Small Garden Pond Ideas

Grow water plants in an unusual water container to create a personal garden pond.


Whether you install a small garden pond kit, a pre-formed garden pond to landscape yourself, or you decide to customize your own pond to fit your garden space, plan the project to reflect your personal taste and style. Natural looking, in-ground ponds are only one way to go. Any large water tub or container can become a garden pond, or use several water containers arranged on a patio. A garden pond can be designed as a comfortably chic outdoor environment for the most contemporary home or as a private escape for a rustic cabin.


Using rocks, driftwood or other conventional natural materials gives your pond traditional appeal. Besides making a home for koi or other mosquito larvae-eating fish, consider creating a haven for small frogs and salamanders that devour garden insects. Aquatic life requires sufficient aeration for survival, and moving water discourages mosquitoes from laying eggs in the water, so install a pump to circulate the water. The correct size of circulating water pump keeps all the water moving slowly and gently. Create a waterfall feature over rock slabs, or try a bubbler in a shallow area to keep the water from becoming stagnant. Run the pump tubing through a favorite “found” item to make an unusual fountain. From old flowerpots or urns to a drilled-out garden statue, create an original, one-of-a-kind trickle fountain by fitting any waterproof item that catches your fancy with flexible plastic tubing from the water pump outflow.

Small Wildlife

Birds are attracted to a garden pond for drinking and bathing. Include small shrubs and plants around the pond to provide cover and perching places for birds, and plant nectar-producing flowers to lure hummingbirds. Install a water mister for hummingbirds; their favorite way to bathe is to flit and swoop through clouds of mist. Fill a ground-level dish with moist sand or pebbles to make a shallow pool for butterflies.


When selecting plants for a small pond, coordinate the scale of the mature plants with the size of the pond. Choose naturally small marginal plants such as water plantain (Alisma plantago-aquatica) or Rocky Mountain iris (Iris missouriensis) for perennial pond plants for U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 8 through 10. Low-growing water plants are easy to maintain in a small pond. Add taller screen plantings in the ground along the pond banks or in containers outside the pond.


Enhance a contemporary home with a water garden featuring building materials that blend with the home. Square-cut stones, polished granite or adobe-like features can be combined with a simple pool of water to create an elegant pond in an uncluttered setting. Stainless steel or copper water garden accessories offer a sleek alternative to coarse stone. Design a relaxing oasis by placing low-maintenance, container-grown water plants near the pond. When you are ready to refresh the appearance of the pond, simply exchange the container plants with new ones.


Soft lighting lets you enjoy your garden pond after the sun sets. Simplify the installation by choosing solar-powered garden lights. Solar lights offer the advantage of portability: move them wherever you need them after they have been charged in the sunlight. Solar-powered fountains are also available, with some providing light as well as moving water.

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