How To Make A Water Garden In A Container

How to make a mini-pond

A mini-pond can bring interest and wildlife to your garden. We show you how to make one.

Published: Wednesday, 3 April, 2019 at 12:13 pm

A table displaying which months are best to sow, plant and harvest.
At its best
	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
At its best	Plant is not at its best in January	Plant is not at its best in February	Plant is not at its best in March	Plant is not at its best in April	Plant is not at its best in May	Plant is at its best in June	Plant is at its best in July	Plant is at its best in August	Plant is at its best in September	Plant is not at its best in October	Plant is not at its best in November	Plant is not at its best in December
To do
To do	Do not To do in January	Do not To do in February	Do not To do in March	Do To do in April	Do To do in May	Do To do in June	Do not To do in July	Do not To do in August	Do not To do in September	Do not To do in October	Do not To do in November	Do not To do in December

Water adds a new dimension to any garden and our pond-in-a-pot is the ideal place to grow miniature waterlilies and other small aquatic plants. This idea is quick and easy to make and requires minimal care. The larger the container, the more impressive the display, although it's best to limit yourself to one or two well-chosen types of plant. Use too many and your pond will quickly become cluttered.

You Will Need

Tin bath , or other large container
Waterproof sealant
Bricks (six)
Medium planting baskets (three)
Aquatic compost (4l)
Assorted aquatic plants (six)
Oxygenating plants (two)
Washed pea gravel
Large feature stone , a little taller than the height of the container

Step 1

Thoroughly clean the tin bath or your chosen container and seal any drainage holes with silicone. Place the bricks around the container's edges, ready to raise the plants to the right level. If you're using a shallower container than our tin bath, you may not need the bricks.

Pond in a pot – adding bricks to the pot

Step 2

Knock the aquatic plants from their pots. Put a layer of aquatic compost in the bottom of the planting basket and position the plants. Each basket should accommodate two or three plants.

Pond in a pot – planting aquatic plants

Step 3

Fill in around the roots with more compost, firming as you go, then water thoroughly to settle the compost. Top it off with a layer of pea gravel across the surface. Plant each of the baskets this way.

Pond in a pot – adding gravel to the surface of each pot

Step 4

Fill the container two-thirds with water. Carefully lower the baskets into the water, standing them on the bricks. If you're viewing the pond from one direction, place the taller plants at the back; if viewing it from all sides, place in the centre.

Pond in a pot – lowering the baskets into the water

Step 5

When you're happy with the arrangement of the plants, top up the level of the water to around 2cm – 3cm below the rim of the container. Adding a stone to the pond that just breaks the surface of the water gives birds a landing platform from which to take a drink.

Pond in a pot – topping up the pond with water

Add a couple of oxygenating plants to help aerate the pond and limit algal growth.

Watering can

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