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by Priscilla Winn
The tub garden is the one exception to just about every water gardening rule. Usually the more sun the water gets the better the garden. In the case of small bodies of water that is not true. Tub gardens can be a beautiful addition to any garden setting but they do take some extra care that a larger water garden will not need.
Select a site for your tub garden that will get filtered sunlight or direct morning sun. The tub should be protected from direct afternoon sun. Try to keep the water temperature at around 72 to 74 degrees. Remember the warmer the water the less oxygen it will have in it.
What kind of container or tub?There are an endless variety of containers that can be used for tub gardens. Large plastic flower pots with solid bottoms are excellent. Colorful plastic tubs with rope handles are a good choice. An old bathtub or large kettle make for an interesting look too. When using a half whiskey barrel, keep in mind that for the most part these probably were real whisky barrels and will have a residue that can be harmful to fish and plants alike. The half barrel can be coated with a water proof barrier type paint or a plastic liner can be used to protect you plants and fish. If the type of container you use permits it drill several holes about an inch from the top. This will prevent an over flow that may wash plants out of the tub during a heavy rain.
What kind of plants should I use? Just as in a larger water garden you will need to have about 70 percent of the surface covered. This keeps algae down and helps keep the water cool. A few suggestions for plants are:
Parrots Feathers:-These look lovely cascading over the top and down the sides of your tub.
Water Lettuce or Water Hyacinths-Floating plants with long trailing roots. These plants help keep your water clean by filtering the water through the roots. Take them out and gently hose off the roots every couple of days. The Hyacinth has large lavender flowers.
Water 4 Leaf Clover:Delightful accent and good surface cover.
Floating Heart:This plant has a very pretty 5 petaled yellow flower and the leaves resemble a small lily. It does have a tendency to spread and must be controlled.
Water Snowflake: This plant comes in either yellow or white, produces fragrant flowers in plentiful clusters.
Under water or Oxygenating Plants-You will need at least 2 bunches (about 12 stems) of Anacharis or Cabombaor Milfoil. These help filter the water as well as provide food and a place to hide for your fish.
Water Lily: There are several lilies especially suited to the tub garden. When you buy a lily be sure it is one that will be small enough for your container. Some lilies, especially the tropicals become so large that one leaf can cover the entire surface of a tub garden. The following lilies are well suited for tub culture.
Helvola-A true hardy pygmy. Yellow bloom, mottled lily pads. Jo-Ann Pring-Hardy with deep pink blooms. Indiana-Hardy, with burnt orange colored blooms. Aurora-Hardy, Changeable (pale yellow to dark rose in a 3 day period of time). Blue Dauben-Tropical pygmy. Light blue blooms. Colorata-Tropical dwarf with Wisteria blue blooms.
When buying water lilies keep in mind that whether the lily is hardy or tropical it will not survive the Winter outside in a tub. Tropicals ,of course, have to be brought inside, hardy lilies are overwintered outside in a pond very easily but they will not survive the Winter in a tub unless protected by putting it in a garage or some other place where it will not freeze.
Accent Plant- A tall plant such as the Umbrella Palm (tropical) or Water Iris (hardy) give the tub garden a nice look. Be sure when using a taller plant that you put it in a flat bottomed pot that is deep enough to give it a good anchor in windy conditions.
How do I plant my new tub garden? Use plastic containers that are solid, these can be anything from cottage cheese cartons to plastic ice cream buckets. Start with a good quality top soil not potting soil! Put your plant in (hardy lilies are planted against one side of the pot and grow across to the other. Tropical lilies are planted in the center of the pot) and fill with top soil to about 2/3 full. Tamp the soil down and add about an inch of well rinsed pea gravel. Do not fill to the very top of the pot. Leave at least an inch of space to help avoid spilling when moving or fertilizing plants. When you have that finished gently pore water in the container until it overflows. Do this 2 or 3 times to see if you have any mud leaks that you may need to add more pea gravel to. Planting in this way keeps your tub garden from being a mud garden.
Another alternative is to put the top soil directly into the tub and plant covering it all with pea gravel. Some people have been very successful with this method, however, it is not recommended because you have no control over the water depth that the plants need to be in.
Place plants at proper depth. In a tub garden most plants can sit right on the bottom of the tub. The taller marginal plants should only have about 4 inches of water covering the top of the soil line. Prop your plants to the proper depth. If you use concrete bricks or blocks for this be sure they are well weathered or soak over night in vinegar to get all of the lime out before using in your tub garden.
Treat your tub water before adding plants or fish. Use a product like Aqua-Safe to neutralize chlorine. Add your fish and plants. Remember no more than 1 inch of fish per 3 gallons of water.
What kind of maintenance will my tub garden need? Maintenance chores are few; you will need to fertilize your plants once a month with "Pond-Tabs" or "Lily-Tabs" (one tablet per 4 or 5 quarts of soil) follow label directions. Cut off any dead leaves or blooms. "Top Off" your tub with water when the level falls from evaporation.
