Aquatic gardens beautify waterways
August 28, 2010, Saturday
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IN the Yiranju neighborhood in the Hongqiao area, there are three man-made rivers that have been enhanced with pleasing results.
The waterways have spawned gorgeous side ponds filled with water plants, thanks to the three years of effort by a senior citizen named Hu Mingtong.
You can thank Hu for the pleasure of watching frogs jumping amid lotus.
Walking in Yiranju gives one a soothing sense and a feast for the eyes. In the water scenes designed by Hu, lotus bloom alongside plants such as pumilum and nymphoides peltatum.
Just a bit further on are ceratophllum dermersum and myriophyllum spicatum. The scientific names may sound like tongue-twisters, but the beauty of these plants and flowers is undeniable.More familiarly, canna and thalia blooms also abound.
Hu, of course, has no problem with either the Latin names or the choice of proper plants for an aquatic environment.
What he plants, he says, benefits both the river waters and the residents who live along them. Indeed, more than 100 plants of 30 varieties now live in the waters, and most of them were planted this year.
What a change of scene from just three years ago, when the rivers in Yiranju were considered dead water.
That's when Hu decided to take action to improve the situation.
In the first two years, he constructed small dams and planted some algae to make the waters come "alive."
After that, he collected masses of information about water plants, selecting more than 30 varieties that would do well in this environment. He purchases all the plants from his own savings.
He made such a success of his one-man project that now other neighborhoods are contacting him for advice on how to restore waterways in their areas.
"They should start by planting water lilies and thalia dealbata," he said. "Those plants can survive the winter easily and with little care, and they're very useful in purifying water."
Even if man-made waterways have concrete bottoms, there are ways to introduce plants to the environment, he said.
"They can put in some potted plants like I did," Hu said. "It's better to have several plants in one pot so they can support each other against the wind."
And according to Hu, the best time to plant water plants is April.
"If you plant at that time, you can enjoy beautiful water flowers through the entire summer," he said.
"When winter comes, you have to prune some of the tops above the water line. Most water plants can survive the winter with only their stem tubers in the water."
Hu is a treasure trove of advice for neighborhoods that want to beautify their surroundings. And best of all, he said, creating water ponds is easy, inexpensive and a lot of rewarding fun.
The waterways have spawned gorgeous side ponds filled with water plants, thanks to the three years of effort by a senior citizen named Hu Mingtong.
You can thank Hu for the pleasure of watching frogs jumping amid lotus.
Walking in Yiranju gives one a soothing sense and a feast for the eyes. In the water scenes designed by Hu, lotus bloom alongside plants such as pumilum and nymphoides peltatum.
Just a bit further on are ceratophllum dermersum and myriophyllum spicatum. The scientific names may sound like tongue-twisters, but the beauty of these plants and flowers is undeniable.More familiarly, canna and thalia blooms also abound.
Hu, of course, has no problem with either the Latin names or the choice of proper plants for an aquatic environment.
What he plants, he says, benefits both the river waters and the residents who live along them. Indeed, more than 100 plants of 30 varieties now live in the waters, and most of them were planted this year.
What a change of scene from just three years ago, when the rivers in Yiranju were considered dead water.
That's when Hu decided to take action to improve the situation.
In the first two years, he constructed small dams and planted some algae to make the waters come "alive."
After that, he collected masses of information about water plants, selecting more than 30 varieties that would do well in this environment. He purchases all the plants from his own savings.
He made such a success of his one-man project that now other neighborhoods are contacting him for advice on how to restore waterways in their areas.
"They should start by planting water lilies and thalia dealbata," he said. "Those plants can survive the winter easily and with little care, and they're very useful in purifying water."
Even if man-made waterways have concrete bottoms, there are ways to introduce plants to the environment, he said.
"They can put in some potted plants like I did," Hu said. "It's better to have several plants in one pot so they can support each other against the wind."
And according to Hu, the best time to plant water plants is April.
"If you plant at that time, you can enjoy beautiful water flowers through the entire summer," he said.
"When winter comes, you have to prune some of the tops above the water line. Most water plants can survive the winter with only their stem tubers in the water."
Hu is a treasure trove of advice for neighborhoods that want to beautify their surroundings. And best of all, he said, creating water ponds is easy, inexpensive and a lot of rewarding fun.
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