How to create a beautiful container pond to attract wildlife

You can make a container pond out of anything that will hold water.

But some materials are better than others. That includes stone, metal, some ceramics and fibreglass.

Many people also make container ponds out of plastic bowls or buckets. However, plastic gets brittle over time when it’s outside, so it may not last as long. Wooden barrel ponds are also good, provided they’re made of hardwood. Softwoods are more likely to rot.

And  it’s important to make sure that whatever you choose will withstand the worst your winter can throw at you. You don’t want to find it cracked and broken after an unexpected freeze.

Jane Beedle made her container pond from a galvanized steel agricultural trough. You can buy them new, such as this one from Amazon, but Jane was given a second-hand one by a farming friend.

Note that Amazon links are affiliate, see disclosure.

If you prefer to watch a video, you can see how to make a pot pond on video here.

There’s no exact answer but shallow ponds will dry out more quickly in drought, which could damage the plants and wildlife in the pond.

Mosquitoes also breed in shallow water, so if you want to avoid encouraging them, then choose a container which is over 12″ deep. However, if you live somewhere where mosquitoes are a health problem and transmit dangerous diseases, you will probably have local bye-laws or recommendations, so it’s important to check those.

A baby or toddler can drown in very shallow water, so however deep or shallow your mini pond is, make sure that it can’t be accessed by the very young.

Mosquitoes breed best in shallow, stagnant water. That’s why your pond should really be more than 12″ deep. If you keep the water