Are you looking for inspired ways to transform your half-whiskey barrel planters into something new? Try decorating your garden with one of these 7 water feature ideas using half-whiskey barrels.
Whiskey barrels have gotten a reputation for being stuck in the “rustic” garden niche but these days they come in an array of different finishes and shapes. So whether you prefer rustic/traditional or modern-contemporary, there is likely one on the market to suit your tastes.
Whiskey Barrel Goldfish Ponds
Half whiskey barrel planters are too small for Koi fish, but that’s okay because there are a few types of goldfish that look just like Koi but smaller.
There are also many other types of fish that work well in outdoor container ponds, feeding on algae and mosquito larvae. For more on keeping fish in outdoor container ponds, Click Here.
An Old-Fashioned Pump Fountain
This could be a weekend D.I.Y. project if you have an old hand pump. Old fashioned hand pump and whiskey barrel fountains are available on Amazon.
Whiskey Barrel Water Lily Or Lotus Pond
Water lilies can grow in containers, no pond or digging is required. “Barrel ponds” as they are known are a good size for 1-3 standard sized water lilies. They will eventually take up the entire container with bright green lily pads and bright colorful flowers.
Tropical water lilies are more dramatic than the hardy ones. They have a more prolific flowering habit, the flowers stick up above the water (hardy lilies float on the surface), and the flowers are larger than the hardy species.
There are also some varieties of water lilies that bloom at night, as well as some very nice dwarf & miniature varieties with flowers that measure only one inch (2.5cm) in diameter.
Buying and growing a lotus plant in containers is relatively easy and very worth the effort. Lotus plants are more cold hardy than some people realize. They will thrive up to USDA plant zone 5 (Chicago is in zone 5).
As mentioned, growing a lotus is not difficult but it does deserve it’s own article which you can read by clicking here.
Man-In-A-Barrel Fountain
The Man-In-A-Barrel water feature is a fun way to introduce some humor and whimsy into your landscape. This feature requires either two containers or a container and a pond. One container for him to “hide” in and another container or pond to catch the water from the spitter. The water re-circulates from the catchment container back to the fountainhead by way of a hidden tube.
You don’t have to use whiskey barrel planters but they are the perfect size for this particular fountain kit. The kit comes with the fountain pump, tubing, face (spitter), and the two hands. The whiskey barrels are not included.
You can find the Man-In-A-Barrel fountain kit and the correct size whiskey barrels both on Amazon.
Whiskey Barrel Container Water Garden Or Patio Pond
Of course, you can grow much more than just water lilies and lotus plants in half whiskey barrel planters. There are a wide variety of aquatic pond plants that fit perfectly into whiskey barrels.
A favorite container recipe of gardeners is to use a tall plant for dramatic effect, a trailing plant to cascade over the sides, and another plant to fill in the rest of the voids. This combination is often called the “thriller (tall plant), spiller (trailing plant), and filler, and works as well in container ponds as it does for regular container plantings.
Find the perfect aquatic plants for your container pond by visiting our aquatic plant gallery.
Wine Bottle Fountain
Use Whiskey Barrels As Rain Chain Water Basins
Some prefer using rain chains over traditional aluminum downspouts. Instead of having the usual rocks or small rain chain basins, use a half whiskey barrel planter instead!
They look best near a patio or front door. Aquatic plants can handle a deluge of rain but you may lose small fish in a rainstorm. For this reason I would not advise using a container pond at the base of a rain chain to keep fish in.
One More…
While writing this article, I just remembered another “type” of water feature made from half whiskey barrel planters, the multi-tiered water feature!
Stacking two or more barrels on top of each other gives the opportunity to create a cascading fountain and/or have even more plants.
Find two different sized whiskey barrels if you can. Place a large, wide and sturdy wooden shelf on top and to the side of the bottom barrel and stack the smaller barrel on top.
Some of the half whiskey barrel planters that you will find online and at local retailers will already be water tight without needing to be sealed. Seal any drainage holes with epoxy putty if necessary after installing any pumps or submersible lighting if you are using any.
Some types of fountain pumps and lighting may require you to run an electrical cable or tubing through the hole in the bottom, but you can also usually run a cable over the side and hide it with a trailing pond plant hanging over the side such as Parrot’s Feather or Creeping Jenny.
If the barrel itself is not water tight, apply a spray-on sealer or buy a plastic liner insert made for whiskey barrel planters. Allow any spray-on sealer two days to dry before filling with water.
