Water Gardening Basics

Craving waterfront property when the nearest lake is a day's drive away? It's easier to add a pond to your yard than you may think--and with the complete instructions laid out in Water Gardening Basics, it'll be finished before you can say "lotus tuber!" There's a lot more detail here than you'd expect in a book with the word basics in the title. With chapters covering excavation and installation, chemistry, plant health, and creative design, you'll find both practical plans and artistic inspiration for any type of water garden. The first chapters, on planning and installing, are thoroughly detailed, and present options for the do-it-yourselfer as well as the amateur supervisor for hired contractors. The authors show you everything you'll need to know with glossy photos, bullet-point lists, and numerical tables. The section on chemistry is decipherable for just about anyone, with simple explanations of terms and systems--there's even a glossary listing everything from aerobic bacteria to zeolite. But the fun really starts when choosing your plants and animals. The colors are lush, and the choices are endless--is it koi you find appealing, or a family of toads? Will it be local iris, or exotic Persian lilac water lilies? There's also a special section on aquatic plant and animal health, because the diseases and insects that hit water plants and animals can appear quite different from what we're used to. If you've got strict limits on size or budget, the chapter on container gardening will supply all your answers. Maybe a "bog in a bottle" isn't the same as your own private waterfall and pond, but it's a great introduction to these fascinating plants and creatures. --Jill Lightner