Create a Container Water Garden in an Afternoon

Materials

• Watertight container ≥24″ across (e.g., 2′ wide × 3′ long)
• Level
• Dwarf cattail
• Water lily 'Helvola'
• Parrot feather
• Water hyacinths
• Small pots (for transplanting)
• Plastic mulch
• Topsoil or dirt (not potting soil)
• Pebbles
• Goldfish (optional)

Design Tips

• Combine plant forms: tall (cattail), flowering (lily), trailing (parrot feather), floating (hyacinth).
• Handle spring water lilies gently to preserve leaves.
• Add slow-release fertilizer if soil is poor.

Assembly

1. Position & level container. Shim until rim is level. Plug drain hole or line terra-cotta pots with plastic.
2. Fill with water to depth of deepest plant pot.

3. Repot cattail, lily, parrot feather. Line small pots with plastic mulch. Fill to 1″ below rim with topsoil.
4. Cover soil with pebbles to prevent floating.

5. Slowly lower pots into water, allowing air to escape without displacing soil. Parrot feather can float or trail over edge.
6. Drop in water hyacinths—they float and self-feed.