Create a Pond in a Container in less than an Hour
by Rachel Paxton

Description: How to easily create a pond in a container on your patio in less than an hour.
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Want a pond in your back yard but you don't have the time or money to create the pond of your dreams? With a few items from your local landscaping nursery, you can create a pond in a container on your patio in less than an hour.

You will need a large pot (with no holes in the bottom) for your miniature pond. You can use a large plastic container, but we picked up a large clay pot for 60% off at our local nursery. Clay pots are beautiful if you have the money to spend on one, it definitely makes a big difference in the overall look of your pond. Check your nursery for summer-end clearance sales.

You will need a second, smaller pot to place upside down in the bottom of the large pot. You will set the pump on this pot to raise it up off of the bottom of the large pot. Keep in mind that the pump will be under water, and you want the sprayer that will be attached to the pump to be above the surface of the water. You might want to measure the height of the pump/sprayer when choosing the size of the smaller pot to make sure it is the correct height in relation to the larger pot.

When choosing pond plants, start out with inexpensive ones to see how they do in your container. You can spend $30 or more on one plant! We chose several that were only a couple of dollars each. One has a purple flower on it, and another one looks like a miniature head of lettuce.

We didn't purchase a pump for this project, we had a small pump leftover from an old garden fountain. You can purchase a suitable pump at any store that carries pond supplies.

You will also need a spray head to attach to the pump so that you can have a little fountain coming up out of the pond. A tulip spray head sprays water in the shape of a tulip. These run about $20. There are also some cute sprayers available that are shaped like frogs, turtles, etc., that look like they are spitting water.

Goldfish are fun to add to container ponds. Unless you know a lot about ponds and you know what you're doing, I don't recommend buying any expensive fish such as Koi (just yet). Start out with some goldfish. You can buy them at pond supply stores, but they are cheaper at your local pet store. We bought some "feeder" fish for .15 each.

To assemble the pond, place your large pot on your patio somewhere near an electrical outlet so you can plug it in. Next place the smaller pot upside down in the center of the large pot.

Attach your sprayer to the pump. If necessary, seal them together with glue from a hot glue gun. Place the pump upright on top of the small pot.

Fill the large pot with water. We filled ours about 3/4 full. You just want the pump to be underwater and the sprayer to be above the surface of the water.

Arrange your plants in the water, and plug in the pump to make sure everything is working correctly. Last but not least, add your fish.

That's it, enjoy your work of art!

Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom who is the author of What's for Dinner?, an e-cookbook containing more than 250 quick easy dinner ideas. For more recipes, gardening, organizing tips, home decorating, holiday hints, and more, visit Creative Homemaking at http://www.creativehomemaking.com.

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