Do you only have a small garden or simply a terrace and dream of a water feature? Do you have a larger garden but do not want to turn it into a mini war zone, even temporarily, to dig a simple pond? Are you mad about aquatic plants but already have no room left in your pond?
Here’s the solution: a miniature water garden!
Mini pond: some basic tips before you start...
You can perfectly well create mini-ponds that are both attractive and beneficial for wildlife in very small containers, provided you respect a few rules:
- First of all, find suitable containers: glazed terracotta, zinc or tin, an old trough, a hollowed stone, a half-barrel, plastic or resin, ... Any container that can hold (and retain!) a liquid, in this case water.
- If it isn’t watertight, you can try to seal the container with a waterproof coating or line it with a PVC or EPDM membrane as you would for a "real" pond.
- If you multiply mini-ponds, favour an odd number and vary shapes and sizes; it will be more pleasing to the eye. Although two or four aren’t bad either... Or eighteen. Actually no: do as you please!
- Containers should have a minimum depth of 40 cm to accommodate a wide choice of plants. Obviously the deeper the better, but 40–50 cm will already be sufficient for most aquatic plants.
- Place mini-ponds in partial shade to provide enough light for life within them (flora and fauna) while avoiding excessive evaporation in hot weather. Avoid positioning them under a tree so leaves, twigs or fruit don’t dirty the water... Choose location carefully because once filled they will be hard to move...
- Choose plants according to pond size. But you can already include a small oxygenating plant to clarify the water, an attractive flowering floating plant and a more upright aquatic perennial.
→ If you’re looking for good ideas to choose aquatic plants, read Pond: 10 aquatic plants, submerged or floating.
Please note: before planting in your small pond, perform a watertightness test on chosen container. It may seem obvious but micro-leaks can be hard to detect. Fill to brim with water and leave overnight. If level has dropped, change container or seal it.
Some ideas for very small ponds for a terrace or even a table
Even very small, these mini-ponds can host some plants. (source: Pinterest)
Even a space as small as a terrace, or even a tiny table, can host a mini water garden. Use a small container 30 cm deep and place a tiny flowering floating plant. The effect will be striking while adding a welcome touch of coolness in summer. You can even be a bit original, as with the teacup-pond above.
Upcycling: half-barrel, old basins or zinc wash tubs
Zinc wash tubs, old basins, barrels... Everything is good for your mini water garden (source: Pinterest)
You often find old zinc wash tubs, basins, troughs or half-barrels at flea markets. Snap them up! (figuratively speaking...) Any more-or-less watertight container will do. If it isn’t, you can always line it with a pond liner... As these containers are often large, you can be freer with number and choice of plants.
With fish?
Koi carp are out of the question as they need a large volume of clear water. As for goldfish seen, sadly, in very small containers, know that this can only be a temporary situation — and only when they are very young. Indeed, goldfish, like all cyprinids, also need a large volume of water to live. Remember adults reach 30 centimetres in length. Let’s not contribute to animal suffering by continuing the age-old "goldfish in a bowl" tradition, which is true torment for these fish.
... or not at all
Paradoxically, the largest dragonflies are often happy in relatively small containers.
Fish are cute... but they eat everything! So if you want to see tadpoles, dragonflies or diving beetles: forget fish. Even in small containers you can host a small fauna, notably insects (dragonflies, beetles, pond skaters, ...), crustaceans and molluscs. Amphibians are more complicated but... it has been done!
Please note: what about mosquitoes? Generally, I tell people they needn’t worry about possible mosquito breeding in their ponds because predators living there keep populations in check. But in these small containers of stagnant water, that may not be the case... Stay vigilant.
In conclusion
No need for a large garden or massive works to enjoy water and aquatic plants. Often a simple basin can already host significant flora and even fauna. It’s simple, quick and inexpensive — in short: go for it!
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