no drought in these gardens

After living with drought for the last several years it’s refreshing to take a look at some gardens where water appears as an unlimited resource. Last weekend’s L.A. Times Home section featured an article on iwagumi, the art of aquascaping. Take a Japanese garden aesthetic, only apply it to a fishtank, and you have a basic take on iwagumi.


Above: Luis Carlos Galarraga, Sao Paulo Brazil, “When the rocks flow.” [ source ]

Each year the Aquatic Gardeners Association hosts a competition for photographs of these carefully planted tanks. (This year’s contest deadline is September 30.) Contestants have to apply the same design sense that they’d need to work with in a garden on land. But instead of the familiar plants of the terrestrial realm, they’re using aquatic species, most frequently planting them among an assortment of striking stones. In these gardens the delicate creatures overhead aren’t birds, but fish.

The image above and the two below are medium-sized tanks from last year’s competition. Click on the “source” link and you’ll be taken to the page where you’ll see more images of each project, along with comments from the competition’s judges. It’s a very specialized aesthetic that they’re employing in the scoring, but the comments are interesting to read with a grain of salt, and might give you ideas on how to play with plants and space in gardens that live on the other side of the water table.


Above: Mélisse Moireau, Sarcelles France, “Grassland sunset.” [ source ]


Above: Michal Pasternak, Krakow Poland, “Sunset.” [ source ]

Since we’re air-breathing creatures these tanks transport us to a realm where we normally don’t have an opportunity to look at in any detail. They remind me a lot of the photography of Karen Glaser, a Chicago photographer that I had a chance to exhibit with a few years back in a group show here in town at the Museum of Photographic Arts. Much of Karen’s work is taken underwater, in the oceans or in swamps. Her magical, mysterious work is nothing like the clichés that make up most other underwater photography.


This image:
Karen Glaser: Dust Storm in Catfish Sink, 2006, Pigment Print on Hahnemühle Photo Rag, 37x25in.

Check out her website for lots more examples of her beautiful work.

12 thoughts on “no drought in these gardens”

  1. Now aqua gardens is something I could really get into. The drought thing just makes me not want to think about gardening. So far not so many drought issues in my neck of the country. I think you do great in your area though.

  2. Excellent post! Water shortage is a growing concern and places like Southern California are facing fresh water shortages. http://j.mp/19jEtW will show you how far the water reserve levels have declined in Southern California. You will find a gauge on the site with three-color zones: Blue – good, Yellow – not good and Red – bad. The needle on this gauge is dropping out of the blue zone and heading into the yellow zone. Hence we need to use water wisely in our daily activities. It also has easy water-wise gardening tips!

  3. Very cool. Thanks for posting these. i hadn’t heard of the competition, but it makes perfect sense. I was blown away the first time I saw a fish tank that was an underwater garden, I sat and stared for a long long time.

    1. Ryan, growing up we had the tacky fishtank with the bubbling deep sea diver and the treasure chest opens and closes as air is introduced inside it. These little aquascapes are so much more amazing.

      Pomona, yes these tanks are all little worlds of their own and they don’t take much water at all, as you say. The ones I showed were 20 gallons or so–not a lot of water by average water-use standards.

  4. These are so beautiful, I hadn’t seen these plantings before, like little worlds and beautiful art at the same time. Very idea-provoking. And, since water plants in containers are actually water-saving, a place where we dry-climate people could get our water jollies without being wasteful.

  5. Hi James, I wanted to say a big congrats on making the finals for best drought tolerant blog. I’ve learned so much from you and honestly you never complain about water restrictions and do such a good job of working with your conditions you would think there is nothing special about drought conditions. If only it were so!

  6. Wow, James, those things are fascinating. Great find! I am now a full fledged Kentuckian, by the way, complete with my recent bourbon intake at a Louisville tail gate party! It’s working out wonderfully.

  7. My housemate has an aquarium with all sorts of plants and algae growing in the sand/gravel and on a large piece of wood. It’s very interesting to look at and to see how he “gardens,” cutting back, transplanting etc. I didn’t realize how artistic it could be. I’m forwarding him the link. Oh and as he changes the water, a little bit each week, we use the old in the garden. The plants seem to like it.

  8. Tina and CM, thanks for the congrats on the blog!

    Steve, best of luck with your new home! A dunking booth with a vat of bourbon might be the best Kentucky initiation, but a tailgate sounds like a good way to go too.

    Brad, we occasionally drain some water out of the outdoor fishpond. The nutrients definitely make the downstream plants happy and it’s a chance to get fresher water into the pond. Maybe your housemate will get some serious inspiration going and fill your place with multiple landscaped tanks…

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