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  3. Create a mini-pond: a biotope for your balcony
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Create a mini-pond: a biotope for your balcony

Garden Knowledge
Project
A grey outdoor plant pot has been turned into a stylish mini-pond.
The finished mini-pond will look great on your balcony
  • Difficulty
    easy
  • Cost
    40-85 £
  • Duration
    1-3 h

Do you want to have your very own pond in your garden? Why not try our mini-pond? This little biotope is so small it should even fit comfortably on a balcony. So let's get started – and soon you'll be able to enjoy the sight of the first water lilies, water mint and other flowers.

You need
  • work gloves
  • ear protectors
  • safety glasses
  • tape measure
  • Set square
  • pencil
  • A zinc bucket planter, a ceramic planter or an outdoor plant pot
  • Corrugated plastic sheet that is at least as wide as the height of the planter or plant pot
  • Large stones
  • Pebbles
  • Sand
  • Pond soil
  • Pond plants, e.g. water lilies, water mint or marsh marigolds
  • Water
L: Length, W: Width, H: Height, D: Diameter
Step 1 5

Measure out the corrugated plastic sheet

Dimensions are marked on a corrugated plastic sheet using a white pen, a folding ruler and a wooden bar.
You can create different levels in your pond using a corrugated plastic sheet

You need: Corrugated plastic sheet that is at least as wide as the height of the planter or plant pot

Zinc bucket planters or troughs, ceramic planters or outdoor plant pots are ideal for creating your mini-pond. Note that the container should be open at the top and closed at the bottom. A pond has areas which are different depths. To create these areas, use a corrugated plastic sheet that you can bend. First, measure out how shallow or deep you want your different areas to be.

Step 2 5

Cut the corrugated plastic sheet to size

A jigsaw is used to cut a corrugated plastic sheet.
Now cut the corrugated plastic sheet to size in line with the size of the pot

You need: Jigsaws, screw clamps, work gloves, safety glasses, ear protectors

Cut the plastic sheet to size. The jigsaw and T 102 D HCS jigsaw blade for wood or a multi-tool are perfect for this. Laying down a piece of waste wood underneath the plastic sheet makes it easier to cut the sheet. Make sure you also secure the wooden board using screw clamps.

Step 3 5

Fill the pot with stones, sand and soil

A corrugated plastic sheet that has been bent into a circle is set up in a grey pot.
Bend the corrugated plastic sheet into a circle and place it in the pot
Light-coloured stones in various sizes lie in the plant pot. In this pot, a corrugated plastic sheet has been bent into a circular shape.
Large and small stones form the basis of your mini-pond
A mini-pond has been filled with sand
The next step involves sand. Pour sand on the stones
A mini-pond is filled with pond soil using a small shovel.
Use pond soil to create a waterfront higher up in the pond

You need: outdoor plant pot, large stones, pebbles, sand, pond soil

Create an artificial wall in your container using a corrugated plastic sheet. Create a waterfront and a swamp area inside your pot. To make sure the wall holds, cover the bottom of the pot with large stones. Then add a layer of pebbles, and fill the gaps with sand. Your deepwater area – which is the deepest section of your pot – is now complete. Fill the waterfront with more sand and pond soil. The soil should be slightly higher towards the edge of the pot and lower in the middle.

Step 4 5

Add plants

A man adds the first plants to a mini-pond.
You can now add the first plants to your mini-pond
More plants are added to a mini-pond.
You can now add the first plants to your mini-pond

You need: Pond plants

Now you can add your pond plants. You can add water lilies to the deepwater area, for example. It's best to keep them in a little container, otherwise they spread out too quickly. Water mint and marsh marigolds feel at home on the waterfront or in the swamp area.

Tip
HOW TO KEEP YOUR WATER CLEAN:

Plants such as water soldiers or swamp stonecrop will maintain a good quality of water in your mini-pond.

Step 5 5

Fill your pot with water

A mini-pond is filled up with water using a green watering can.
Then simply fill up your mini-pond with water
A finished mini-pond is placed on a wood-panelled balcony.
Now you can kick back and admire your new mini-pond

You need: water

You're almost done! Now it's time to fill up your mini-pond with water. Try using rainwater – but tap water is also fine, of course. If possible, fill your pond up until the water level reaches the edge of the swamp area. But you can also leave a little bit of space for the next time it rains. Your mini-pond for your balcony is now ready! Here's one final tip: you should change the water if it starts smelling bad. And keep an eye on any small pets that could fall in. Do you still have a lot of space left on your balcony? Then try building a trendy garden bar out of pallets or a triangular balcony table .

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