Il nostro laghetto delle erbe – what if your water garden could also grow wonderful herbs to flavor your breakfast, lunch, and supper. You don’t need much space to create an edible garden pond, we don’t have that either. There are two little ponds, and another one located on the terrace, in a cool corner. It’s this little container which has become a cherished home to our water herbs. There’s also a nice colorful background, .lavanda – lavender (also great for refreshing summer drinks and food) coming into bloom in May.

Most people in urban settings don’t have space to construct a full-sized pond. Water gardens in containers are easy to build, and in Venice, we use a terracotta pot, and sometimes a fake terracotta container, to build a tiny water garden for our herbs within a few hours.

Use garden turf in which you plant two favorite herbs in the northern Mediterranean garden: nasturzio officinale = Crescione d’acqua – water cress (yes, we love that too in Venice) and menta acqua – water mint.

Water mint has a habit of spilling, that is, “leaving the pot” and growing roots in what seems an enemy habitat – in the midst of a stone terrace !! Leave a little space to fill up the pond with water, for water cress loves floating. We use water cress to season salads and garnish tomato bruschetta. The mint is great for acqua alla menta – refreshing water mint water, which is a second easily prepared drink and so cooling in summer!