DIY Project: 30 Minute Water Garden
Adding the soothing sound of a tabletop water feature to your patio is one of the most rewarding easy backyard water projects you can tackle in a single afternoon. You don't need a massive budget or a professional crew to explore creative small pond ideas that fit perfectly on a deck or balcony. By selecting the right container and a few low-maintenance water plants, you can establish a thriving aquatic ecosystem in less time than it takes to mow the lawn. This step-by-step guide to a DIY water garden will show you how to transform a simple vessel into a tranquil focal point that invites birds and dragonflies to your outdoor space.
Materials Needed:
- 1 decorative container or tub without a hole in the bottom. We used a 30” wide x 8” deep decorative plastic tub, but anything that holds water can be turned into a water garden.
- Enough rocks (river rocks, pea gravel, or found rocks) to fill your chosen container about 1/3 of the way.
- 1 - 4” or quart sized container of Fiber Optic Grass (Scirpus cernuus)
- 1 - 6” or gallon sized container of Blue Mohawk® Rush (Juncus inflexus)
- A few floating water plants like water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes) or anacharis (Egeria densa)—Available at places that sell aquarium supplies and some garden centers.
- Hose or other water source
Step-By Step:
- Start with a clean container or tub and set it in its permanent location, preferably in a spot that receives at least 4-6 hours of direct sun per day. Lots of people put their potted water garden on their deck or patio. Filled tubs are too heavy to move, so make sure you’re happy with the spot you’ve chosen before you go any further.
- Set the pot of Blue Mohawk in the bottom of the water garden tub near the back, leaving it in its original container. The top of the pot’s rim should sit about 1-2” below the rim of the tub.
- Lay stones in the bottom 1/3 of the tub, surrounding the pot of Blue Mohawk.
- On top of the stones, set the pot of Fiber Optic Grass, leaving it in its original container. The top of its pot should be about even with the top of the pot of Blue Mohawk. If not, use the stones to prop it up a little higher. Make sure the pot is not tippy by surrounding it with more stones.
- Fill the tub with water from your hose or outdoor faucet. Fill it almost to the top of the tub. The plants’ containers will be slightly underwater or just peeking out the top.
- Set the floating plants on the surface of the water. That’s all for assembly, folks. You’re done!
- Check the water level every few days, especially during hot weather, and add more water to keep the tub full. It’s OK if it rains in the tub too.
- In the fall when average temperatures fall below 55°F, clean out your water garden and store your supplies for next year. Blue Mohawk Rush is a perennial in zones 5 and warmer and can be planted in moist garden soil if you wish to save it.
Suggested Plants for Water Gardens: Please picture these eight plants with linked names.
Fiber Optic Grass (Scirpus cernuus)
Blue Mohawk® Rush (Juncus inflexus)
‘Ogon’ Golden Variegated Sweet Flag (Acorus gramineus)
‘Curly Wurly’ Corkscrew Rush (Juncus effusus)
Baby Tut® Cypress (Cyperus involocratus)
King Tut® Cypress (Cyperus papyrus)
‘Illustris’ Elephant Ear (Colocasia esculenta)
‘Coffee Cups’ Elephant Ear (Colocasia)
Bookmark this article and find more DIY projects here.
Patent Info: Graceful Grasses® Blue Mohawk® Juncus inflexus. Graceful Grasses® Baby Tut® Cyperus involucratus. Graceful Grasses® King Tut® Cyperus papyrus.
Susan Martin is a lifelong gardener and perennial specialist with 18 years of experience in the Horticulture Industry. She is a native of Michigan where she has been gardening since the age of four in sandy and clay soils.
Image shown here is for placement only. Actual image sent by email.
