I have just been given two beautiful glazed pots, low bowls about 18 inches across, that are intended to be used as a water garden. I have no experience with water gardens! I would love to have a small water lily or some nice water grasses, any suggestions for a water-gardening newbie?
I am in Southwest Florida and I plan to have these in my screened in lanai which gets sun most of the day.

Hetty

What a neat idea! I would look for some of the miniature waterlilies. Your mini water garden would be great either tucked into an area of your garden or on a table top. Either way, your waterlily will need at least 6 hours of direct sunlight. I would throw an occasional mosquito dunk into your new little watergarden as well to keep the mosquitos at bay.

Please send pictures when you are all set up.

Cheep gold fish will keep mosquitoes away too.
I have several pots full of water around the garden , mostly for convenient watering , and I keep one or two of the 13 cent goldfish in each. I never have to feed them they do just fine on their own.

The only reason I didn't suggest the goldfish is that Hetty's container is 18" and the goldfish can reach up to 10" if they live long enough, although one would think the size of the pot would hopefully keep them from getting to 10"

Yep, goldfish only grow according to their space , that is why you can keep them in goldfish bowls.

Hetty - Here is a photo of my dish water garden along with coffee cups with water lilies growing in them. So definitely get some waterlilies. Mine are not miniature water lilies. Mine are actually more aggressive Mexicana water lilies that are adapting to a smaller container.

Thanks for the great ideas. I was thinking it might get too hot for goldfish? I would imagine the water in the bowls, being in the sun, would get up to 90 degrees or even more? But that would be my preferred way of keeping bugs at bay (although in my lanai I am not supposed to have any bugs, of course!).

What about making one of the bowls a true water garden (like with water lilies) and the other more if a bog-type, like maybe with some Cyperus etc.? Any suggestions? How much soil does there need to be and what type of soil?

Sounds like a great idea. I don't think you need a lot of soil. I would use either pea gravel or the clay unscented kitty litter

oh cool idea about the kitty litter.

with Carolyn's suggestion! A bog doesn't have to be deep water. Well... actually neither does a water lily container, but you will have to add water to it every day in this heat. I have to add water at the end of every day to keep enough water in the containers for the water lilies. And I agree, the water might be too warm for fish. Just throw a mosquito dunk piece in there. I break the dunks in quarters and add a piece to the smaller containers.

Hetty - Read this thread to see what kitty litter to use: The thread "Water Lilies" in Ponds and Water Gardening forum The only one I know that is safe for plants is the red Kitty Litter from WalMart.

Thank you for all that very useful info!!

Hetty

Please post pictures of your watergarden when you are finished.

I will! Thanks.