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How to Set up Mini Water Gardens on Your Deck

February 6, 2012 By Vidya 151 Comments

How to Set up Mini Water Gardens on Your Deck

The weather has been unusually warm around here.  All this warm weather is making me really impatient for spring and summer to get down and dirty in my garden. So here is a dose of flower power for you guys, the most beautiful thing from my garden last year.

As a kid my mom always used to tell stories about her childhood home. The home they lived in had 3 ponds, ya 3! Back in those days people in Kerala had to rely on their own water supply. Every house in that area had ponds instead of wells. Back to the story…3 ponds; 1 for drinking and cooking, 1 for bathing and swimming, and 1 for washing the dishes. Isn’t that super cool?

Ever since, I have admired homes with water gardens and wanted to live in one with at least a pond (yet to happen).  Finally when we moved to the new house, I was all set to put in a pond. A pond in an itsy bitsy backyard? Not very practical. Time to reevaluate priorities; after pondering quite a bit on why I need a pond the answer was surprisingly simple. I wanted to grow water lilies and lotuses. A water garden! That’s what I wanted not a pond! On to Google; after some thorough research and a couple of trips to Lowe’s and Big Lots I had my own piece of water lily action.

Update as of May 2020 – Here’s the video tutorial of how to set up the water garden.

Materials

Container – $20 – Big Lots
Water Lillies – $3.98 – Lowe’s ($1.99 each on clearence)
Water Lettuce –  $1.98 – Lowe’s ($0.99 each on clearence)
Canna Lilly – $2.00 – Home Depot ( bought a 5 bulb pack for $5. Used the others in the garden)
Potting Soil – Already had
Fish – $0.75 – Walmart
Fish Food – $2.00 – Walmart (still has so much left over)
Fish Net ( helps when changing the water) – Already had ( we had tried raising a gold fish earlier so bought it then from Walmart of $1)
Mosquito Dunks – $5.99 – Walmart ( again have enough left over to sustain 50 water gardens)

 Total – $36.70 

How to Set up Mini Water Gardens on Your Deck

Here is how you go about setting up water gardens:

  • Pick a sunny spot. Tropical plants love sun.
  • Decide on your container. A medium to large size will be better. Mine was a plastic wine barrel planter.
  • Select your plants. To add interest, use plants with different visual heights.  Use marginals like canna lilies, dwarf papyrus, taro for height. The water lilies or lotuses of course. Their leaves will cover much of the water surface from sunlight preventing algae growth. Don’t forget the floaters; water hyacinth, water lettuce. Absolutely love the latter but couldn’t get it to grow big in mine. May be the spot as too sunny. You could add cascading plants like water mint too that would fall over the container’s edge. I didn’t add it to mine as I felt that my container was already getting pretty crowded.
  • A water pump kit to keep the water moving and to stop mosquitoes breeding in your lil water heaven. You need the pond water pump variety, which are expensive. I tried using an aquarium pump, didn’t work :(. Next option was to use mosquito dunk. How to Set up Mini Water Gardens on Your Deck
  • Looked like it was working. They say it is perfectly safe for everyone including fish but my kids always put their hands in the water. So wanted something natural and went with fishes,$0.25 cent mollies from Walmart. Worked like a charm.
  • Plant your marginals and lilies in pots that will fit into the container. You can add some height to your lilies by placing the pots on rocks. I used the throwaway pots that you get when you buy plants from stores. Already had them in the garage ( I never throw these away not sure why) and no one was going to see it under the water. You need real potting/garden soil for this stuff not the peat mossy kind. Or else the soil will just float on the water. I skimped on buying aquatic fertilizer and just added in some Miracle-Gro to my soil.
  • Add some rocks as the top layer in your pots. Again to stop the soil from floating to the top. I just picked up some small stones from the yard.
  • Arrange the pots in the container.
  • Add water, your floaters, and your mosquito dunk.
  • If you are adding fish, wait for 2-3 days so that the chlorine in the water settles down/ evaporates.
  • You are good  to go! Wait patiently for your plants to fill out.
How to Set up Mini Water Gardens on Your Deck

And voila;

How to Set up Mini Water Gardens on Your Deck

I think since I skimped on fertilizer and didn’t start the project until July I had to wait for 2 months for the first Lilly to appear. The Cannas started blooming early though. The only good thing about waiting till July to start the water garden was that all the plants were on clearance and I got them dirt cheap. All in all, the Cannas bloomed 3-4 times and lilies thrice in the two months of the growing season. We had 3 mollies Speedy, Grace, and Shine and tons of fry in there. 

How to Set up Mini Water Gardens on Your Deck

Update: I was really lazy about winterizing the whole thing and we had an unusually cold fall, even snow in October! Sadly all the fish died before I could get to them. Since then I have emptied out the container and stored the plants in the garage. Again not the right way. Should have taken the bulbs/ roots out of the pot and stored it in a brown bag. I just stuck the whole pot in my garage.  Keeping my fingers crossed for spring. Hopefully will see some signs of growth!

Maintenance: 3 mollies and tons of fry can poop like crazy. So had to change the water may be once in 10 days. It would get pretty murky by then. No high-fi methods here, just make sure to pour 1/3rd of the old water back into the pond so the fish do not get water change shock ( is that even a word?). Feed the fish once in 2 days. The algae was not at all a problem once I had the fish in. If you are using only the mosquito dunk then you will have to clean the container every time you change the water too.

Lesson learnt : I think if I had fertilized more aggressively then I would have gotten more flowers. Have to sneak in one more shot of my pretty water lily!

How to Set up Mini Water Gardens on Your Deck

What do you guys thinks? Isn’t seeing these beauties on your porch/deck worth the effort?

How to Set up Mini Water Gardens on Your Deck

Here is an update of this year’s water garden.

Other Water Garden Posts You Might Enjoy

How to Set up Mini Water Gardens on Your Deck
How to Grow Water Lilies on your Deck
How to Set up Mini Water Gardens on Your Deck
DIY Porch Water Garden
How to Set up Mini Water Gardens on Your Deck
How to Grow Lotus
How to Set up Mini Water Gardens on Your Deck
Grow Paperwhites in Water
How to Set up Mini Water Gardens on Your Deck
Tropical Water Garden
How to Set up Mini Water Gardens on Your Deck
How to Grow Papyrus
How to Set up Mini Water Gardens on Your Deck
How to Set up Mini Water Gardens on Your Deck
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Comments

  1. Shiloh says

    February 6, 2012 at 4:52 pm

    Oh wow! I never even thought or imagined this was possible. Thank you so much for taking the time to do this and show us!:)

    Reply
    • whatsurhomestory says

      February 7, 2012 at 7:43 am

      Thanks Shiloh for dropping by and taking the time to comment. You should try it too.

      Reply
      • Ken Childers says

        July 26, 2012 at 12:39 pm

        Are starts available of your yellow cannas? I have a similar aquatic variety in hot pink if you would like to trade. Thanks.

        Reply
        • whatsurhomestory says

          July 27, 2012 at 9:42 am

          Ken,
          Do I take the starts out when I winterize them in fall? How do I do it?

          Vidya

          Reply
  2. Sunita says

    February 7, 2012 at 2:00 am

    Vidya, This is awesome. How do I go about this in India?? I never thought I could do something like this on my tiny balcony garden. Do you want to do a more detailed post – step-by-step of how you set that pot up and stuff. I was going all giddy in the head just looking at the lotus in that container. AWESOME ..Love it.

    Reply
    • whatsurhomestory says

      February 7, 2012 at 8:05 am

      Thanks Sunita. That is pretty simple. I just potted the plants into small pots and dropped them into the large pot. That is all. It is really very easy and you can do this all yr around(that’s the best part) in India. Here the growing season is so short. And if you have fish in there you don’t have to worry about the mosquitoes.

      Reply
  3. Preetha says

    February 8, 2012 at 6:53 pm

    Vidya, love it!!! Actually, one of our friends has a little man made pond(part of her landscaping), she also has some water lilies & water plants and some fish in there as well..when I saw that I was so carried away that I told her when I buy a house some day, I want to have one in my backyard too..I hope she doesn’t remind me now ;)- actually I hope to try to do it this spring or summer..we’ll see…& I’ll get some info for you on that, if you’d like.

    Reply
    • whatsurhomestory says

      February 8, 2012 at 11:51 pm

      Ya definitely give it a try Preetha.

      Reply
  4. Preetha says

    February 8, 2012 at 7:01 pm

    btw, I’m so excited that you’re getting popular on the web…I’m hoping to get popular the easy way :D(just by saying Vidya and I have been friends for more than 12 years) ;)..lol

    Reply
    • whatsurhomestory says

      February 8, 2012 at 11:50 pm

      Preetha!!!! 🙂 LOL!

      Reply
  5. Robin says

    February 23, 2012 at 8:50 am

    found you via tipjunkie. LOVE this idea. and you didn’t use a water pump? perfect. after we move, I definitely want one of these! thanks for all your tips 🙂

    Reply
    • whatsurhomestory says

      February 23, 2012 at 10:38 am

      Glad you liked it. No I didn’t use a pump. Let me know how it goes.

      Reply
  6. Sara Dixon says

    February 23, 2012 at 12:16 pm

    Love this idea! My mom had three kio ponds going up and I always wanted to have one of my own. I wanted to make sure I read right, you said that you used fish instead of a pump and just cleaned it once every 10 days?

    Reply
    • whatsurhomestory says

      February 23, 2012 at 12:42 pm

      Thanks Sara. Yes, I did not use a pump. Just had 3 small fish in there and changed the water once every 10 days or so. If you see that the fish are making the water murky faster then you might have to clean it more frequently. Next time I might add only 2 mollies, they breed pretty fast.

      Reply
      • Lisa says

        April 17, 2014 at 2:43 pm

        I think you have a great idea here except the type of fish. The gold fish from any store for 25cents would be better considering mollies like the water warm, brackish and well filtered.

        Reply
        • Vidya Sukumaran says

          April 17, 2014 at 3:04 pm

          Thanks Lisa. Will try it this time around. I’ve had gold fish in a small tank and have foudn that you need to stay on top of keeping the water clean.

          V

          Reply
      • L Field says

        January 18, 2015 at 3:04 pm

        I was dismayed you were not able to “get to the fish on time”. However on a more positive note, you can purchase a small pump at an ACE for about $20 that I use year after year in my small pond. This past summer I had three going.

        Reply
  7. cindy says

    February 24, 2012 at 12:17 am

    great idea! This may be a silly question, but how did you change the water?

    Reply
    • whatsurhomestory says

      February 24, 2012 at 8:27 am

      Thanks Cindy. I changed the water the old fashioned way. The container was on my deck so I would just spill it over carefully. You could also do a thorough cleaning when you change the water ( might have down it twice the whole season). First transfer a third of the water into a bucket and save it for the fish. Now spill the rest carefully. Can use a pail or a big bowl instead. Whenever I used a bowl I would just pour the water on the other potted plants on the deck. Take the water plants out if it is easier for you. When you are close to the bottom scoop out the fish with a fish net. Give the container a good scrub and put the plants, saved water, and the fish back in. Use a hose to fill up the container. Hope that helps.

      Reply
  8. Lindsay @ Me, Ed and Pea says

    February 24, 2012 at 1:29 pm

    So pretty! Pinning this 😉

    Reply
    • whatsurhomestory says

      February 24, 2012 at 9:40 pm

      Thank you!

      Reply
  9. KarenBee says

    February 24, 2012 at 1:37 pm

    I love this idea! I’m wondering if it’s possible to put a filter in so I wouldn’t have to clean it as often. What made you decide not to use a filter? Also, you don’t use the mosquito dunks if you have fish or do you use them anyway?

    Thanks for this great post!

    Reply
    • whatsurhomestory says

      February 24, 2012 at 9:47 pm

      Thanks Karen. Glad you liked it. I think you could use a filter. I was not very comfortable leaving something electric (another reason I was vary of using the pump) plugged in all the time, especially with my kids around. Even though they are 8 and 6, water is still a big attraction. No, I did not use mosquito dunks once I put in the fish. You do not need to. It is either the dunks or the fish, unless you live in the tropics? We have a lot of mosquitoes/insects here in VA during the summer, was not an issue.

      Reply
  10. Gina says

    February 25, 2012 at 1:50 pm

    Wow! Thanks for sharing your project. If we were to add a pump and filter do you think we would need to change the water so often? We have a large property to maintain and I fear we would be really bad about the 10 day maintenance. Thanks again!!!

    Reply
    • whatsurhomestory says

      February 27, 2012 at 12:06 am

      If you add a pump and filter then you wouldn’t need to change the water so often. Do let me know how it goes.

      V

      Reply
  11. Aimee says

    February 26, 2012 at 9:22 pm

    This is great. I just went to Home Depot and local pond store today and did it myself thanks to your post. Only thing is, the pond guy told me the lily would be too big for my pot. The plants he had were very large. What kind did you get? I have three nice bog plants though, and am hoping to get some water mint when it comes back in. Would like to add a lily as well. When did you add fish? The pond guy told me 45 days.

    Reply
    • whatsurhomestory says

      February 27, 2012 at 12:50 pm

      That’s so awesome! My lily wasn’t that big. I think I have the plant card stored somewhere in my garage, will look for it.The leaves were as big as the palm of my hand, the flower was a little smaller than that. So may be a miniature variety? Will let you know. They grow pretty fast, so wait till you buy more plants. I added the fish after 2-3 days. Please do send the pics. I think I’m gonna add a page where everyone can show off their creations. 🙂

      Reply
  12. Shannon says

    March 3, 2012 at 10:04 am

    I have to say, we are blessed with a 2 acre pond coming on to our property. First thing I got was ducks! Second thing I got was water lilies. In a game of rock, paper, scissors; Ducks beat & eat lilies. So I was thinking of something like this on the deck so I could enjoy them. If you have a chance, a few years ago on my blog, I bought some water lily seeds and grew them just to see if I could. Of course it died as soon as I moved the milk jugs I did them in outside to harden off. But it was quite interesting!

    We grow cannas all over here just fine. I never take them out of the ground so you should be able to over winter them right in the container. Tough as nails those cannas are!

    I may break and get a tiny pond filter for ours, I have seen them on craigslist. Apparently people get sick of the maintenance and I’ll take advantage.

    Reply
    • whatsurhomestory says

      March 4, 2012 at 10:32 am

      A 2 acre pond! I’m so totally jealous! Wow. I would have also got ducks first, I just love them. My cannas haven’t been doing as well as I want them to be for the last 2 yrs. May be I should stop buying form Home Depot and get it from a nursery. Have you looked at adding lotus instead of the lily, they are usually more vigorous? So ducks might not be able to do much harm. Do let me know how it goes.

      Vidya

      Reply
    • melody says

      June 24, 2015 at 4:48 pm

      This made me laugh and laugh – guess I could see the ducks and the rock,paper scissors game

      Reply
  13. vijiganesh says

    March 15, 2012 at 3:07 am

    Wow Vidya creativity is your gift .I really love ur works.

    Reply
    • whatsurhomestory says

      March 15, 2012 at 12:00 pm

      Thanks so much Viji. Glad you liked it.

      Reply
  14. Bindu Mallela says

    March 21, 2012 at 9:57 am

    Awesome Vidya! planned of doing this last summer,but was not sure how it would turn, but u r project has inspired me again will definitely try this summer…..

    Reply
    • whatsurhomestory says

      March 21, 2012 at 12:23 pm

      You should definitely try it. It is so worth it!

      Reply
  15. brandi says

    March 21, 2012 at 3:11 pm

    This is such a beautiful idea! I’ve always wanted a pond in my yard, but this is so much simpler. Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
    • whatsurhomestory says

      March 21, 2012 at 11:29 pm

      Thanks Brandi. Should try it. It is really easy.

      Reply
      • Dianna Guthridge says

        April 18, 2020 at 12:26 pm

        ? I have a very large cast iron caldron I have painted the inside white n blue n I live in northern New Hampshire what flowering n non flowering plants would u suggest I use

        Reply
        • Vidya says

          April 25, 2020 at 11:04 pm

          That sounds like a great planter. If you use it for watergarden, won’t it rust? You could use it like a galvanized tub planter. Here are some ideas:
          https://www.whatsurhomestory.com/country-garden/

          Reply
  16. bustera says

    April 19, 2012 at 10:04 am

    http://www.helium.com/items/2295329-what-is-a-mosquito-dunk

    Reply
  17. Annalisa says

    April 23, 2012 at 4:40 am

    This is a wonderful blog; I really love it! Your water garden is so pretty. I’m moving into a house next month (cannot wait to escape this awful apartment!) and this will be one of my projects for sure! Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
    • whatsurhomestory says

      April 23, 2012 at 8:20 am

      Thanks so much Annalisa. I can’t wait to put it together again this yr. Luckily one of the water lilies and the cannas survived the winter even though I didn’t do anything to protect them. I’ve already planted some elephant years for this time. The weather around here has been so erratic to set it out on the deck. Do let me know how it goes.

      Reply
  18. nita says

    May 4, 2012 at 12:19 pm

    Hi, I love the look! It is what I have been wanting but wasn’t sure what plants to get. Are the Cannas special “water flowers” or just normal Cannas bulbs? If normal, do they get mushy when in water for the season or do they survive for next year?
    I am bookmarking you!! LOL.

    Reply
    • whatsurhomestory says

      May 4, 2012 at 10:22 pm

      Nita,

      Thank you. These are just the regular cannas. I bought a pack with 5 bulbs in a pack from Walmart and planted two in the water garden pot and 3 in a regular one. Strangely none of the plants (they were not as big either) in the regular pot flowered. In the winter, you are actually supposed to dig out the bulbs/tubers and store them in brown paper bag in a cool place (basement/garage). I got lazy and just took the pot out of the water garden and left it under our deck. Now they are sprouting back. I guess I have to thank the mild winter for that. Even the water lily (only one, the other died) survived without any care other than keeping the pot in the garage. Let me know how it goes.
      Vidya

      Reply
      • whatsurhomestory says

        May 7, 2012 at 12:22 am

        Nita,

        My bad…..I was going through my old plant cards this evening and it looks like these are aquatic cannas. I think even the regular ones should work as we used have cannas growing in boggy areas in my grandparent’s property. I got those from Lowes.
        Vidya

        Reply
        • nita says

          May 8, 2012 at 11:33 am

          Thanks Vidya! I will look for them. I have had some luck with Cannas but I usually forget to put them in the ground or lift them for the winter! I bought the container last year on clearance, so as soon as the nurseries get the water plants in Im ready to roll! I will let you know how it turns out.

          Reply
          • whatsurhomestory says

            May 8, 2012 at 11:49 am

            Do let me know. Check out your local nurseries too. I was at our local nursery last week and they already had the water plants out.

            Vidya

  19. Karah @ thespacebetweenblog says

    May 29, 2012 at 10:14 am

    Voila is right! I am totally pinning it, great instructions and awesome result!!
    Thank you so much for linking this up to our party.
    Karah @ thespacebetweenblog

    Reply
    • whatsurhomestory says

      May 29, 2012 at 10:36 am

      Karah,

      Thanks for stopping by. Glad I discovered your blog. Loved your foyer redo. The party too features some awesome ideas.

      Vidya

      Reply
  20. andrea cammarata says

    June 2, 2012 at 3:47 pm

    this is just so so so cool! i have never seen anything so awesome! the results are simply amazing!!!! thanks so much for sharing this at the mission possible linky party! LOVE it…hugs…

    Reply
  21. Kelly @ Eclectically Vintage says

    June 3, 2012 at 10:03 pm

    This is amazing! Now I want a water garden – you make it seem so easy (even I could do it)!

    Pinning this!
    So glad you joined our party!
    Kelly

    Reply
    • whatsurhomestory says

      June 4, 2012 at 10:44 am

      Kelly,

      Thanks a lot for dropping by and pinning this. Love your blog.

      Vidya

      Reply
  22. Teresa says

    June 6, 2012 at 5:23 pm

    wow!! that is about all I can say….I absolutely love this and I am going to attempt it….I will let you know what happens…..Yours is so very beautiful and it is something I have always wanted on my deck….since I have finally arrived at age 65, widowed for 20 years, and recently made the move of my dreams to the Crystal Coast of North Carolina…I am eager to try this concept..Thank you so much for posting this….You Rock!!! Teresa

    Reply
    • whatsurhomestory says

      June 7, 2012 at 10:41 pm

      Aww…Brought tears to my eyes. Thanks Teresa for the nice words. I’m so glad I could be of some help. Please do let me know how it goes.

      Vidya

      Reply
  23. lc says

    June 7, 2012 at 10:35 pm

    I realy like a concept o the a water garden because my backyard it’s so small.

    Reply
    • whatsurhomestory says

      June 7, 2012 at 10:47 pm

      Thanks LC. Do let me know how it goes if you give it a try.

      Vidya

      Reply
  24. Inspire Me Heather says

    July 13, 2012 at 9:21 am

    I’d do a water garden but there are too many dang mosquito’s out – especially right now! I do like your planter though and I have this linked to my planters post too today, nice job!

    Reply
    • whatsurhomestory says

      July 13, 2012 at 10:52 am

      Aww…sad to hear about the mosquitoes. Have you tried fish in the water garden? I don’t even use dunks now that I have the fish. Thanks for the feature. Heading over to read the rest of your blog.

      Vidya

      Reply
  25. Charmaine says

    August 29, 2012 at 7:45 pm

    Does timing matter? I want to start one, but can’t find much information on seasons for a water garden. Summer is just wrapping up, so maybe I have to wait… 🙁
    Thanks for the awesome post and inspiration!
    I want to find a pot like yours but it’s not easy. Do you know the gallons or dimensions of yours? Also, what is it made out of?
    Thanks again!!

    Reply
    • whatsurhomestory says

      August 31, 2012 at 10:43 pm

      Thank you Charmaine. Yes it depends on where you live. If you have cold winters then you have to wait till late spring/early summer to start. The pot is 20″ in diameter on the top and a little less on the bottom and is made of heavy plastic. It is a plastic 1/2 whiskey barrel kinda thing. Hope that helps. Do let me know how your search goes.

      Vidya

      Reply
  26. DeLynne says

    September 6, 2012 at 5:30 am

    Thanks, I Pinned it!

    Reply
  27. Lisa says

    February 10, 2013 at 7:04 pm

    By leaving fish poop in the water you are fertilizing your plants naturally. Don’t change the water out and your plants (and probably fish) will do much better. The stress of having that much of their water changed so frequently, and no de-chlorinated couldn’t have been good for them.

    Reply
  28. Tami says

    February 28, 2013 at 9:01 pm

    This idea just made me giddy…but I am wondering if it’s a possibility here in Phoenix during the summer…afraid I might cook the plants and fish:O Any ideas on how they might do and if its even possible. Thanks and love your blog!

    Reply
    • whatsurhomestory says

      March 4, 2013 at 2:27 pm

      Thanks Tami. I think it could work. My mom lives in the tropics and it can get really hot there too and she has something similar. I would double check with your local nurseries before actually starting the project.

      Vidya

      Reply
      • Tami says

        March 4, 2013 at 7:43 pm

        I will definately check ’cause when I say hot…I mean desert hot:) Hopefully I can get it to work, can’t wait to try!
        Thanks!

        Reply
  29. Nicole says

    March 9, 2013 at 6:04 pm

    How big is the pot you used??

    Reply
    • whatsurhomestory says

      March 10, 2013 at 11:39 am

      It is 20 inches across (diameter) on the top.

      Reply
  30. Kathryn says

    March 12, 2013 at 2:21 pm

    So you change the water even if you’re only using mosquito dunk? I was all in until that. 😉

    Reply
    • whatsurhomestory says

      March 12, 2013 at 2:27 pm

      Yes I do. The water turns really murky as the algae builds up around the 2 week mark. Some one suggested changing out only a third (if you have fishes) of the water. Got to try that this yr.

      V

      Reply
  31. Leta Mae says

    April 25, 2013 at 3:01 pm

    Be sure to use the ‘old’ water from your water feature to water your other potted deck plants – they love the ‘fish water’ and its great fertilizer.

    Reply
    • whatsurhomestory says

      April 26, 2013 at 4:01 pm

      That’s a great tip Leta. My deck plants and hydrangeas always get the old water.

      🙂

      Reply
  32. Jamey says

    August 12, 2013 at 9:18 am

    I’m trying to do this in Bangalore, India. So I have one of those cement pots and I’ve potted the water lily with sand and clay (will fertilize later) in a small pot and then immersed it in the cement pot. If I dont want to get fish how often should I change the water and clean it out? I thought I dont ever have to clean it out since there is nothing else in it:)

    Reply
    • whatsurhomestory says

      August 12, 2013 at 10:59 am

      If you don’t want to put fish in it then to prevent mosquitoes from breeding you need to use either mosquito dunk or a water fountain to keep the water moving. Stagnant water = mosquito breeding ground. Also there will be algae growth without any fish. So you would need to clean it very often. For me this year, it has been almost 2.5 months now since I set it up. I might have changed the water twice maybe? I just add more water into the container to make up for what is lost in evaporation. I’ve 2 mollies in there and they seem to be thriving. Have so many babies too. I hardly feed them. They seem to be doing all the algae clean up. The water is clear and not at all smelly. Hope that helps. Good luck with yours. Do let me know how it goes.
      Vidya

      Reply
  33. Jamey says

    August 13, 2013 at 4:49 am

    Thanks for the quick reply. I will definitely let you know how it goes maybe send a picture or two. I have heard from the local nursery that bone meal is really good.

    Reply
    • Jamey says

      September 10, 2013 at 11:52 pm

      So you were right about the mosquito larvae and so I got 6 guppies and put them in the pot last night. Five of them jumped out of the pot and died and I cant find the sixth. Now I noticed that most of the larvae were not there or they became mosquitoes already. Aquarium guys suggest putting a top over it but that wont do for the lilies. So…. I’m wondering what to do! Do I get more fish? Is there something I can get that doesn’t jump? You said Mollies, are they like the black Mollie? I can get that- DO they jump?

      Reply
      • whatsurhomestory says

        September 10, 2013 at 11:57 pm

        Aww…that’s frustrating. Did you fill up the container to the brim? I always leave about two inches on the top and never had any problem with the fish jumping out.

        Vidya

        Reply
        • Jamey says

          September 11, 2013 at 5:36 am

          Apparently mollies are masters of jumping out of tanks! Hmph… maybe I’ll send you a pic… the larve are still there… something like a snail is also there! I donno where that came from!

          Reply
          • whatsurhomestory says

            September 12, 2013 at 3:35 pm

            Where do you live? Depending on how hot it is you could try other fish.

            V

          • Rachael says

            October 23, 2013 at 9:07 am

            Hi, I’m just wondering how you plugged up the hole in your pot?

            Thanks

          • whatsurhomestory says

            October 23, 2013 at 12:55 pm

            Rachael,

            It doesn’t have a hole. It is just your average plastic half barrel tub.

            V

  34. Nicky says

    February 2, 2014 at 1:38 pm

    I thought it would be more expensive. Do you have to anything special when it gets really cold outside?

    Reply
    • Vidya Sukumaran says

      February 3, 2014 at 11:02 am

      Nicky,

      In Fall you have empty the container, store the lily bulb like you would any bulbs that you winterize in a cool dry paper bag in the garage. This year I moved my papyrus inside and it seems to be doing fine.

      V

      Reply
  35. DesignedByBH says

    February 6, 2014 at 9:10 pm

    I love this!!! Pinning and clipping to Hometalk 🙂

    – Brooke –

    Reply
    • Vidya Sukumaran says

      February 9, 2014 at 6:31 pm

      Thank U!

      Reply
  36. Sherrie Harper Price says

    March 19, 2014 at 4:14 pm

    IM looking forward to trying this. I have purchased a laguna tub…and a SOLAR fountian….very small one….I have a feeder goldfish that has survived “feedings” at the pet store and is now about 6inches that will be moving into the pond. I have to purchase lillys and some water plants…but IM on this! So adorable!!!!

    Reply
    • Vidya Sukumaran says

      March 20, 2014 at 11:17 am

      Yay! Sounds like a plan. Do send in the pictures Sherrie.

      Vidya

      Reply
  37. Gerr says

    March 19, 2014 at 8:07 pm

    A couple years ago we moved from a house with a huge yard and koi pond to a condo with only a lanai. This may be my solution to having a water feature again! Thanks.

    Reply
    • Vidya Sukumaran says

      March 20, 2014 at 11:18 am

      Yes, Gerr. This would be the perfect solution. I’ve had it for the past 3 summers and can assure you it is not a lot of work. Good luck!

      V

      Reply
  38. Babu says

    March 19, 2014 at 11:05 pm

    Thanks for this post. I’ve been messing up with my container water for 4 years. Every year I learn something new. I always get over excited in spring and start working on it with fish, new pump, mosquito dunks and plants. But gradually, loose focus as fish die, constant cleaning because of algae after fish dies, mosquito larva comes again,…
    This year, I’m going to stick with simple Walmart mollies, mosquito dunks and my old fountain. I’ll get water lilies from home depot, not from Walmart. Hopefully, by June, I’ll post some pictures.

    Reply
    • Vidya Sukumaran says

      March 20, 2014 at 11:22 am

      Babu,

      This was my water garden from 2011. For the last 3 years I’ve been enjoying it on my deck every summer. In 2012 I tried guppies, didn’t work. Mollies seems to the best at thriving under pressure. Last year I could even go 3-4 weeks without changing out the water. I would just keep adding more water as it evaporated. Hope it works for you. This year I’m gonna see if I can grow a lotus. And do send in the pics. Would love to see your take on it.

      Vidya

      Reply
  39. Amanda Formaro says

    April 10, 2014 at 7:45 pm

    Since Facebook is notorious for not letting page owners know when I tag them, I thought I would stop by myself and let you know I featured this post and my readers loved it! https://www.facebook.com/CraftsbyAmanda/photos/pb.323548680216.-2207520000.1397173019./10154004483480217/?type=3&theater

    Reply
    • Vidya Sukumaran says

      April 14, 2014 at 2:58 pm

      Thanks again Amanda!

      Reply
  40. karen says

    April 17, 2014 at 8:11 am

    I put a water fountain in mine got it at pet smart keeps the water circulating

    Reply
  41. shannon says

    April 17, 2014 at 10:04 am

    how do you winterize it? you could also probably use a small submersible pump for water movement, like the kind you use in a small pond. 🙂

    Reply
    • Vidya Sukumaran says

      April 17, 2014 at 10:44 am

      To winterize, drain the water and let the plant pots dry out slightly. After a day or two pull out the lily tuber, clean and let it dry. Once you’ve made sure that it dry store in a brown paper bag in a cool dark place like a garage or unfinished basement.

      Vidya

      Reply
  42. Rosemary says

    April 17, 2014 at 12:33 pm

    Interesting but, I am wondering about the soil? I have a friend has done this on a larger scale (using an old row boat) she has absolutely no soil in hers.

    Reply
  43. G Cooper says

    June 5, 2014 at 2:27 pm

    How/what did you do with the water feature during the winter. We don’t have really hard winters where I live but it will be below freezing 2-3 weeks in the winter.

    Reply
    • Vidya Sukumaran says

      June 5, 2014 at 7:29 pm

      In October I empty the container, let the pots dry and store in the garage. The last 2 years the lily came back in spring but this year maybe çoz we had a harsh winter it died. Ideally in Fall you would take the tuber out and store it a brown paper bag in an unfinished basement or garage like an annual bulb that you would over winter. I’m just too lazy.

      Reply
  44. Carol Kern says

    June 7, 2014 at 8:51 am

    I had my water garden built this year and love it. My cousin built up a 3 ft high waterfall that flows down a 2 ft mid-section then dumps into a 35 gallon pond. Used a bunch of large rocks from our property and put them around the pond. Just planted 4 waterlilies and added a few goldfish. You can use a algae treatment solution ( 1/2 tsp. per 50 gallon) and add a few barley pellets to keep the water clear. The birds love going in for a drink or a bath/shower. Also bought a 18 gallon oblong tub, so need to start shopping for more water plants/flowers. We spend hours just watching the waterfall and fish.

    Reply
  45. Clare says

    June 8, 2014 at 7:54 pm

    That’s really pretty! I don’t think it’s a good place for fish, though. Goldfish are too messy and get too big, and tropical fish shouldn’t be kept outside in most parts of the US. And even if you find the right fish, you have to do water testing and so forth. I would suggest using a little nitrogen fertilizer to keep your plants fed instead of fish poop – or if you want fish, keep them inside, and use the dirty water you take out of their tank during their water changes to feed your plants!

    Reply
  46. Christina says

    June 28, 2014 at 11:56 pm

    How do you handle this garden in the winter? Do you move it indoors? Never really thought to do something like this.

    Reply
    • Vidya Sukumaran says

      June 30, 2014 at 8:55 am

      Christina,

      You need to dump the water out, dry the tuber, and store it in a brown paper bag in a cool dark spot like basement. Replant in Spring.

      Reply
  47. nuru zaman says

    December 31, 2014 at 6:59 am

    It told me something I did not know before.

    Reply
  48. Heather Harrison says

    February 6, 2015 at 11:03 am

    What kind of fish did you have? And where did you find the pump? Such a cool idea!!

    Reply
  49. Bonny~FurnishMyWay says

    March 16, 2015 at 12:41 pm

    Wow! The end result is really beautiful. What a fun and creative idea. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  50. Jessica says

    April 10, 2015 at 12:27 pm

    If you get the fish do you still need the mosquito dunks?

    Reply
    • Vidya says

      April 10, 2015 at 8:51 pm

      You don’t have to. I use both to be on the safer side.

      Reply
  51. judy beckler says

    August 15, 2015 at 9:09 am

    hey, I know this is an old post, but could u please tell me what kind of canna lily you can put in a pond? thanks judy

    Reply
    • Vidya says

      August 15, 2015 at 9:49 pm

      Sure Judy. I found it in the aquatic section in Lowes. Had thinner leaves than the usually canna variety. Hope that helps.

      Reply
  52. Tracey says

    January 18, 2016 at 11:27 am

    Looks awesome…gonna do this this sSpring….my only question is…did you need a pump or not?

    Reply
    • Vidya says

      January 19, 2016 at 11:12 pm

      No I did not use a pump. Good luck!

      Reply
  53. Graywolf12 says

    August 9, 2016 at 11:34 am

    Add a couple Guppies and skip the mosquito dunks.

    Reply
  54. Luke says

    February 5, 2017 at 4:02 pm

    Hi Vidya, quick question on making and maintaining the water inside the pot. I am planning to make few of them this coming summer and was wondering about the water when it comes to really hot summer weather? How often you have to change the water in those? Does it turn green with algaes? Thanks

    Reply
    • Vidya says

      February 5, 2017 at 11:39 pm

      Hi Luke,

      With the fish you don’t have to change the water that much. Maybe once in two weeks depending on how hot it is. Without the wish you do have to change it more often as there will be algae. Good luck with your water garden!

      Vidya

      Reply
  55. Luke says

    February 9, 2017 at 1:55 am

    Thanks for your swift reply 🙂 any specific fish? I was thinking also to put a water pump inside and make a small water movement to keep the water going round what would also extend the water life 😉 or is this wrong thinking?

    Reply
    • Vidya says

      February 9, 2017 at 9:35 pm

      I’ve had success with guppies. Good luck with your water garden.

      Reply
  56. M.RAMESH says

    June 6, 2018 at 11:48 am

    Hello, Ism interested in keeping one water liiy in pot on my roof, is it ok and in which direction. Pse send complete details regarding this

    Reply
  57. Sara says

    September 24, 2018 at 1:33 am

    Hi Vidya,

    Thanks for sharing the tutorial.
    I have a sandbox sitting around my yard for the past 3 years, and I was wondering how to re-purpose it when I stumbled across your blog. We don’t have any water features in our backyard, so I would love to start a water garden in the sandbox. My only apprehension is that the sandbox is just 10-11″ deep. Would that work for the pond? What aquatic plants work best with that depth?

    Thanks again,
    Sara

    Reply
    • Vidya says

      February 6, 2019 at 6:57 pm

      It is a bit shallow but I would say try the floaters like water lettuce.

      Reply
  58. Carol says

    February 22, 2014 at 4:56 am

    I have been wanting a pond/waterfall all my life. I have the pond container and got a “Waterfall” kit online real cheap. ( kit was reg $249.00/ paid $49.00). I am looking for ideas on combining the two. I plan to put it on the ground next to the deck so we can see and hear it. My main purpose is to provide a water supply for the wildlife here. Silver Gray Squirrels, Fox, Birds, Deer, Elk, Bunnies and lots of birds. There are lots of rocks here that I can use to build up around it. Still looking for ideas to make it really nice but practical.

    Reply
  59. Vidya Sukumaran says

    February 26, 2014 at 8:08 am

    Wow that sounds great Carol. Would be nice to hear the sounds of water. Would love to see after pics.

    Vidya

    Reply
  60. Rosemary says

    April 17, 2014 at 12:36 pm

    Carol, that sounds awesome. Similar thing to what I have been wanting to do. Would you mind sharing where on-line you got the waterfall “kit”? Thanks.

    Reply
  61. Desiree says

    May 10, 2020 at 7:16 pm

    Thank you for the excellent post and video! I found an old old Maytag wringer washer In the woods (weird but cool) we are going to convert it into a pond, I’m so excited thanks for the great post I feel prepared now

    Reply
  62. Vidya says

    May 11, 2020 at 11:08 pm

    That sounds very interesting. Please do share the after pictures. Would love to see it.

    Reply

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Hi! I'm Vidya, an IT professional by day, a mom to my 2 darling monkeys, a wife, a home maker, an avid gardener and home decor/ DIY enthusiast round the clock, and a blogger in my free time. Read More…

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