Back Yard Oasis for Less Than 40 Bucks!
by
Rachel's Trash~2~Treasures
(IC: homeowner)
9 Materials
$39
1 Week
Medium
Hello everybody! I made a small pond in my yard without breaking the bank! I want to show you how I did this
First, I started with a hollow concrete sphere. Now I know y'all have seen them all over Pinterest, but I did mine a little different. I started with one if those giant balls from Wal-Mart ($3)
Now, I know I screwed up because I didn't get any pictures of the process, but I'm gonna try to talk my way through this.
You mix your Portland cement with sand (about 50/50) and mix with water a little at a time till you get a thick slurry, like a thick batter. Now, this is the part I did differently, I used quilt batting! I propped up my ball, hole side down, on a bucket. Then I put the batting (which I had cut in roughly 5" strips) and put them in the concrete mix until completely saturated. Work it around in the mix really well, then drape over the ball. I did this, overlapping, until the ball was covered almost all the way down to where the ball meets the bucket. Then I left it, covered in a plastic bag, in a shady spot in my yard. I then used the remaining concrete and made these little pavers.
Then I dug my hole. I picked a spot in my yard that didn't get a whole lot of sun so I could put in some shade loving plants and some fish (eventually) that won't get cooked!
I used paver sand to make sure my hole was nice and level and secure. I inserted my form and I covered the sides with broken slate tiles which I glued in place. I filled the bottom of the pond with the remaining paver sand, which I rinsed clean in a pillow case as a make shift filter.
Filled pond with water and hooked up the pump. I used a clear piece of hose I found at orchard supply for .49 a foot. I got a couple plants at a local nursery for $1.49. The rest of them, the reeds and the moneywart, came from the river. That's it! I'm gonna let it run for a few days before I put any fish in there.
Enjoyed the project?
Suggested materials:
- Portland cement (Lowes (clearance because it was torn open))
- Big bouncy ball (Walmart)
- Pond form (Lowes ($11!!))
- Pavers sand (clearance, also torn open) (Lowes)
- Pump (Lowes)
- Pavers (Homemade)
- River rock (Lowes (you guessed it, also on clearance!))
- Sand (Lowes (clearance))
- Clear hose (Orchard supply)
Published April 27th, 2018 10:42 AM
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Rachel's Trash~2~Treasures on Jun 10, 2018
🤣
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Michelle Leslie on Sep 26, 2018
Love what you did Rachel and the way you explain things Just so real
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Rachel's Trash~2~Treasures on Sep 26, 2018
Hey, thanks Michelle ! Ha, toldya im bad at taking pics! Lol
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Michelle Leslie on Sep 26, 2018
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Frequently asked questions
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Adorable! Would you have a video of this?
This is absolutely brilliant!!
How deep did you have to dig the hole for the pond? And do you know what size pump you used?