It’s easy to create a pretty pot pond, but there are a few things you need to know before you fill it with water! How to make a container pond out of a trough, a barrel, a stone sink…or anything that will hold water.
00:00 What container can I use for a pond?
00:37 Why a container pond is a good idea
01:17 How to turn an agricultural drinking trough into a container pond
02:14 How deep should a container pond be?
02:41 Should you add soil to a container pond?
03:03 How to minimise mosquitoes in a container pond
03:52 Where to place your container pond
04:59 Think about access to plugs or taps when placing the mini pond
05:59 How to choose plants for a container pond
07:50 How to create different levels in a mini pond
09:13 Can you fill your mini pond with tap water?
10:00 Wildlife friendly tips playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrZRLHPUbGmC47mvZplRxbYtKsSL3WtKN
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40 Comments
FYI: If racoons are among the wild life your garden attracts, avoid water features. They will spend the night reeking havoc on it. I had to raise my concrete birdbath by a couple feet to keep them from sitting in it and knocking it off. They have crushed the boxwoods around it. The top looks pretty banged up. But at least they haven't broken it, yet.
Japanese rice fish also know as medaka are a wonderful small fish for barel ponds. They can survive in a range of temperature and won't get eaten easily by birds.
I use guppies in summer which breed like crazy but they usually die off in winter.
Thanks for another interesting video.
Wonderful Video, thank you and Jane ❤ I have 3 little ponds with solar pumps. They are great , with plants and stones in them, so the birds and bees can drink. At the moment I have a beehive in the garden and it is interestung how much the bees use the pond to drink. We also have large trays with water in the garden for the cats and other critters. ❤
Very nice video, thank you. I agree about the about medaka rice fish. They can't eat most frog eggs because they're mouths are too small, but will get rid of mosquitoes. Get the 'plain' and not fancy types as the latter are less hardy. In Japan medaka are a sort of subculture hobby with their own style of keeping them in tubs outdoors that are only a few gallons in size, although they require a higher level of care kept that way. I also have a tub with a goldfish, and they seem to have fewer issues including not eating all the wildlife that attempt to use the pond, critters like raccoons can't catch them easily or make much dent in the population. To me it makes gardening more interesting without much more work.
This was perfectly timed for me: I've been considering a container pond for a couple of years, but always was a little concerned quite how successful they are/had concerns about mosquito larvae. The information in this video was clear and thorough, thank you!
One extra question, is there a better time of year to add plants to a pond? Is it better to add when they are dormant/after flowering, or does it make little difference?
Love the video 🎉, I went for I r bird bath and bog pot with some flag iris 😋
I've been thinking about a water feature for a bit now and couldn't picture one that worked in our space and with our modern style. This feeding trough might be a good fit! Thank you!
This is so very timely for us personally. We will soon be digging out a small pond, and these details discussed all have relevance. Thanks!
Thank you Alexandra ~ what an excellent idea for a town garden container pond where space is limited. The agricultural drinking trough is ideal with its narrow profile and cross-brace strengthening integral to its original use. I love what Jane Beadle has done with the boulders and plantings, and because it's all so easily accessible it can be added to or modified, become mature & evolve as a beautiful feature in its own right and as a wonderful wildlife haven. Hope you're keeping well, and having relaxing times in your own beautiful garden x
Magnifique ❤ merci!
Ecologist Ken Thompson did a study on urban gardens that found that ponds with fish had much less value for wildlife (as they ate everything!). The RHS website also states: "Fish – these are top predators in a garden pond, reducing biodiversity, and they also raise nutrient levels, which encourages algae and blanketweed." Just wanted to make people aware that no fish is potentially better for wildlife, but of course any body of water will be better than none- for hedgehogs and thirsty pollinators as you point out!
I have a small barrel pond & I love it…vut sadly my fish were eaten by bull frogs. A sad reminder that a food chain does exist 🌿
Rice fish is a good idea, but be aware birds love sushi!😏
I'd like to have a small container pond with no fish and no pump. I guess I can't do that without getting tons of mosquitoes. I just don't have space for a pond with a pump. I don't really have space for a pond at all. All well.
👍👍
I made a small container pond from a plastic half-barrel. I have a tiny garden space. Well, one year later and it is a thriving scene with flying hedgehogs, red leaf sorrel, forget-me-not all growing. I placed a plank across (palette wood) which allows birds to land and drink. Only had one 'problem' – hair-like algae which I scooped out once earlier in the year. I cannot overstate how much wildlife uses his tiny bucket pond in the middle of pure urbanity. It's awesome.
I used to have a barrel pond for years but it had a tendency to over-heat and I never had much wildlife. 2 years ago I decided to dig a “proper” pond in the same area, it’s not huge (1.5m x 3m, depth from shallow to 18” “well” in centre) but now it’s full of wildlife. Water daphne, water boatmen, pond snails, whirligig beetles, newts….it’s FTB!! So I would always recommend digging one out where it is at all possible. Maybe the container ones need to be cited somewhere a little cooler for maximum results…?
How wonderful! I always enjoy when the two of you collaborate. 💚
Good video as per usual👍 but as a member i'm not seeing many perks.
Loved it. Very timely as I do have a container which I am planning to make into a pond. All the information will be very helpful.
Thank you for this. Great tips.
Thank you for this. Great tips.
At 73 last week built my big rock water fall moving boulders many time lager . It was a job that took time as deciding water flow directions was a work of art on its own Concrete gaps with water poof liquid as here cannot buy the foam sealant . Watched many videos on how to build a rock waterfall before making a start and finding it easy
You need to decide on what type of pond you want, either a fish pond or a wildlife pond. Fish and wildlife don’t mix particularly gold fish as they eat everything. I have a raised fish pond and for marginal plants I use the plant hangers that are designed to clip onto a fence around the edge of the pond. This reduces the need for bricks and stones and thereby increasing your water volume. Thanks.
Very informative…Thanks Madam for posting such a wonderful video…lot to learn and try it yourself
Good morning Alexander, so nice to always watch new ideas discussed between you and Jane. Pot ponds can be very extraordinary lovely. It depends on the gardener what they are planning and a pot pond is a wonderful new venture. The planning is most important, the size, the water quality and the plants. I have always enjoyed the barrel ponds they seem to give such a calming and homely effect. Just another addition to complete the garden layout. Whatever we are going to change it does require careful planning and proper ideas/thoughts. As always it has been a super interesting garden chat, like I said before, you are such an inspiration. Much can be achieved without breaking your bank account. We are almost mid winter and hopefully the cold front coming in from the Artic will not be too bad, that usually brings black frost but it is a bit early for that episode more towards July. Guess what, I chucked some tomato seeds into the open soil and thought oh the birds can come and peck on this or the Robin will come and catch the flying bugs. Beautiful plants developed and I am trying and hoping the frost won't get to them. There are already lovely fruits showing I have really thrown the dice this time. They are covered and according to my darling son I must not expect much, well mama is a miracle believer, hopefully all will go well. Thank you for sharing the joys of gardening it is a serious challenge in our lives we just do not realise it at times. Do take care enjoy your lovely British summer! Kind regards, Elize.
Another top video, thanks Alexandra, and lovely to see Jane’s fabulous garden again. 🙌 10:05
Regarding biodiversity, earlier this week I discovered a river crab (procambarus clarkii), a North American species, in my pond. Apparently they happily walk over grass. These small crabs are an invasive species in The Netherlands. If the local herons go fishing for them they may puncture the pond liner. It did not make me happy and now I understand why a lot of my surface oxigenators disappeared. It was not only down to a cold period in winter.
I took a very large galvanized washtub and sank it into the soil, leaving a few inches above ground. I partially filled it up with different-sized rocks (it's in the front of my house, near the sidewalk, cannot have a drowning hazard there) and surrounded it with more rocks and flagstone. Then I took the most powerful solar fountain I could find and created a very small cascade that spills into the tub. Since I'm very intent in keeping my garden mostly native, I searched until I found suitable water plants and added a "floater" and a "marginal". It looks really good! The birds, bees, dragonflies, and butterflies visit frequently. I've seen a few squirrels drinking from it, and I suspect something larger (likely a raccoon) comes at night because I find rocks moved around occasionally. I don't have fish in it because temperatures get low where I am in winter and the tub wouldn't be deep enough for the fish to survive the cold, but I use Mosquito Bits and Mosquito Dunks that are wildlife safe to treat the water. Even at the smallest scale, a reliable source of water truly adds environmental value to a garden!
Birds were bathing in my pond before I finished filling it. A pond is a great attractor of wildlife.
Jane was on British baking show!
Just wanted to add my voice to the others how much I enjoy your channel, thank you so much. I appreciate your no nonsense approach and the way you give really practical and specific advice.
Do you actually get mosquitoes in this country??
these sheets fall apart ,the elastic breaks not worth the money
One must take into consideration the sad fact that such containers may prove fatal to birds which decide to have a bath in them or drink the water and drown as a result.
Gr8 video im thinking of a small one
Love your channel and the practical advice you give. I wonder if you could share how to care for bulbs in containers that you plan on keeping in containers for successive years? Since the foliage is unsightly while it yellows, I plant bulbs in liners, then replace those once the bulbs are done with other liners of annuals or perennials, but I want to keep those bulbs for doing the same next year. How do I care for them? Thank you!
Those wall planters certainly distract the eye from the gap behind that trough.
That drinking trough is beautiful. Lots of good ideas to be had here, as always. Thank you, Alexandra.
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