12/01/2010 12:24:00

Make A Stack A Box Pond

Ponds are brilliant things for gardeners. They encourage a range of wildlife to come into your garden which might otherwise not be there. Minibeasts which help to eat your garden pests, which are beautiful to look at, and are fascinating for children to study. If you're lucky enough to encourage a frog or toad into your pond, they can help with your slug population, and birds will appreciate the water too.

However for most people in an ordinary garden, a large pond is a luxury they can't afford - the space is not always there and there may also not be a suitable location to make the pond safe to screen from children for safety.

One way round this is to make a small container pond - using a small waterproof container sunk into the ground inbetween your other plants. Gardener's World's Jeff Hamilton used small cut-down barrels, some people use chopped down dustbins, and this example from Jo Watts, a childminder in Nottingham, uses a stacking storage box.

Digging a hole in your ideal spot that is only slightly bigger than the container, and then filling with water, a little soil and some water plants is a really quick solution. It also means you can place the small pond in an area of the garden which is easy for you to protect from the children when they are playing by themselves, or you can put a small piece of mesh over the top.

There are more detailed instructions about making a mini pond at http://www.ehow.com/how_5049474_make-wildlife-pond-container.html