Home >> Water Garden Information

Container Pond Ideas

Container ponds can be a great choice if you have a limited budget or don't have the space for a full-blown water garden in your backyard. These miniature ponds can be small enough to fit nicely on the patio or deck of an apartment or condo. Despite their size, you can still do quite a bit with container ponds. Floating plants like lilies and hyacinths grow nicely. If you add a small fountain, the trickling of the water can block out unpleasant sounds like traffic or air conditioners.

So, what can you use to make a container pond? You might be surprised that you can actually use things laying around the house. Here are just a few examples:

-wide-lipped jars and crocs
-children's wading pools
-a variety of plastic or glass containers
-abandoned aquariums
-large garbage cans (cut them in half so they are a manageable height for a pond)
-wooden barrels (sliced in half) are popular choices and are available at any garden store
-watering troughs for livestock
-big flowerpots (hot glue can seal up the holes in the bottom)

Whatever you decide to use to hold your container pond, remember you need to plan away to keep your pond clean even if it small. Although (if you don't add fish to your pond) plants will generally keep the water clean, many people choose to install a small pump. Ask at your garden store for more water filtering ideas.

Source: 2005 Annual Issue of Ponds USA and Water Gardens