As with any landscape feature, a water garden the right plants are essential to effectively integrating a water garden into its environment. Here host Mayita Dinos sets to work enhancing a newly created water garden with a variety of beautiful plants.
- Before getting started, Dinos previews her plant choices using a computer software program and digital images of the pond (figure A) and potential plants. Although she already knows which plants she'll be using to create the dramatic final results (figure B), the software is a valuable tool in determining placement. By experimenting with different plants in different spaces, Dinos is able to create the perfect layout for the finished pond (figure C).
All plants featured here have been chosen to suit the climate of Southern California (figure D), the location of the featured property. Always choose plants that are suitable for the area in which they're being planted.The first plant added to the pond is a Japanese Maple: Acer palmatum 'Crimson Queen' (figure E). Dinos positions it close to the boulder to that it drapes gently over the edge of the pond. After digging the hole for the tree along the boulder's edge (figure F), the plant is gently set in place then tamped in firmly on all sides.
Next, Dinos and the crew plant vines on the other side of the boulder. For this pond, Dinos has selected Agapanthus x 'Monmid' (figure G), which she arranges to the foliage trails along the surfaces of several of the smaller rocks (figure H).
With the trailing vines in place, Dinos sets to work adding some larger-leafed plants, Canna indica: 'Phaison'. Commonly referred to as Tropicana cannas, these dramatic beauties are placed along the still-open side of the boulders, opposite the Japanese maple (figure I). The red-tinged leaves of the cannas (figure J) beautifully complement the red hue of the maple leaves.Finally, Dinos adds two butterfly bushes (figure K) -- Buddleia davidii 'Pink Delight' -- behind the boulders to complete this phase of the planting.
RESOURCES :
Plants from Monrovia Growers
Monrovia Growers
Website: www.monrovia.com
GUESTS :
Vergil Hettick
California State University Long Beach
1250 Bellflower Blvd.
Long Beach, CA 90840
Phone: 562-985-4111
Email: hetix@pacball.com; jgarden@csulb.edu
Website: www.csulb.edu/~jgarden
Curator, Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden
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