This month I show you how easy it is to put together a water garden. For your first steps into water gardening, small is the way to go. Large or small, the basic rule of good water gardening remains the same. Constructing, planting and stocking the pond to achieve a natural ecological balance which results in clear water remains the same. A wonderful first choice for a miniature pond is a half whiskey barrel, lined with a rubber liner. There are plastic inserts available. Another good choice is a big plastic flower pot without holes. The barrels are perfect for a few plants and even two goldfish or a few mosquito fish. If you choose a metal container you need to line it with plastic because the metal can be toxic, unless it is one for watering horses. The same goes for a wooden container, it needs to be lined. You can plant directly into the tub; I prefer to add plants in pots. Water plants grow quickly and can be invasive. This way they cannot take over and are easier divided. The best container for water plants are those without holes. That way they cannot take over and are easier divided. If you have to use a pot with a hole, insert a piece of liner to block it. The water garden baskets are best used with untreated burlap. For planting medium use heavy clay, straight out your yard, sift out the rocks. Never use potting soil, compost, peat moss or highly organic soils, all of which may cloud the water and make the algae grow. After planting (as you would any plant), top of with at least an inch of fine sand and than clean pea gravel. To fertilize use only special made water plant tabs or water plant liquid fertilizer. Everything else is toxic to fish, insects and wildlife and will stimulate algae growth. To plant your tub, choose a miniature water lily for the bottom of your tub and maybe a bunch of Elodea or Hornwort. Both of these plants are submerged plants and will clarify the water keeping the algae down, as they act as natural filter. A water Iris, Cannas or Umbrella Palm for height will be nice. These are marginal plants and do not like more than one inch of water over their crowns. Stand these pots on bricks. Choose the red ones made from clay. Do not use concrete blocks because the lime will leach out and be toxic. To finish your planting use some floating plants like water Hyathint or Lettuce. To fill your little pond, use water that has been standing for a day or two or use filtered water. To fill, set a bowl or rock into the tub and pour the water in or onto it that your plants will not be washed out of their pots. If you want to add fish, wait a few weeks till the little pond has balanced out. You should add a little pump to recycle the water and for sound. A luftpump and an air stone will work too. The water should always be moved; water gets stagnant very fast in warm weather and will attract mosquitoes. If your little pond contains fish you need to make weekly 10% water exchanges to insure good water quality. Never just fill up evaporated water. The water evaporates but the toxins stay behind. Use the exchanged water on your plants, that is good nutritious water. In our climate you might want to set up this little pond were I get afternoon shade. Voila, you're in business.

What you should know about mosquitoes.
Mosquitoes are linked to many diseases: like Malaria and Yellow Fever, now with the West Nile Virus they are back in the news. Of course any water feature will attract Mosquitoes and water gardeners will get accused of harboring this pesky creature, it is important to know a few facts about their life cycle. Mosquitoes like to breed in stagnant water, they dislike moving water. Anywhere water can set for a period of time like in ditches which do not drain, gutters where water stands, even a jar or a vase, a dog dish or a bird bath. Old tires are their favorites, the water heats up fast and the larvae develop quickly. In the rainy season it is prudent to check your property for such objects and drain them on a regular basis. Mosquito larvae have no gills and breathe by coming to the surface of the water. In the 'old' days, people used to cover water surfaces with kerosene; of course this is no option now. If your water feature contains fish, there is not such worry, fish will consume mosquito larvae, it is a real treat for them. Others are attracted too feed on them. Dragonfly- and Damselfly larvae love them. If you have no movement and no fish in your water you need to add Mosquito dunks or bits. This is a safe biological source to kill Mosquito larvae. These are small doughnuts or morsels containing a bacterium known as Bacillus thuringiensis, in this case a strain Israelensis or for short BTI. The doughnuts float on the water surface. Floating on the surface will stimulate the growth of the bacteria and kill the larvae; they last for about a month. The bits will kill in 24 hours. Both products can be safely used with fish and other aquatic life. Another good choice is the Gambusia or Mosquito fish, a small Minnow from Australia. These little fish breed quite freely. Never get tempted to dump excess fish into native waters. This is against the law and does upset the natural balance. The Mosquito fish is one of the reasons the native minnow is almost extinct.

PLANT OF THE MONTH: Umbrella Palm - Cyperus alternifolia Triangular stems grow 2 - 4 ft. tall depending variety and bear bright green stiffly ribbed leaves radiating from the top, like an umbrella. This is an attractive and hardy plant. In very cold winters the umbrellas brown up but the plant recovers quickly in spring. Propagation by division and seed.