What’s Hot in the Garden: Water Gardens and Tasty Herbs

Credit: Aquascape / Proven Winners

The aquatic patio pond and a sampling of herbs

This time of year, install a quick and easy water garden pond, and nurture your herb garden for delicious flavouring come summer season

A Pond in a Pinch: Installing a pond in your yard just went from complicated to quick as can be. With minimal setup, Aquascape’s Aquatic Patio Pond can sit on your patio or be nestled into the garden as a small-scale water feature. The natural rock veneer ages like real stone and won’t fade or chip when placed in the outdoors.

Fill the bowl of the water garden with your hose, arrange plants on the pot’s integrated shelf, toss in some fish for good measure and enjoy pond life in small spaces. The pond pots come in three sizes and your choice of colour: green slate, desert granite or terracotta. From $199.98

Herb is the Word: Summer is epitomized by still, warm air heavy with the aroma of sun-loving herbs, the drone of bees moving from flower to flower and the simplicity of seasoned, grilled meat and veggies accompanied by fresh salads.

Stake out the sunniest part of your garden, patio or balcony and devote it to herbs. Lavender wins for fragrance and beauty – not a plant to live without! Common garden thyme is a petite shrub that casts up delicate flowers in tiny clusters. Lemon balm is perfect for those tall summer drinks, and sage is the classic for stuffings and pungent seasonings.

Not only is it pleasing to harvest one’s own produce, even on a modest scale, but it’s fun to cut some stems and arrange them in a wicker nest to be used as an accent or gift. Many of our favourite culinary herbs like full sun, sandy soil, modest amounts of fertilizer (organic, please) and a generous handful of dolomite lime. Bon appétit! 

Originally published in BC Home & Garden magazine. For regular updates, subscribe to our free Home and Garden e-newsletters, or purchase a subscription to the magazine.