With little more than a creative spark, a new plant display can sometimes be created with foliage, equipment and materials already on-hand. With the purchase of a five-dollar, plastic rope-handle tub, we put together this calming indoor water garden niche with potted collector trees, potted palms and a single Nymphaea Water Lily.
Many kinds of tropical broadleaf and conifer trees can be enjoyed as potted specimens grown like houseplants. A gardener with limited space and interest in exploring the fascinating world of trees should not be deterred by the large sizes of adult trees. Even very big trees can be maintained as smaller specimens with careful pruning and more limited fertilization. The trees in this collection are also root-pruned every spring when repotted and have thus been maintained at just a few feet in height for several years. Here is a list with the tree and other potted selections arranged around this pond planting:
- Agathis australis
- Camellia sinensis
-
Cephalotaxus sp.
- Cupressus lusitanica
- Eriobotrya japonica
- Lanonia dasyantha
- Pandanus utilis
While the floor of this basement shop is rather chilly, a pair of 50-watt aquarium heaters brought the water temperature up to 73°F. The tub is illuminated with a single 5000°K PAR38 LED lamp, while a second PARE38 shines on the trees. We will probably add a third LED to give the trees a bit more light.
The Water Lily, Nymphaea colorata, is a day-blooming true species plant with a relatively compact mature size. Out ultimate goal for this project is to coax this plant into bloom and see its lovely lavender blue flowers. The Water Lily has been declining a bit in its pot lately, but we just added a couple of new fertilizer tabs, so it should respond with a new flush of growth. This plant is usually grown in full sun and it will be interesting to see if this single LED lamp can provide sufficient illumination for flowering. We might replace with more intense lighting if the plant refuses to bloom.
Thank you for reading. Check back with our blog again for updates on this simple and easy indoor garden pond project.
Indoor Container Pond - Nymphaea Water Lily & Collector Trees
With little more than a creative spark, a new plant display can sometimes be created with foliage, equipment and materials already on-hand. With the purchase of a five-dollar, plastic rope-handle tub, we put together this calming indoor water garden niche with potted collector trees, potted palms and a single Nymphaea Water Lily.
Many kinds of tropical broadleaf and conifer trees can be enjoyed as potted specimens grown like houseplants. A gardener with limited space and interest in exploring the fascinating world of trees should not be deterred by the large sizes of adult trees. Even very big trees can be maintained as smaller specimens with careful pruning and more limited fertilization. The trees in this collection are also root-pruned every spring when repotted and have thus been maintained at just a few feet in height for several years. Here is a list with the tree and other potted selections arranged around this pond planting:
While the floor of this basement shop is rather chilly, a pair of 50-watt aquarium heaters brought the water temperature up to 73°F. The tub is illuminated with a single 5000°K PAR38 LED lamp, while a second PARE38 shines on the trees. We will probably add a third LED to give the trees a bit more light.
The Water Lily, Nymphaea colorata, is a day-blooming true species plant with a relatively compact mature size. Out ultimate goal for this project is to coax this plant into bloom and see its lovely lavender blue flowers. The Water Lily has been declining a bit in its pot lately, but we just added a couple of new fertilizer tabs, so it should respond with a new flush of growth. This plant is usually grown in full sun and it will be interesting to see if this single LED lamp can provide sufficient illumination for flowering. We might replace with more intense lighting if the plant refuses to bloom.
Thank you for reading. Check back with our blog again for updates on this simple and easy indoor garden pond project.