A serene water garden

A dragonfly dive-bombs the mirrorlike surface of one of Tom and Marilyn Kenney's four water gardens. Nearby, a lavender tropical water lily unfurls its delicate petals in barely discernible movements. Murphy, an orange tabby cat, flicks his tail as he spies a goldfish floating like an orange bloom just beneath the surface of the pond.

Every detail is worth noticing here at Skycrest Gardens just north of Ames, Iowa. Tom's soothing water gardens and Marilyn's lavish flower borders create a lush oasis in what once was a barren 3/4-acre yard.

Tom, a retired utility worker, started water gardening about 10 years ago. "There wasn't that much information about water gardening and very few supplies," he says. "I found out firsthand how hard it was to get quality plants."

Marilyn, a former cosmetologist, became an Extension Service Master Gardener about the time Tom started water gardening. Now, their hobby has become a business. They sell water garden supplies and perennial plants on weekends from their ranch home.

In the summer, Tom and Marilyn together devote as many as 200 hours a week to keep the yard groomed like a showplace. "We have to remind one another about a favorite plant that's blooming or we'll miss it," Tom says.

Despite a hectic pace, the Kenneys try to sneak a few moments in the evenings to relax on a bench beside a pond. With some of their 18 cats, they smell sweet night-blooming plants and listen to comforting sounds of rippling water as moonlight glistens on the surface.

Large or small -- ponds to suit any yard

Tom's handiwork shows how easy it is to use water gardens in a home landscape. His smallest pond, about 5x4 feet and packed with fuzzy water lettuce plants, tucks into a fenced corner. In another part of the yard, a large formal concrete pond with a two-tier waterfall lends a note of elegance. Two larger water gardens, each about 13x20 feet, blend in so well with Marilyn's flower borders that you might not notice them until you almost fall in. Out-of-the-ordinary plants such as wispy, 5-foot-tall Egyptian papyrus, or 3-foot-tall taro, with burgundy, heart-shaped leaves, hint that these aren't average flower beds: They're ponds!

Tropical and hardy water lilies and lotus plants decorate the surface with pastel blooms, from lavender to pink and pale yellow. Dainty flowers and mammoth striped leaves of 5-foot-tall cannas add interest. The Kenneys grow nearly 30 kinds of water plants, including bog lily, cardinal flower, yellow snowflake, parrot feather, lotus, water hyacinth, and water iris. The roots of plants such as water lilies stay in submerged pots, making them easy to move around.

The blooms of hardy lilies, which come in shades of yellow, pink, and red, rest on the water. Very fragrant tropical lilies poke out several inches above the water's surface. Tropical lilies come in the same colors as hardies, plus blues and purples, and grow larger leaves. You can buy day- or night-blooming water lilies.

Lotus blossoms stay open two or three days, but the beauty doesn't end there. Marilyn cuts the stems and allows the petals to fall off. She uses dried center pods, which resemble miniature shower heads, in arrangements.

It's best to start small. "After people realize how much they enjoy a little pond," Tom says, "they think it's not big enough." Adds Marilyn, "Most come back the next year and say, 'I need a bigger water garden!'"

Pointers for perfect ponds

Anyone can install a water garden, Tom and Marilyn say. Think about how much work or money you want to put into it before you buy supplies, plants, or fish. You can start a tub garden for less than $200. That includes a whiskey half-barrel (about $50), a liner ($20), floating plants such as water lettuce ($5 a plant), a miniature water lily ($25), and a recirculating pump ($50). If you overfeed fish or if plants don't shade the bottom, you'll need a filter to keep the water clean. "The goal," says Tom, "is to balance the pond like it would be in nature."

Don't place an in-ground pond in the lowest part of your yard. "That's your first instinct," Marilyn says, "but water flows underneath the pond liner, bubbles up, and upsets your flower pots." Instead, you should plan to put the pond in an area where the underground water drains away.

A water garden should be at least 18 inches deep for lilies to grow. Ponds can go as deep as 3 or 4 feet.

Water lilies need 4 to 6 hours of sun daily for full blooming. "A few varieties tolerate some shade and still bloom," Tom says. "Foliage plants will grow even in deep shade."

Hardy water lilies bloom from early summer until a hard freeze. Tropicals, which won't flower till water temperatures consistently exceed 70°, do well until a light frost.

You can overwinter hardy water lilies and other plants on the bottom of your pond. Be sure to check for winter hardiness before you buy the plants. Many gardeners treat foliage plants such as umbrella palm and taro like houseplants during the winter. Tom and Marilyn replace their tropical water lilies every year, since it's too difficult to keep them alive inside.

To visit Skycrest Gardens

The Kenneys welcome visitors and sell plants the first weekend in May to mid-August.

Their hours: Saturdays - 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sundays - noon to 5 p.m.

Skycrest Gardens
243 Dave Circle
Ames, IA 50010
Phone: 515/233-1382