Back in the old days, only the very rich had amenities such as garden ponds and fountains.
Old-fashioned gardeners had a way of turning soil and rocks into amazing gardens that including fountains, streams, and waterfalls for their rich clients.
Now, however, it's good to know that anyone can have a garden pond if they want one.
Even if your only "yard" is an apartment patio or balcony, you can have a fountain or a waterfall as part of your landscape.
It may be that you only need to add a shallow dish of water to your patio to provide a birdbath for your feathered friends.
It only needs to be half an inch deep and 6" side in order to work.
You can use an old pie pan, a garbage can lid, or a flowerpot base, because all work well in small spaces.
After initially filling the container with water, you should wash out the bath every other day and refill it with clean water.
Once you have a container of water, the local wildlife will begin depending on it.
You'll find that you'll attract the most interest if you set it on the ground.
You can get anything from birds, butterflies, and squirrels to toads.
If you put out a hanging birdbath or one on a pedestal, you're restricting some animals from using it.
Only those critters which can jump that high or fly will be able to access it.
However, by hanging one high, you can give birds the chance to bathe in privacy regardless of prowling neighborhood cats.
Maybe you'd like to grow some water plants or even have a couple of fish.
All you have to do is add a tub garden to your patio or balcony.
There are a lot of different options you can use for containers.
Halved whiskey kegs with liners are popularly used.
You can also buy plastic tub gardens in a number of sizes.
These are both affordable and lightweight.
You can add small pumps to these containers to power fountains or waterfalls.
You will enjoy the peace of listening to the moving water, and it will attract more visitors, too.
To get started with growing water plants, you'll need a container that's at least a foot deep.
Some water plants do really well in shallow water, but others, including some water lilies, require more water.
There is a variety of plants you can choose from depending on the depth of your tub.
If it's deep enough you can plant flowers in pots before placing the pots on the bottom of your tub or on a brick if necessary.
Duckweed is another floating plant you might want to think about.
Plants that float on the surface of the water block the sunlight that enters the tub.
This reduces the amount of algae that grows which reduces your cleaning.
When you want to add potted plants, place stones on top of the soil and then sit the pots on the stones.
This will keep fish from digging in your pots as well as hold the soil in place.
In a cold climate you'll need to think about what you're going to do with the tub during the winter.
If there's room inside, you can move it in.
However, if there isn't, you'll have to drain the tub.
One note: if there are small children around, a small tub of water can be just as hazardous to them as a huge pool.
Use grounded outlets for all fountains and waterfalls.
Water gardens can be a wonderful addition to your patio or balcony.
Not only do they provide a habitat for the wildlife to enjoy, but they can also provide a pastime for you and your family to work on together.