10 Mini Water Garden Ideas

Create your own mini water garden from a waterproof container at least 6 inches deep. Of course, a deeper container gives you a much wider choice of plants, and your garden will need at least 6 hours of sun. These tips will guide you:

1. Any watertight container will work: aquarium, terrarium, old bathtub, kiddie pool, pottery dish or plastic planter with no holes.
2. A gallon of water weighs 8 pounds, so plan to fill your mini garden pond in the place you’ll use it.
3. Coat non-galvanized steel tubs with rubber-based paint. They’ll last longer.
4. Avoid containers with wood preservatives, tar or oils. They’ll make the water scummy.
5. A container that holds about 20 gallons of water will support a goldfish or two.
6. Clean all containers with plain water—no detergent.
7. Keep all fertilizers far from your water garden.
8. Leave plants in their pots. Use bricks to set them at the proper water level. Cover the soil in the pot with pea gravel.
9. Algae will cloud the water after a couple of weeks. It will clear in another week.
10. Over-winter potted plants in a tub of water in the basement. They’ll go dormant, but rise again once you put them out in the spring.