Building a barrel pond is a fairly easy and adds a lot of sound and beauty
to a small space.
First
you need to start out with a half whiskey or wine barrel. These can
be easily purchased at a home improvement center, or from a winery or
distillery. A twenty-five to forty gallon half barrel will cost you
between $40 and $60 on average. Be aware that wine and whiskey
makers usually do NOT reuse their barrels, so if you're close to one of
those fine establishments, call and see how they distribute their old
ones. I found my latest half barrel while driving in the California
countryside.
Some
people have been able to use these ponds without a liner, related to the
fact that these barrel "swell" with the addition of moisture. I
personally prefer to use PVC liner and tack it down with upholstery tacks,
or you can purchase a plastic insert.
The
two major things you need for a successful barrel pond is four to six
hours of sun, a filter and circulating system, and a few plants.
Filters and small pumps are easily found at the home improvement store.
Also to save money, put several ponds together and run one pump to
circulate the water between all the ponds.
The
most desirable plants for a barrel is a dwarf lily, some type of plant
with some elevation in it like a dwarf umbrella, and a hyacinth or water
cabbage for oxygenation. You can also include one other smaller
marginal for oxygenation and beautification.
Another stocking option would include:
cardinal flower, horsetail,
arrowhead, lotus, dwarf iris, dwarf umbrella, water hyacinth, and water
hawthorn.
Ponds
at night can be enhanced by the use of floating lights. I found some
that look like fish that used tea lights. I also had a pump at one
time that had a light attached to it. This barrel had floating
candles and a small candle on the clacker.
