Don’t have fish as they will eat the eggs and larvae…I’d no idea that creating a mini wildlife pond could be such an anxiety-inducing activity. The Wildlife Trust says that you should have a minimum of 4-5 square metres of water, which would be a pond about 6ft across. Select the spot you would like your barrel pond to go and fill it with water. Be mindful that once filled it will be difficult to move, so be sure it is where you want it before you pour. Are you thinking of adding fish? I've had container ponds with and without fish. I did use a pump and filter for the fish and also a small heater in winter. I only had two goldfish. They became quite tame and would come up to take food from my fingers . They also liked the melon slices I put in for the water snails.

Are you looking for inspired ways to transform your half-whiskey barrel planters into something new? Try decorating your garden with one of these 7 water feature ideas using half-whiskey barrels. Half whiskey barrel planters are too small for Koi fish, but that’s okay because there are a few types of goldfish that look just like Koi but smaller.

Despite looking like part of a wooden barrel, this planter is in fact made from recycled plastic. It therefore has the charm of a traditional planter, but can be left outside all year round without the fear of applying waterproofing treatments or dealing with wood rot. Weighing a light 1.4 kg, it’s also practical to move around the garden, whilst still feeling solid and robust. In fact, it’s so watertight that many customers have even reported using the Oakwood Barrel Planter as a small pond, or water-feature, to great effect. Here are a few ideas I came across when looking for inspiration. container pond in a feeding trough with

You cannot buy aquatic pond plants in normal garden centres or indoor aquariums shops. You need to find a dedicated pond shop like Maidenhead aquatics who have branches inside some garden centres.One of the best things about using recycled barrels as planters, like this Temesso Wine Barrel Planter, is that you can choose which type of barrel you prefer. There are several routes you can go down when buying a pond liner – Butyl Rubber, Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), Low-Density Polyethylene (LDP) and Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer (EPDM). I plan another trip to Maidenhead Aquatics in the next couple of weeks to get some more plants. I’m looking for a long-flowering water lily; the one I started with died that winter. The dimensions are 64 cm wide by 45 cm tall, resulting in a large planter with a very generous capacity. It may be too large for some smaller gardens, but if you’ve got enough space you’ll be able to plant bulbs, flowers, shrubs and even small trees. Even a small lawn can be turned into a mini-meadow. This looks wonderful for months at a time, and helps pollinating insects. And it’s easy – but not as simple as just letting your grass grow. See here to find out how to create a beautiful mini-meadow garden.

I don’t dig up dahlias to store them at the end of the summer. And before you dig your dahlias up, it’s important to know the pros and cons. You… The surface few cm/inches of the container pond can freeze over without harm to the plants or damage to the container. Plastic barrels can look surprisingly like the real thing, especially from a distance. They are often made from resin, or another type of plastic, and are moulded to look like wooden barrels with metal belts. And did you know that butterflies are a good indicator of how healthy your garden environment is? Create a garden for butterflies, and you’ll help other wildlife. See Why You Need a Butterfly Garden – and How to Plant It. And don’t worry about where the wildlife will come fromNormally, by the time you've bought your barrel, it's been cut in half, and stored outside for a while. There may be a hint of aroma of the original contents, but often there isn't. My barrel pond will be two years old this summer, and it’s still going strong. I did change out some of the plants last summer as a couple died; the Anacharis Narrow Leaf (Egeria najas) seemed to be totally eaten as there was non-left.

At least two of the barrels I have used have been whisky barrels, and a friend has used a wine barrel. There are also some varieties of water lilies that bloom at night, as well as some very nice dwarf & miniature varieties with flowers that measure only one inch (2.5cm) in diameter. You can begin adding the plants via the special net-sided pond plant pots described previously. Choose a mixture of striking flowering and foliage plans that contrasts well with each other in terms of height and shape. Typha minima Don’t forget that babies or toddlers can drown in a few inches of water. Protect them from the pond.

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In this article, we discuss how to create a marginal pond garden in a barrel. Often we want plants that are a bit different and often not seen in your garden. One of these is marginal pond plants as they need water to survive. You think at first that it is impossible to have marginals in a container. Well, I am going to dismiss that thought and help you create your own marginal pond garden. YOU DO NOT ONLY HAVE TO USE A BARREL Depending on the age of the wooden barrel, the rusticity of its appearance can vary. Some look relatively new, whilst others have been darkened by age or show signs of rust on the metal rings holding them together. To some, this is aesthetically desirable, but others may prefer the structural reassurance of no visible rust.