The broccoli plants I grew were about 4 feet wide, as well as tall. I have no doubt they would have gotten bigger if I wasn't getting low on the Flora series nutrients, and just used miracle gro until they were to far gone. I can't see a plant that size being easy to lift off the top of the bucket to do nutrient changes, and/or other maintenance. Yes can could have a drain plug, but you would still need to take the plant out to clean the inside of the bucket. I had 4 broccoli plants in 5 gallon buckets, but as a drip system with a 18 gallon reservoir. Between all 4 plants I would need to add 6-8 gallons of water each day back to the reservoir just to get the water level back to where it was. The system had no leaks, and it wasn't even hot yet because broccoli is a cold weather plant, so I grew them over winter. If I forgot to add water one day, the pump would be running dry the next day. So each plant would be drinking 1 1/2 to 2 gallons of water each day. Assuming you had 5 gallons of water in the 5 gallon bucket, that would be at least a third of the water per day. You can add water through the top each day, but the water level fluctuating that much will cause the nutrient strength (EC) to fluctuate quite a bit constantly. I wasn't expecting them to drink that much either, or I would have gotten a larger reservoir. Your analysis of oxygen saturation point in water ignores the gradient effects of the depth of the water and the distance from the roots. I don't think so. First I'm only talking about water less than 2 feet deep, probably only 1 foot at most, so the gradient effects of the depth of the water should be minimal at best. Also I'm not talking about non moving water. Even if you don't recirculate it, using a high volume air pump (you can get for about $100) and evenly placed air stones will supply both circulating water, as well as replace oxygen used by the plants. That will also provide actual air to the roots. That's how a typical water culture system works, and what I'm talking about. I don't think providing an even supply of sufficient air bubbles to the roots of a 12 foot long, by 2 foot wide container is a problem. But regardless of the water depth, if you don't have a way to sufficiently replace the oxygen used by the plants, your going to have a problem. Even if you do recirculate the water, I would still want a good air supply to the roots. Recirculating the water just adds the added benefits of being able to help oxygenate the water even more with falling water, as well as much easier nutrient maintenance.

garyboun - I actually accomplished what I wanted and I love it. My washer /dryer are underneath my cabinets with pocket doors that open and slide back in. It required wider cabinets but I love that they are hidden when not in use. Since I used pocket doors, I had to go wider so each appliance has double pocket doors. Because the dryer is not vented it's important to keep doors open when using. It's great during the winter because it heats the room up. Let me clean up the laundry room a bit and I'll show you pics. In order to accomplish the planning of my cabinets, I did find a washer/dryer in a showroom and took pictures so that I could plan where to put my plugs and drain hoses. I have those pics as well if you want them. The only thing that is a bit tricky is that the detergent fill-bin is located at the top, so you will need to be careful about your countertop overhang. My total depth of the cabinets with the w/d is 27" including countertop. Cabinet depth is 26 1/2" so very minimal overhang. There's definitely room in the back for it to go back further but I wanted to play it safe. At minimum I think the cabinet depth would need to be 25" with doors that overlay on top versus inset. As far as leaving door open to dry out, it's also necessary to wipe down the rubber flange of excess water so mold doesn't set in. But I typically leave door open when I'm done with laundry on both w/d for a bit before closing them up for the day. These are in my back door entry so it's really nice to shut them away. I'm really happy with the way it turned out. Let me know if you have any questions and I will see if I can upload pictures tomorrow.

I only know the Arrowhead, Sagittaria sagittifolia, and they grow flat out and take over in no time. They'll grow in just soggy ground or in water so a pot at water's surface would be okay. However, found they over crowd themselves then look shabby and attract pests. Pulled all mine out within a few months of planting them. But the early growth is very attractive.

What are the dimensions of the proposed laundry room? Are you consulting professional designers? (I ask because of your question about doing an island in the master closet which is clearly not wide enough to accommodate an island. At least 11 feet in width is the rule of thumb for doing a small island in a kitchen. Hanging space requires almost as much room as base cabinets require. I.e., 24" is the minimum closet depth vs. base cabinets that are 24" deep + 1.5-2.0" countertop overhang.) How much free space will you have in front of the washer & dryer? 48" is the usually recommended amount of space that is needed to comfortably work in the space. How wide is the door opening? Wide enough to easily get through with loaded baskets of laundry? To move the machines into the rooms. Is there enough space for almost inevitable repairs to be made? I'll echo what others have said; the master closet is large. IMO, a house that has a 'Master Closet' the size of a small bedroom should have more than a cubbyhole for a laundry. Better to have as much info as you can get ahead of a project rather than have regrets after it is done.