearthing Your Creative Roots Through Gardening
0446531669
April, 2004
Warner Books
Website: www.fransorin.com