Customer Reviews

Quick and Easy Container Water Gardens: Simple-To-Make Water Features and Fountains for Indoor and Outdoor Gardens

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Lots of clever ideas for small water gardens, as well as helpful general information on appropriate plants, fish, etc. However, it would have been nice if the author had provided a list of suppliers, at least for the more esoteric items. I too would like to make a shishi-odoshi fountain, but haven't the first idea where to buy the shishi-odoshi that is the first item on the list of project supplies (!). Also, while each of the finished projects is nicely photographed it would have been a great help if there were more photographs or illustrations of more of the projects in the construction stage.

I was so excited to receive the book because I wanted to learn how to create wonderful water garden features. I ordered the book specifically to learn how to make the shishi-odoshi water feature. I was so disappointed to find that the book, which has great pictures,has very little information on how to do any of the pictured features. The book falls far short of my expectations. If I saw it in a book store, I would not buy it. It is a real disappointment that a noted horticulturalist, having the knowledge to help all of us novices, decidedly omits key information. This is not a quick and easy how to do book on water gardening. I can do much better watching Home and Garden Television. I wish I had my money back!

If you long to add the calming elegance of water to your garden this author shows many clever ways to achieve it. I like the simplicity of some of the containers-a window box, strawberry jars, sinks, etc. I plan to try the classical bamboo shishi-odoshi.A helpful plant directory is included too. -Linda Fry Kenzle, author of Gathering:Using Simple Materials From the Garden and Nature

The most helpful thing in the book was the easy to read, easy to understand plant guide in the back. It gives a photo of the plant and tells the growing zones, if the plant needs sun or shade, if it is an annual or perennial, and if it grows in in deep water, shallow water, or damp soil. The plant directory alone makes this book worth purchasing.

I bought this book on the recommendation of the instructor of a course given at the New York Botanical Gardens. The book is so exquisite that I keep it within arm's reach at all times. Besides its beauty, the directory of plants, information on hardiness zones, and the section on things you need to know give invaluable practical information. With this knowledge, I have been able to keep a small container water garden going strong for over a year, even during last winter's snowstorms.