Make a Fish Pond From a Barrel
A water garden can be a soothing and beautiful addition to your family's outdoor living space. However, creating a pond is a major project, requiring intensive labor and a substantial cash investment to purchase the materials needed to make the pond appear as natural as possible. By creating a whiskey barrel water garden, you can avoid the labor and expense associated with an in-ground pond. It can also add a water element to a small garden or patio area that might not be appropriate for a pond. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Purchase a half whiskey barrel from your local home improvement store. The barrel will need to be lined to keep it from leaking. The easiest option is to purchase a rigid plastic barrel liner. Another option is to purchase flexible PVC lining. If you use PVC lining, you will need to cut it to fit the inside of the whiskey barrel.
2. Find a location for your water garden that will get at least six hours of full sun and one that is easy to access with your garden hose. Remember, once the barrel is filled, it will be too heavy to relocate, so choose its location wisely. If you are placing the barrel on a concrete or wooden patio, put the barrel on a small platform of bricks or a concrete block to protect the bottom from rotting. Install the liner and then fill the barrel with water. Let the water settle for 48 to 96 hours to allow the chlorine to dissipate.
3. Add the water plants to the whiskey barrel after 96 hours. The oxygenating plants should be submerged near the bottom. The floating plants (such as pygmy water lilies) will float on top of the water. The edge plants should have their containers placed 5 inches or so below the surface (so their leaves rise above the water). Stack bricks on their sides to create ledges for placing potted plants at the correct levels within the barrel.
4. To discourage algae and to create a healthy ecosystem for your fish, populate 50 percent to 60 percent of the water's surface with plants. Wait two to three weeks for the ecosystem to stabilize and then add your fish.
Tags: whiskey barrel, water garden, Fish Pond, Fish Pond From, From Barrel, Make Fish, Make Fish Pond