Add Beauty and Serenity to Your Landscape With a Patio Pond

A patio pond is a great way to add beauty and serenity to any landscape. They’re also an ideal solution if you don’t have the space for an in-ground garden pond.

A patio pond can be planted with aquatic plants or home-grown goldfish. If you decide to add fish, make sure that your Container Water Garden Filter is rated for fish (see below). You should also consider adding tall marginals like Creeping Jenny and Ragged Robin, which provide a place for dragonflies to perch.

Waterfalls

Large outdoor waterfalls add drama and are a focal point in any garden. They’re especially effective in shady settings where water plants and other foliage can thrive.

To create a waterfall, dig a trench that runs along the pond edge up to your desired height (usually 2 to 3 feet). Add underlay, a pond liner, and rock. Use flat and round rocks to balance each other, and choose a mix of shapes and textures for a more interesting look.

Position the first spillway rock to jut out over the pond and overlap with the next rock in the waterfall channel. Repeat up the channel, and elevate each rock to achieve a better water run-off. Place a pump in the lower pond and run return tubing up to the top reservoir to recirculate water for the waterfall. Test the waterfall by filling the pond and running the water from the waterfall to ensure it flows well.

Fish

A patio pond can be home to a small group of fish. They add movement and color to the water garden, plus they provide food for other larger pond fish. A shoal of Welaka minnows or bluenose shiners are beautiful and hardy. Larger bodied minnows like golden shiners are also good choices for patio ponds because they can get into the plants and cover and don’t get eaten by sunfish.

Avoid transferring creatures from other ponds to patio ponds because they can bring disease and may not survive. You can start with a few goldfish to get the habitat started, then add koi and other tropical fish as they grow.

To ensure your fish live long and healthy lives, only feed them high-quality pond flakes one or three times a day. Be careful not to overfeed, as the waste can contaminate the water. Keep an eye out for signs of illness, such as white spots and a cottony appearance. If your fish are gasping at the surface, that’s a sign of low oxygen levels.

Plants

A patio pond is a great solution if your garden does not have the space for an in-ground garden pond. A pond on the patio allows you to keep fish without having to worry about the water level getting too low in dry weather or ice in winter.

Marginal plants grow around the edges of the pond and help with oxygenation and algae control. They also provide cover for young frogs and dragonflies. Tall marginals like Hornwort or Ragged Robin are good for attracting pollinating insects and flowering marginals such as Yellow Flag Irises can add beauty to the pond.

A fern that loves to get wet, Parrotfeather (Eupatorium coelestinum) provides great texture in the pond. It is a hardy plant that grows well in natural ponds and the container water gardens of New Jersey. Sweet Potato Vine (Ipomea wrightii) is another favorite. This annual has a long season and is fun for kids to watch it grow.

Lighting

Lights can be a great addition to a garden pond or patio pond. They can help you enjoy your outdoor water features even longer into the evening, and they can highlight the plants or fish in your pond. However, it is important to keep in mind that only lighting fixtures specifically designed for use in or around ponds should be used to illuminate the water feature.

The best lights for ponds have a wide beam angle, which helps spread the light evenly throughout the pond. They also don’t produce as much heat as incandescent bulbs, which can make them a safer choice if you have kids or pets who might wander near the water feature at night.

Nobody — except mosquitos — wants a bowl of stagnant water, so add some movement to your Patio Pond with a spitter or fountain. This will help to keep the water fresh and healthy, while also attracting wildlife to your garden.

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