Make a Rubbermaid Pond

Build a pond from an old Rubbermaid container, and you too can have your own pond! Simple and easy, no digging necessary.

Video 1

Choose a Container and Dig a Hole

We chose an old Rubbermaid tub that was used for storage. Make sure it is clean and free from oils. Find a sunny location. Your pond will need at least 6 hours of sunshine per day. We chose to dig a hole and put our tub in the ground, but you can have yours on the patio, on a deck, or in the yard.

Line Your New Pond

Line the Rubbermaid tub with a black plastic trash bag. Black is best because it absorbs the heat from the sun and keeps your pond nice and warm. It also creates a barrier from any toxins in the tub and keeps it from leaking. You will need to replace the trash bag at least 1 time per year. It will be a tight fit, but the plastic bag will stretch around the tub.

Fill With Water

Fill your new pond with water. It is not necessary, but you may also want to check for pH level. The perfect level is 6-7.

Choose Your Pond Plants

Follow this link here > I have a large selection of big fat pond plants.

They are very easy to ship! Good beginning pond plants are: (pictured) frogbit, water hyacinth, pennywort, and parrot feather.

Some more easy plants to grow are:

Water Lettuce
Primrose Creeper
Water Poppy
Cattail
Water Canna
Primrose Creeper
Iris

Decorate Your New Pond

At first we decorated the outer edge with a montage of old broken plates. But then I felt it was a hazard with the sharp edges. I found some small sample tiles that were being thrown away from a tile store. This made a nice border. Potted plants also look nice around a Rubbermade tub.

You can find all sorts of FREE PLANTS on http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/

And at: http://www.freecycle.org/

Other Mini Ponds You Can Make

You can grow pond plants in any plastic container, but do not use metal. Metal containers leak toxins into the water. An important tip to remember is that when the weather is hot, your pond can lose up to 2 inches of surface water per day. So it is important to actually water your water garden each day during hot weather. In the winter time, the water can freeze. So it is important to cover your little pond with clear plastic sheeting.

See info for growing pond plants in cold climates: Follow this link > Cold Climate Ponds

Video 2