Thanks everyone.
BillC: I have a regular pot (with drain holes) which has the medium and the plant(s). The whole thing is submerged in a larger pot which is filled with water.
This makes it easier to change the water frequently until I find something that will kill the mosquito larvae without hurting the plant.
I had a fibre glass pond in the backyard fully embedded in the ground. I had Koi and goldfish in it. I also had some guppies to eat the mosquito larvae. Though I had a mix of cold water fish and tropical fish they did alright since the pond was big and deep.
I have racoons and occasional beavers in this area and I had nothing but problems. I lost many fish to them. And they make such a mess of the plants and the pots inside I had to clean the entire pond. With the additional threat of West Nile fever I got rid of the pond( I have many kids come to play and have fun)
Kazjak and tobi: I'd love to have wildernesss as my backyard. I know it comes with its own set headaches too
Is it a blue heron, kazjak? What a lovely bird.
Palito : how many colours do you have? I have pink,red and yellow. I had blue (hybrid) when I had the pond but it did not have many blooms.
Tobi: I have water canna, water hyacinth and water lettuce and all of them are in pots. When you are ready we can work on the aquatic plants with /without fish.