How To Make a Container Water Garden for Your Patio

Introduction

Container gardens with aquatic plants create more mystery than plants potted in soil. Plus, they're extremely low maintenance.

Looking for an easy way to brighten up your stoop or a small deck? Try making a pint-sized water garden like this one. They’re extremely low maintenance, inexpensive and easy to build. So here’s how to get into the swim of things with a container water garden.

For a basic water garden, you need a container of some kind. It’s helpful if it’s at least 7 to 8 in. deep. Here, we’ve used a round plastic planter, but you can adapt this project to a galvanized bucket or other small containers. Don’t be afraid to get creative with it!

A few additional tips for making a container water garden:

• The floor is two tiered to allow for different types of plants; the lilies planted on the deep side have stems that float upward and extend horizontally, while the “marginal” plants—those that grow upright and favor shallower water—stand on the higher side. The partition that separates the two sides can be made from stone, bricks or other heavy material.
• Pea gravel both beautifies your water garden and acts as a lid over the un-potted soil so it can’t circulate and darken the water. Rinse the pea gravel before adding it to the container.
• For extra protection, place the pump in a nylon stocking before putting it in the cup, then stuff the extra nylon over the pump. This filtering is crucial; otherwise, pebbles and kitty litter will be drawn into the pump and clog it. A well-filtered pump will run for them sit for a day or two to allow chlorine to evaporate and water temperature to moderate. Pour the water in gradually—it should be as clear as a mountain stream.
• Aquatic plants thrive on direct sunlight, so a bright sunny spot is ideal. If possible, position the container near an electrical outlet for the pump. Wind can wreak havoc with tall plants by pushing the containers off their pedestals. Finding a wind-free space helps solve this problem and ensures the fountain arc from the spouting ornament looks and sounds the way you want it to.