Hydroponics or Water Gardening
If there is at least six hours of light on it, and as long as a container can hold enough water to sustain some plants, and perhaps some fish, any container can become the basis for a water garden. Water gardening used to be limited to ponds and larger bodies of water. Now, many people can enjoy the pleasures of water gardening, even if they live in an apartment.
Water gardening containers may have one, two or three basic kinds of plants. Some plants are placed in the water, but grow above the water line. Some plants grow below the surface of the water. Some plants, called “floaters” for obvious reasons, seem to “float” on the water. How many and which variety of plant will depend on the care the plant needs and the size of the container.
Some water gardens contain fish or snails. Small gardens might be home to a few guppies. Guppies can tolerate a range of temperatures. They also eat mosquitoes that might be tempted by the water. Larger containers might be able to hold one or two goldfish. Some snails might be advantageous since snails eat fish waste and decaying plant matter. Even with snails, it is not possible to fill a container with water, stick some plants in the water and call it a successful water garden. Water gardening requires some form of fresh water supply. If the garden is a container, then consideration must be given to how often and how easily the container will be cleaned and given fresh water.