Flora & Fauna Plants, animals, and nature
related activities.
Floating
Dish Water Garden
Uncomplicated
and undemanding, an indoor water garden takes just
a few minutes to make with just a few simple supplies
and a sunny window (and water, of course). The result
is a serene scene that can be enjoyed for months.
You
will need:
Large
glass container (any wide-mouthed vase, glass jar,
fish bowl or rose bowl).
Floater
plants. Look for water lettuce (pictured), duckweed,
water hyacinth, eelgrass, hornwort and sweet flag,
which can be removed easily when the water needs
changing. These floating
plants are usually available at pet stores
that sell aquarium supplies. As an alternative
to buying these tropical plants, use cuttings from
various types of houseplants that can grow in water
as floaters. Pothos (devil’s ivy) will form
roots and grow for months in a container of water
with no soil. Clippings from English ivy, wandering
Jew, coleus, dwarf umbrella plant and some varieties
of philodendrons can also be used. You can even
grow spider plants in water, but they will eventually
need to be transplanted to soil to thrive. Experiment
with different types of plants.
Water
conditioner (available at pet stores) or purified
water (grocery store).
Fertilizer
pellets for aquatic plants.
How
to do it:
Fill
your container with water. Do not use water straight
from the tap; it contains chlorine and fluoride
that can harm plants and promote algae. Add a few
drops of water conditioner to tap water (as instructed
on the label), or use purified water from the grocery.
You can also let tap water stand, uncovered, for
24 hours.
Remove
the plant from its original container and rinse
the roots. Place the plant on top of the water.
Place
the water garden in bright, indirect light where
it can receive at least a half-day of sunlight.
Change
the water weekly, topping off if the level gets low.
Groom your
water plants by trimming the roots and removing any
brown leaves. Discard
dead plants and replace them with fresh cuttings.
Fertilize
water arrangements with the pellet form of aquatic
plant fertilizer. Follow the directions on the label.
To
add interest, put a layer of pebbles,
gravel or seashells in the bottom of the container.
The
"Dirt" on Floaters (to share with
your group during the activity)
Some plants
like a lot of water. In fact, there are certain types
of plants that grow in just water.
The most “water” of all water plants
are those called
"floaters." These plants simply float on
the surface of water and are not rooted at all in the
soil. They get all the things they need to grow from
the water. Some of these plants are very small and
fish will snap them up and eat them for lunch. In a
natural habitat, they often serve to shade the fish
in the water. Some examples of floaters are duckweed,
floating ferns, floating-heart, water lettuce and water
hyacinth.
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Large
glass container (any wide-mouthed vase, glass jar,
fish bowl or rose bowl). 
Fill
your container with water. Do not use water straight
from the tap; it contains chlorine and fluoride
that can harm plants and promote algae. Add a few
drops of water conditioner to tap water (as instructed
on the label), or use purified water from the grocery.
You can also let tap water stand, uncovered, for
24 hours.