All about miniature plants and gardens indoors and out

If you can work out a way to use water in your landscape, by all means do. Whether it’s a dime-sized tub the birds dip into, or a full-scale formal pool in a tiled patio, any garden with water attracts immediate attention, gives quick pleasure, becomes an unquestionable center of interest. Actually, the excitement water adds to any landscape scene is the antithesis of its calm, cooling, serene effect. I don’t know of any other feature that, with a few plants and a minimum of care, makes a garden spot at once so dramatic, artistic, and restful. And if the water moves—ripples through a stream, drips over stones, falls from one level to another—soothing sound is added to the other assets.

Natural brooks, streams, and pools usually require little designing beyond bringing out the best of their inherent beauty. But there’s also not a suburban lot for which some kind of artificial water garden can’t be designed, and few grounds that are not thereby enhanced. The only requisite is that the design be in harmony and scale with its setting; that it be conceived, located, and constructed with imagination and skill.

The fact that pools are inevitably natural focal points makes their faults more obvious and more difficult to correct. The most you can do, once a pool is in the ground, is to soften or otherwise improve its outline with coping, rocks, or plants. If there’s too much cement, you can’t hide it with aquatic plants without covering, too, the desirable reflections on the water. If it’s too small, you can hardly make it larger. If the shape is uninteresting, you can’t change it very easily. If it’s in the wrong spot or faced the wrong way, you can’t move it.

On the other hand, the charm of water itself is so strong that it is comparatively easy to create a design that looks just right, particularly if simplicity is the keynote in both pool and planting. Simple shapes are safer and more effective than intricate ones; few plants, well placed, are better than many; water spraying from a concealed pipe is often more desirable than a formal fountain or statuary.

Depending on architecture and terrain, garden pools may be of formal design—a perfectly regular shape; semiformal—the shape balanced but not usually regular, often in severe contemporary style; or informal, completely asymmetrical, and integrated so naturally in the landscape the pool looks as if it has always been there. Each type of design can be executed in so many different ways that, even for tiny pools, there’s good reason to study photographs and articles in gardening and homemaking magazines. There’s also inspiration in the designs in books about water gardens, plus detailed information on various types of construction that I’ve had to omit. I’ve built miniature rock gardens but never a pool. Someone who fathoms the mysteries of water levels and understands the intricacies of cement work can give much more reliable advice than I.

Formal Design.

Small square, rectangular, circular, or oval pools can be extremely effective in almost any kind of landscape except one so rocky and untamed as ours. They’re usually best in level ground, and most harmonious with borders and other plantings of fairly formal pattern. And, of course, they’re constructed of materials that give a formal effect, such as concrete, tile, or brick.

A raised pool in the center of a small terrace, with a foot-high wall of tile or brick, can be scaled down from classic designs of other eras. A wide coping on the wall provides a place to set potted plants, or to seat yourself to feed the goldfish and dabble your fingers in the cool water.

A quadrant-shaped pool in the corner where garden walls meet can be either raised or level with the ground. Its water might reflect the image of a saint in a shrine above it, or might catch the constant stream from a lovely fountain.

At one end of a narrow garden a rectangular or oval pool becomes a striking focal point. A path may lead to a bench on a far side, between the pool and a background of shrubs.

At the end of a garden path a fountain may spout from a mortared wall into a projecting pool set at convenient dipping height from the ground, for filling watering cans. The planting underneath can be permanent, or an arrangement of potted plants.

And why not a tiny, formal pool in the center of a miniature rose garden? Or under a piece of traditional garden statuary? Or simply in the center of a garden path that splits to make room for it? If it’s of proper proportion, a formal pool can even be set in the center of a garden, sometimes even in the center of a small lawn area.

Semiformal Design

Here’s where the popular kidney-shaped pools are most useful. They’re neither formal nor informal, but especially attractive with contemporary architecture. Planting is usually sparse but dramatic, making extreme use of contrasting colors and textures, and of unusual lines. Construction materials are simple to keep them subordinate in interest to the over-all design.

A refreshing sight outside a picture window is a small pool recessed in the patio floor. A recirculating pump sends up a spray of water from a pipe that ends just below the surface of the pool. These pumps make it possible for fish and plants to coexist with fountains because they reuse water in the pool. Fresh water from a spring, a stream, or the pipes that supply the house is too cold; and it may lack the small organisms on which fish feed.

Pools of contemporary design can also be placed in a corner of the property, with a tasteful grouping of shrubbery behind; on the bottom level of a series of terraces; in a depressed spot in the lawn; in the curve of a path; or at one side of a breezeway. They can be illuminated dramatically with the new underwater lights available in many sizes and styles.

Informal, Naturalistic Design

These are either adaptations of existing streams or pools, or designs of uneven form deliberately created to look as if they had been there all the time. They’re best suited, of course, to naturalistic landscapes where slopes, rocks, and hidden springs give them a reason for existence. The water-holding basin may be of any material, as long as it is not noticeable. Any edgings, copings, or nearby trimmings should be just as natural as the pools.

A rock garden on a slope is a perfect setting for a pool with rocks that jut out over the water and, if possible, a rock or two coming up through the water from below. Or two small pools, one above the other, can be joined by a miniature waterfall. If there’s no water supply on the spot, use a recirculating pump. But be careful that the waterfall doesn’t resemble man-made steps. It should be as craftily haphazard as if the elements had worn it into the rocks.

A dripstone is another delightfully musical device—an overhanging rock from which water drips down onto the surface of the pool. The sound has more resonance when there is an empty chamber behind the dripping water.

A meandering brook can be widened to make a pool. Or a completely artificial brook can be constructed of cement, like a pool, with drainage and overflow pipes and similar appurtenances. This isn’t easy to execute effectively, but it can be completely intriguing. It might be wise to try to re-create part of a real stream in the nearby countryside.

One small boulder half-sunk in the ground can inspire an irregular, shallow pool that makes a natural birdbath. A miniature shrub may back up the boulder; rock-garden plants may grow at its base.

Many nooks and corners in the naturalistic landscape spontaneously suggest the creation of a tiny pool, and become exciting little garden surprises. These can often be so simply made that there’s not even a drainage hole in the bottom. Scooping out the water, as needed, is no chore at all.

CONSTRUCTING MINIATURE POOLS

There are as many materials and methods for building pools as there are sizes and shapes. The depth depends on the requirements of the aquatic plants to be grown, and so does the location in sun or shade. Pygmy water lilies, for example, need all available sun, and at least ten inches of water—four inches for the container that holds soil and roots, eight inches above the crowns or growing points. Other miniature water plants are satisfied with much less.

One vitally important construction detail is that the sides of even the smallest tub garden be perfectly level, parallel with the water surface. Otherwise, there will be an unattractive expanse of bare wall at one side—one of those awkward errors that quickly catches the eye and spoils the whole effect.

Some pools are simply sunk flush with the surrounding lawn or other surface, without edging or coping of any kind. This can be messy and sometimes disastrous to plants when surface water collects and floods the pool during heavy rains. Extending the rim an inch or so above the surrounding area usually avoids this problem, but then the rim should be concealed with a coping of some sort—bricks and tiles in formal pools, well-arranged rocks, gravel, or flagstone paving in informal design.

Tubs and Other Containers

Attractive but relatively impermanent miniature pools can be improvised or specially planned with many kinds of containers—metal or wooden tubs made and sold for the purpose; half-barrels or half-kegs; discarded tanks, kettles, dishpans; even discarded sinks and laundry tubs. These last can be eyesores, we found out, if their ignominious origins are not kept carefully secret. Rubber-base paint is the only way we found to conceal the pristine white porcelain, and it was tricky to use so that it wouldn’t peel off. The rim at the top of the sink is an unpleasant giveaway that must be covered with something such as overhanging rocks. Finding a plug or stopper that fit the drainage hole wasn’t the least of our problems.

For the welfare of both aquatic plants and wildlife such as fish and scavengers, some containers need special treatment before they can be used, and some should not be used at all. Wooden kegs and barrels that have held oily substances such as gasoline, roofing compound, and wood preservatives can’t be cleaned sufficiently to be safe. Copper poisons fish; so do paints with oil or lead bases. Steel, lead, iron, and other metals should be protected against rust and corrosion with sound coats of rubber-base paint.

Containers freshly made of new wood (except white cedar) can be unhealthy for fish. Let them stand out in the weather for the winter, or season the wood by filling the container with water, slaking a chunk of lime in it for a few days, and rinsing well before using.

Prefabricated Pools

These are now available in metal or plastics of a sturdiness that varies with the cost, in a wide range of sizes and shapes. Many of them make lovely miniature pools which, because they’re small, are not necessarily calamities if they don’t last forever. Most have been designed after consultation with experts on fish and water lilies. And most are simply installed by digging a proper hole and setting them in place.

Permanent Pools

Permanency increases, of course, with sound construction. Concrete laid on a gravel or cinder base and strengthened with wire-mesh reinforcement is usually considered best. But the new concrete must be cured and the alkalinity of its lime neutralized before the pool can be safely used for plants or fish. Leaving the pool open to the weather for the winter will usually accomplish this purpose. Or the pool can be drained and refilled several times, then thoroughly cleansed with household vinegar, as in the “quick cure” recommended by G. L. Thomas, Jr., of Three Springs Fisheries.

Bricks, cement blocks, tile, puddled concrete—for each type of material there are detailed procedures to be found in readily available and up-to-date reference books. Prefabricated pools can be found in the catalogues of most water-lily specialists.

CARE OF POOLS

Miniature pools are easy to scrub in the spring and to keep clean through the summer season. Floating dead leaves or other organic debris that can give off poisonous gas are skimmed off with your hands. Discolored or dying leaves of lilies and other plants can be cut away cleanly. Plants can be thinned out by removing superfluous leaves or pulling out portions of weedy varieties. The pool is kept nearly filled with fresh water—but without adding so much at one time that the water is dangerously chilled.

Permanganate of potash will control slimy, green algae. To one gallon of water add about two teaspoons of permanganate; let it stand until there is little residue at the bottom. For every gallon of water in the pool, add one teaspoon of this saturated solution whenever algae become unsightly. Don’t make the solution too strong. It might kill the fish.

Insects such as the black aphids common on water lilies can be sprayed off with the garden hose to make a juicy meal for the fish. Spraying pool plants with insecticides or fungicides is dangerous unless you use a preparation made specifically for pools, and use it strictly according to package directions.

In winter, most tubs and other containers should probably be lifted and stored indoors. I should think this would lengthen the useful life of small prefabricated pools, too. Small permanent pools should be drained, so ice will not form and crack the construction. This means that the pool must remain empty; either the drain must be kept open or a roof of canvas or boards should be fitted over the top.

FISH AND SCAVENGERS

Goldfish earn their upkeep—a pinch or two of food a week—by gobbling up mosquito larvae the minute they start wriggling. In pools where the mud at the bottom does not freeze, they’ll winter safely out of doors.

Several kinds of snails, tadpoles, and other scavengers offered by specialists consume impurities in the water, including algae. Frogs are just for fun. They’ll often make themselves at home in a pool without any invitation. A grandpappy bullfrog lived in our tiny sinkpool all last summer, retreating to a dark cave between the rocks when the dogs came down for a drink.

It seemed to me the epitome of modern efficiency when I first learned, as a city-dweller, that full-grown frogs could be bought by mail. That purchase made us the most popular family on the block. But we couldn’t offer them comfortable winter quarters in the city; and the last I saw of the frogs, in early fall, they were hopping down the gutter of Fortieth Avenue toward the sewer drain.

MINIATURE AQUATIC AND POOLSIDE PLANTS

Obviously, the location of a pool (in sun or shade, warm climate or cool), its size (some plants would smother a miniature pool in a few weeks), and its design should be considered in selecting plants to grow in or with it. In fact, very tiny pools carefully placed to catch an artistic reflection may be better without any plant embellishment.

A frequent error is overplanting, with the water surface covered by a confusion of foliage and flowers, the perimeter a jungle. In small pools one pygmy lily is plenty; it needs clear, open water to set it off.

For pools of all designs—formal, contemporary, informal—plants are seldom arranged in neat rows, groups that repeat themselves regularly, or matching masses in perfect symmetry. The closest to formal balance might be adding accent and height by placing the tallest plant in the center of a formal pool. More often, it’s effective in one corner or at one side.

Few plants offer such striking variation in the forms available to create interesting patterns and dramatic contrast. There are flat, leathery leaf pads and slim, spiky swords; glorious china-like cup flowers and fluffy plumes; modest creepers and bold elephant leaves. Seldom does a flower-arrangement artist have such a wealth of exciting material with which to make her prize-winning compositions.

Miniature Water Lilies

Of the two general types of water lilies—tropical and hardy—the tropicals are least likely to be in scale with miniature pools. The leaves and flowers are larger, the leaves spreading out wider and the flowers standing out higher. The tropicals need lots of sun and warmth, can be shocked into dormancy if the water chills, and are usually treated like annuals and planted fresh, each summer. Some can be propagated from viviparous plantlets that grow on the leaves.

Among hardy water lilies there is a selection of pygmies with four-inch leaves and two-inch flowers in many colors—white, yellow, pink, red, and bicolors, some with attractively marbled foliage. Given generous sunshine, warm quiet water, and good nourishment, they will flower from July to frost, and can be held over the winter either outdoors or in.

In our area we set out hardy water lilies in late April or early May. If a late cold snap occurs when the plants arrive by mail, we keep them moist until it’s over. Since the roots are hardy only if they do not freeze, and since it’s difficult to keep small pools from freezing, each lily is planted in its own box, which is set on small stones or blocks so it is raised off the floor of the pool. Or plant in soil at the bottom of a tub-pool that will be taken up in fall. Lay the rhizome horizontal, with its growing tip out of the soil. Cover the surface with a web of clean sand, to keep the soil from muddying the water. If the plant is leafed out and the leaves don’t reach the surface of the pool, they’ll lengthen their stems in a few days.

For best growth and flowering, a pygmy lily needs at least a third of a bushel of soil and about eight inches of water over its crown. Soil can be heavy and clay-like, or average garden loam. If possible, add one-fourth the quantity of well-rotted cow manure—no other kind. Experts recommend strongly against the use of other-than-cow manures, swamp muck, leaf mold, peat moss, sand, or lime.

Lacking cow manure, you can get fertilizers prepared specially for water lilies, or you can use commercial garden fertilizers like those with 5-10-5 analysis. Supply nourishment at planting time, and once again a month or so later. Wrap balls of rotted cow manure, or handfuls of commercial fertilizer, in thin paper (a paper napkin will do) and thrust them down into the soil around the roots. Water lilies have voracious appetites, and even the pygmies eat heartily. On a starvation diet, they’ll stop growing and flowering.

In winter, store the rhizomes in an unheated cellar or garage where they will keep cool but not freeze. Don’t let them dry out completely. Keep the soil in the container barely moist; or if the rhizome is not in soil, wrap it in burlap that can be kept moist.

Hardy water lilies are propagated by planting divisions of the roots, with each section having at least one growing point.

In the wide selection of available varieties, the following pygmies are suitable for most miniature pools.

Nymphaea Nymphaeaceae Pygmy Water Lily

Floating Plants

Another advantage of miniature pools is that any of the attractive surface plants that multiply too fast can be easily scooped out as often as you wish. And they are unusually attractive in forms, colors, and textures. Feeding from nutrients in solution in the water, they make shade for fish, and their dangling roots provide a safe place for fish to spawn. Simply drop the plants in the water and let them grow. Or, if you want them to raise a family, put some soil in a shallow spot where the roots can anchor. Most are annuals, to be bought each year.

Oxygenating Plants

These are aquatics that grow down in the water and help keep it sweet and clean. Bunches of some can be simply dropped in the pool. But all will grow better and save you the trouble of replacing them if their roots are in soil, in pots set on the pool floor. Although they’re mostly perennials, we prefer to start each season with a fresh supply. They’re available in variety at pet stores or by mail from lily specialists. Since they’re neither true miniature plants nor as decorative as they are functional, separate descriptions are not included here.

Other Aquatic Plants

With the water lilies and other aquatics, these are the only plants that can grow with their roots standing in water—some in deeper water than others. With few exceptions, this does not mean sour, stagnant water. Even in bogs there is some circulation. Adding chunks of charcoal that absorbs impurities will often help keep the water fresh and healthful.

Some of these plants are hardy, some are not; some need their roots in soil; some can do without it; some are better growing in the water of the pool; some in the boggy soil beside it.

Earlier in this chapter I said I had never built a pool. I meant that I had never done it personally and worried about water levels and the general engineering. But we have had several pools, little more than puddles, which my husband constructed. Small though they were, they gave us the chance to enjoy water lilies and bog plants. It was then that I began to realize the delights and magnitude of this sort of gardening. Someday I hope to have a pond of some size—a spot for lilies, frogs, and goldfish and all of those things G. L. Thomas, Jr., writes about so charmingly in his book, Garden Pools, Water-Lilies and Goldfish. I also get great pleasure out of the catalogues several suppliers send out. They are most delightful reading. Read that book, and the catalogues, and I know you will be converted to water-gardening.