Customer Reviews

Water Gardening in Containers: Small Ponds, Indoors & Out

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

 

 

This book is well illustrated and is a great "idea book" for people who want to see the many types of container water garden possibilities. There are also several useful tips that make the book worthwhile. Contents are: 1. Basics, 2. Tub gardens, 3. Dish and indoor gardens, 4. Hanging baskets, 5. Planters & window boxes, 6. Creative containers, 7. Patio ponds, 8. Fountains, statuary & wall containers, 9. Paludariums (semi-aquatic glass tank gardens that can house plants & pets), 10. Lotus, 11. Carnivorous plants. Who knew there were so many types of water container gardens? Several chapters have step-by-step pictures for setting up the containers and placing fixtures and plants.

However, the book is terribly deficient in detail - each chapter has about a brochure's worth of text. Although many pond books suggest that novices will find a container garden to be an easy first water project, there are some unique challenges - in particular: temperature control, selecting pumps & filters suitable for small containers, controlling quality of a small water volume, and choosing plants that are best for containers. I have several pond/general water gardening books, and I bought this book hoping for more info specific to container gardens.

The book is particularly deficient in information about the various plants. Unlike most water garden books, there is no section devoted to plant specifications and requirements (other than lotuses and carnivorous plants). In many of the photographs, the plants are not identified. This severely limits the value of the book as a brainstorming tool. The book also does a very poor job of explaining the water quality and temperature problems that will arise if one attempts to add fish or other animals to the container. Finally, there is no climate zone related information, and there is no discussion whatsoever of what to do with these gardens in the winter.

Part of my disappointment with this book is that I bought the hardcover edition and paid too much for it (doh!). I think this book is worth it as an idea book, just realize that to create a container water garden of your own, this is by no means the only book you will need.

I love this book! I have always been enamoured with ponds and water gardens, but thought I would have to own a home to have one. This book shows how to create the perfect container water garden for any size yard, patio, or even room. Great how-to's step by step. Gorgeous pictures. Great ideas. Thank you for such a beautiful, practical and affordable book!

I have a smaller suburban yard and every corner is utilized. Though envious of a friend with an in-ground pond and waterfall, I did not want to dig up exsisting shrubs and perennials to satisfy my yen for water. Since I already grow vegetables, herbs, ornamental grasses and perennials in containers, I thought why not a water garden. This book showed me what I could do with one of my empty oak barrels. I had a lovely mini pond with running water. I added 3 fish, water plants, and bought some toad tadpoles from a nearby garden centre. I liked it so much I'm going to do some smaller containers as well as a couple of glazed pots with water lilys. The only thing is to overwinter water plants you need a small indoor aquarium with grow lights, or a helpful friend with a pond. Enjoy and experiment! P.S. Although the toads might not be able to breed in my yard, for the rest of the summer the little toadlets were happily hopping around in my yard eating bugs.

This book illustrates nice ideas but falls short in details. Very basic.

This is a simple how to. It is encouraging. Like everything garden change is taking place, water is making things get bigger. So the little container is soon overgrown. This rudimentary principal isn't mentioned but once the spathiphyllum has sat in its pot a few weeks it is amazing how big it gets. Many plants multiply in water. My cardinal flowers get huge then completely disappear. In this dry hot climate many things can exist in water which are not really even water plants. This book is good because it gets you popping little plants in a simple plastic basin and just enjoying them, sort of advanced flowers in water, then next thing you know you are buying tubing and pumps.

This book was just what I wanted to help me learn about water plants and marginal plants. It was in easy to understand, plain language and is a very concise. Great pictures and the price was right also.

I found this be book to be truly helpful as I'm a first time water gardener and I really enjoyed the fact that it had colored pictures.