How to Make a Tabletop Water Garden

Choose floating water plants that create visual interest for your garden.

Tabletop water gardens are an exciting way to experience nature in your home. Small gardens full of water-loving plants add serenity to any environment. Water garden tabletop versions are inexpensive to create and only require a few items easily purchased at any garden store. There are as many types of gardens as there are people who design them, so use your creativity to make a tranquil water garden for your home.

Things You'll Need

• Container at least 6 inches deep
• Water sealant, if needed, for porous containers
• Plumber's putty, if needed, for porous containers
• Variety of water plants
• Black plastic nursery containers
• Top soil
• Tap water
• River stones or pebbles
• Fertilizer tablets

Instructions

Creating a Tabletop Water Garden

1. Decide where you want to display your finished water garden. Choose a space that receives at least 6 hours of sunlight a day.

2. Choose a container for your tabletop water garden. Select an appropriate vessel, such as glass, terracotta, or stone, that's at least 6 inches deep. If you use a porous container, seal the inside with a few coats of water sealant and plug any water drainage holes with plumber's putty on the inside and outside of the container.

3. Select your water garden plants. Choose tall, medium, and floating water plants for your garden to create varied visual interest.

4. Read the soil content on the water plant's instructions. It's necessary to plant water plants in a heavy soil.

5. Repot your plants, if they're not planted in topsoil. Use black plastic nursery pot containers and repot your plants in topsoil. Fill up to 1 inch from the top rim of the container. When submersed in water, topsoil does not float to the top of the water garden like potting soil.

6. Arrange your tall and medium potted plants in the bottom of the your water garden container. Design your garden with tall plants to the back and medium in the middle. Follow individual potted plant instructions to determine the necessary depth in the water.

7. Prop up the plants. To bring your plant pots to the desired level in your container, use small bricks, upside-down teacups or little terra-cotta pots.

8. Fill the top of each potted plant with a shallow layer of river rocks or pebbles. This layer of stones keeps the topsoil in place, so it does not filter to the top of the filled water garden.

9. Fill container with tap water until it reaches 1/2 inch from the top rim of the container.

10. Place floating water plants to the front area of the garden container.

11. Add additional water. Once the plants are in place, fill the water level to within 1/4 inch of the container's rim.

12. Maintain your water garden. Simple maintenance, such as keeping the water level consistent and adding fertilizing tablets when you see new plant growth, ensures a thriving table top water fountain.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep your water garden simple by including only a few plants.

• Keep in mind mature plant sizes when choosing plants for your garden.

• Avoid cold temperatures and all-day direct sunlight.

References

• Midwest Living: Easy Tabletop Water Gardens
• Fine Living: Make a Big Splash with a Tiny Water Garden
• Happy Living: Make Your Own Indoor Container Water Garden