Creating a Peaceful Water Garden in a Small Space

The tranquil, relaxing feeling that water gardens bring to outdoor spaces is unparalleled by any other garden accent. Soothing, flowing water pours from a spout into a pool filled with lush aquatic plant and marine life. Birds are drawn to them, the peaceful water sounds drown out unpleasant background noises, and they make striking focal points. While not everyone has a yard large enough for a garden pond or waterfall, we can all have a little piece of this tranquility with a space-saving container water garden or outdoor fountain.

In a single afternoon, you can transform your small yard, garden, deck, porch or balcony into a restful retreat by creating your own container water garden. They're easier to put together than you think. Decide whether you'd prefer the simplest type of container water garden - which is just a pump and a watertight receptacle - or if you'd like to have a decorative water spout such as the Bamboo Water Spout (Medium) pictured left, or the Dragonfly Dripper Fountain pictured top. These pretty little accents are super simple to set up, come complete with pumps, and add a little extra interest to your fountain.

Next, you'll need to choose a watertight container such as a half barrel, decorative bowl, bucket, or anything that will be sure not to leak water. If you've chosen to purchase a bamboo water spout, your bowl should be somewhat smaller in diameter than the 'arm' of the spout that sits on the edge of the bowl. Place your pump in the water, making sure it's fully submerged, with the tubing coming up to the surface. Connect it to your decorative spout, or leave it as it is for a simpler effect. If the tubing on your pump is too short to reach the surface, you can prop the pump up with river rocks or a small terracotta pot turned upside down. If you're not planning on filling the container with plants or river rocks, you may want to use a decorative pump cover such as the antique white Frog Pump Cover pictured at right.

If you'd like to implement aquatic plants and/or fish into your water garden, a visit to your local garden center is all it takes to determine what types of plants and fish are the right choice for your climate and the size and type of container you chose. For small containers, all that's usually needed to give it that lush water garden effect is a few floating plants, while larger containers look nice with some submerged potted aquatic plants as well. Stick to hardy fish variety such as guppies that can withstand the changing temperatures in a container; goldfish and koi grow too large.

If you'd prefer to skip all these steps and get a water feature that will provide many of the same benefits as a container water garden, an outdoor fountain is a great choice for you. Outdoor fountains come in wall-hanging, floor, and tabletop models so you can choose exactly where to place it in your yard for maximum enjoyment. Many outdoor fountains come with river rocks and beautiful decorative accents, such as the Aquarius Garden Fountain pictured left. For a wide selection of high quality garden fountains, check out KineticFountains.com.

To learn more about Japanese style container water gardening as well as using bamboo spouts, browse our previous articles, "Plunge Into Spring! Create a Japanese Water Garden with a Bamboo Fountain" and "Bamboo Spouts and Deer Chasers".