Essentail Water Gardening Tools And Supplies

Need Help Building A Small Patio Water Garden Pond?

TL:DR - The Waterlily Bear provides step-by-step instructions for creating your own mini water garden paradise. It’s easy and affordable to quickly set-up and plant a tub watergarden for months of low-maintenance enjoyment of flowers, foliage and pond critters.

Here’s the best tips to create a small container water garden for a season of blooms. I recommend great containers and pond plants to enjoy small-space growing of water lilies, lotus, bog or other aquatic plants. Add a few goldfish and snails and you’ll have built a complete watergarden ecosystem that flowers beautifully with a minimum of maintenance.

Which Containers Make Good Water Garden Ponds?

Any sealed, leak-proof container might make a good mini-pond. Personally I'm fond of using medium and large, decorative resin flower pots that hold from 5 to 15 gallons of water, or small preformed PVC tubs and ponds available at home building centers like Lowes, Home Depot or farming suppliers like Fleet-Farm.

Large Galvanized Laundry Tubs
Pre-Formed Small Garden Ponds
Large Antique Ceramic Crocks
Plastic Resin Patio Planters
Storage Totes & Bins
Decorative Glazed Ceramic Pottery
Animal Water Troughs & Feed Tubs

Pumps, Fountains & Underwater Lights

Add extra interest and dimension to your small-space water garden with night-time low-voltage pond lighting solutions or a small submersible pump to add musical water notes and shimmering motion to your pond vibe.

Bamboo Zen Garden Fountain Kits
AC Powered Submersible Pumps
Solar Powered Mini Pumps
Low-Voltage Submersible Pond Lights
Solar Powered Underwater LED Pond Lights

What Essential Water Gardening Tools Are Handy To Have?

A quick trip to a Dollar Store or ordering online can cheaply help you assemble most of what water gardeners need for a basic tool set for water gardening chores.

Sharp Hand Scissors
Handheld Pruner
Bottle Brush
Scouring Pad Sponges
Small Fish Net
Kitchen Strainer
Lead Plant Weights
Pond Thermometer

Lily Pond Heater Recommendations

If an AC outlet is reasonably close nearby, consider an affordable submersible aquarium heater to extend your lilypond's growing season like I do. Container water garden ponds are small enough to keep the water temps over 74 degrees to prevent complete dormancy in the fall - or to get an early start on the growing season in the spring. A 100 to 200 watt thermostatically controlled submersible aquarium heater may be all you need for your tub garden pond. This can be a great option in cooler, northern climates to assure vigorous growth - epecially for tropical waterlily varieties you want to try!