Very much enjoyed your article. I have several large pots with marginal plants and water lilies, also. Great way to have a water garden without all the work of a in-ground pond.

Yes!! I added a few of those big pots each year for several years... I think there are a couple dozen out there now, enough that I feel like I have a "real pond," distributed around in little pieces! LOL They're easier than any other kind of container, as they don't need daily watering.

Great article! I hope it inspires everybody to include at least one water pot in their landscape.

Holly and Jill - Thank you! I enjoy writing articles about something I really love to do! I can not imagine my gardens without a water container or two or three or .... LOL!

Jill - I have 8 containers (various sizes) with water plants. I would have more, but the raccoons are so destructive here in my area that I had to scale the number of water gardens down. I have a routine at dusk every night to cover them to protect the plants and fish. Early every morning I uncover them and feed the fish (as well as feed the wild birds and squirrels). Its a routine that I actually enjoy because I get to see the growth and progress of the plants on a daily basis.

I forgot to add in the article that the eastern mosquitofish are called "Gambusia holbrooki". They are very similar to the Gambusia affinis fish. They also eat mosquito larvae! I over-wintered all the fish outside in the large containers by putting the wooden cover over the water containers (as I always do) and by also covering them each with an old quilted bedspread. I did NOT lose any fish to the cold, near-freezing temps this Winter! I was pleasantly surprised they all survived the cold.

That sounds like a great way to overwinter your fish. I buy feeder fish (small goldfish) each spring and put a few in each of my containers then in the winter I move them into my in-ground pond where they stay. Then the next spring I start with a few new feeder fish. We are all great enablers, Critter found these great big pots and so kindly picked up a couple for me.

Thanks for a great article. Very nice.

An old stainless steel restaurant pan served as a water pond in our yard(s) for several years. We encourage the local frog/toad population and keep the feeder goldfish along with plants. It's a rather shallow pond, but it's the best one we have. Now that we are in the milder climate of Savannah, Georgia the goldfish overwinter.

Holly - I would love to have Goldfish in my containers but all the water fowl here would spot their bright gold color from the air and that would be the end of them. Mosquitofish are not as noticeable and that is why I use them instead.

Greene - A stainless steel restaurant pan as a water container???!!! Do you have a photo? I would love to see it! Sounds quite ingenious!

I picked up some mortar mixing pans they work quite well for marginals.

Holly - That is a great idea! I'd have never thought of that! Something to think about and possibly try! Thanks!

Great article Becky. I have always thought that I would like some type of water feature in the far corner of my perennial garden. One of these container gardens would fit the bill perfectly without having to run any electric out to the end of my property.

Thanks for the great ideas. You have given me food for thought...

Becky: I truly enjoyed your informative article! I've thought about trying my hand at making some sort of water garden for years and still haven't done it. I love the lotus flower and other water plants so maybe I should seriously begin a project. We have lots of raccoons here too so they'd definitely have to be covered at night!

How do you cover them at night? That might be a helpful hint for time.

I'm crossing my fingers that the raccoons don't find me! I've seen one on occasion here, but I guess it was just passing through.

Carolyn and Lin - Glad you found the article of interest and has given you some ideas to add one or more to your own yard. Really, once the container is created, it's a breeze to maintain.

Holly - I had my husband cut out two round circular covers out of plywood. I painted them blue (photo of one can be seen in the article). Then I added some chicken wire to the top of the small round pond containers and then just lay the blue top on it at night. During the day, I just roll them over to an area where they are standing on end. I thought about using them for round table tops during the day. And might still do that. The chicken wire... I just remove and roll up and put behind the round ponds during the day. I don't do anything to the smaller water containers as I have no fish in them. I use mosquito dunks instead. Raccoons only bother the containers with fish.

Jill - I had my ponds with fish uncovered for many years, but once the raccoons find the water gardens and the fish .... they return faithfully to check to see if there are more to eat. Even with the covers, I can see little dirty paw prints on the covers the next morning. They know the fish are in there, but they can't move the top off. Too heavy!

If you have a smaller water container, you can cover with just a piece of wood. I'd put a paver or cinder block on top so the raccoons can't move the cover off. They are smart little devils!

Thanks glad we don't have those problems.

Holly - I didn't have the problem for years either. And ironically ... I have a 6' tall vinyl privacy fence surrounding my backyard. The raccoons are climbing the trees to get into my backyard as they can not climb up the slippery vinyl fence. Go figure! They are relentless now after having had a yummy fish fest in my ponds last Spring! Grrrrr .... My backyard must be one of their favorite restaurants now! (sigh) Though they haven't been able to get into my ponds since last Spring once I figured out how to cover the ponds and protect the fish. That's how it is hosting a wildlife habitat in one's backyard. You get all kinds of critters! The good, the bad, and ugly. It just comes with the territory of inviting Mother Nature to your home.

Yes, we too get the good bad and ugly. When you supply them with food, water and a good habitat you can't complain too much when the unwanted visit along with the intended.

Knock wood - no problems with raccoons yet, but at one point we did have a problem with a muskrat. That was awful - what an ugly critter too! Hubs had to take care of it or it would have destroyed my liner. Apparently they like to burrow. I still have not figured out where he came from.