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Step-by-Step Photos and Instructions
1. Drill a small hole in the rim of the container to mount the spouting ornament. If you need to bend the support spike to level or position the spouter, grip it with two pairs of pliers so you don't crack the ornament.
2. Spread the soil of the lily or other deep-water plants in one half of the container, then add kitty litter to create a level floor.
3. Add a partition to divide the container into halves. Plant the shallow-growing marginal plants and spread more kitty litter over the soil. On the low side, nestle a plastic cup for the pump in the kitty litter, keeping it covered with plastic to prevent gravel from falling in.
4. Spread pea gravel over the kitty litter. Keep the floor on the lily side lower to allow the lily stems room to extend upward when you add water.
5. Connect the pump to the spouter with vinyl tubing. Use a transition piece of 1/2-in. tubing if necessary to connect the 3/8-in. tube to the pump. Press the pump into the cup so that the suction cups anchor it to the bottom.
6. Cover the pump with a nylon stocking filter to keep gravel from clogging the pump, and then cover the pump with pea gravel.
The Super-Simple Approach
If you want an instant water garden, simply slip a plastic barrel liner into a decorative wooden barrel, set some pavers of various heights in place to act as pedestals and then perch a few potted aquatic plants on top. Just make sure to position the plants at the depth indicated on the plant tag or information sheet. The only drawback to this approach is that the container won't look as natural close up -- you can see the plastic pots below the surface. You can even add a spouter to the barrel; the pump can simply sit on a pedestal without a cup.
If you can't find a plastic barrel liner, you can make a watertight terra-cotta container by plugging the drain hole.
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