We love water in a garden because its one of the basic elements of life… And it reminds us of a pleasant stream or idyllic pond, right in our own backyard space! However, if you have a small garden, or simply don’t want to go to all the work of digging out an in ground water feature, DIY container water gardens are an easy and fun project. You can create a simple fountain, or grow pretty pond plants as well. Check out these projects perfect for any DIY gardener! And if you need some help with what to plant in your new container, check out our post on pond plants.

Our feature project above and below, is from Vidya at ‘What’s Ur Home Story?’. Her tutorial on her DIY container water garden lets you create this mini pond on any patio, and it’s easy! She tells you how to control mosquitos, and how to add fish as well. Her water lilies turned out so pretty!

 

‘Midwest Living’ shows us how to make 3 easy water gardens, complete with good explanations on how this little biosystem works.

 

Don’t know where to get supplies for your water garden? ‘Martha’ gives us her list of their favorite mail order companies for water plants and supplies.

 

Your local public garden may put on free classes on creating a water garden, like this one at ‘Wave Hill‘ garden and cultural center in NY. This pic is also a good example of keeping it simple… You don’t need a lot of different pond plants to make your water garden work.

 

Here is a great idea from ‘BJL Aquascapes‘… Use underwater lighting in your container garden and make it a perfect evening focal point! Even if you don’t spend much time in the garden after dark, if it can be seen indoors, it’s a great design element that looks high end for just a few dollars. Check with local nurseries or online suppliers.

 

Lastly, if you want to grow the most desired water plants of all time, the water lily, then check out these tips from ‘Blue Lotus Farm‘! The tropical varieties are more expensive then the hardy ones, so don’t get discouraged if the first lilies you see at the nursery seem pricey.