Project - The Mindful Garden

Seven years ago, I packed my belongings into a backpack and hitchhiked to the mountains in Western Iberia, Spain, to the small village where my paternal grandparents had lived their whole lives. Growing up, I had always felt a very strong connection with this place. I would hike in the forest and accompany my grandparents when they tended to the goats and vegetable garden. However, I wasn’t exactly sure about what I would find all these years later, nor exactly what I was looking for. Older adults in the community shared knowledge and practical skills, such as foraging and seed-saving, that had been passed on to them by previous generations. By observing the landscape and all the living things surrounding me, I realized that what I had been seeking all along wasn’t this particular place; what I was truly yearning for was a sense of connection and belonging to wherever I called home.

Since then, my partner and I have built a small stone house by hand, become parents and been joined by some animals. But it isn’t necessary to move to a remote place to renew your sense of connection to nature.

With the fast-paced rhythm of modern life, feeling grounded can be challenging. Many of us feel distant from nature and simplicity, and long for a slower life in harmony with the seasons, inviting a sense of wilderness into our day-to-day. However, life over the last few years has shown me something: that, when you begin to tune in to your surroundings and to notice the shifts throughout the year, you learn a new language, that of the natural world. I believe that nature can be found everywhere, even in the cracks in the pavement, and that we all have the ability to feel at home and secure in a sense of belonging to the places we inhabit. Sometimes, we just need the right tools to unlock this warm sense of kinship.

Here’s a project to spark your creativity in your garden, shared plot or balcony. A pond is a fabulous addition to any garden. Water not only brings a new dimension to a growing area, but also supports local biodiversity by attracting wildlife such as birds, insects, amphibians and small mammals. A thriving, diverse ecosystem is a resilient and balanced one.

Whether you have a large garden plot or a balcony, your pond doesn’t need to be big to bring benefits. You can make a mini pond by using a watertight container that is large enough to accommodate plant pots and deep enough that they are covered with water.

You will need to consider how much sun and shade the pond will get (you need sun for at least four to six hours a day, but no more than three to four hours of direct sun), and how cold it will be in winter (it must be deep enough not to freeze solid in your climate). It’s preferable to use rainwater from a water butt for your pond, although you could use tap water that has been left to stand for 24 hours. This project is pretty straightforward and you (and your garden) will soon be enjoying this new mini ecosystem.

YOU WILL NEED:

• watertight container, such as a plastic wine barrel, a tin bathtub or basin. For reference, mine is about 60 cm wide and 30 cm deep.
  
• waterproof sealant (optional)
  
• bricks or stones
  
• pots
  
• 3–4 aquatic plants of different heights, including a tall one such as a rush, 1–2 oxygenators and a marginal. (Use native plants from a reputable pond plant supplier.)
  
• aquatic compost
  
• gravel or small pebbles
  
• large feature stone (to act as a landing and exit for wildlife)
  

DIRECTIONS

1. Thoroughly clean your chosen container. Fill it with water and wait for a couple of hours as you search for water leaks. If you find any, seal them with waterproof sealant and allow this to dry before moving on to the next step.
2. Place your empty container in its designated spot. Dig a hole and sink the container completely (this will help regulate its temperature), or, if this is not possible, sink it only partially, or have it sitting on the surface.
3. Place bricks or stones inside the container, around the edges, creating ‘shelves’ for plants that like different depths, as well as a deeper area in the centre.
4. Pot up the aquatic plants, covering the compost with a light layer of gravel, or small pebbles, to keep it from floating to the surface.
5. Fill the container with water until two-thirds full. Place the plants inside, on top of the bricks. You can arrange them in a visually striking way, placing taller plants at the back and cascading plants at the sides, where they can fall over the edge of the container. Don’t overcrowd your container, to allow for the plants to spread – you are looking for two-thirds coverage of the water’s surface.
6. Top up your container with water, about 2.5 cm (1 in) below the rim. Place a large stone against the edge of the container to serve as a landing place for birds and insects and as an easy exit for amphibians and mammals.
7. If your mini pond is sitting on the surface or isn’t completely sunk into the soil, surround it with some bricks or stones, to help critters access the water. Place bushy plants between the bricks, at ground level, as protection for frogs and tadpoles against predators and too much heat.
8. Watch your plants grow and wildlife use your space over the coming weeks!

MAINTAINING YOUR MINI POND:

• Submerged oxygenating plants are a vital part of your mini pond’s flora, so do not skip these.
• During the warm months, when evaporation can happen quickly, top up the water regularly.
• Regularly remove any leaves that fall onto the pond, as this will reduce the amount of nutrients in the water that can lead to algal growth, and prune yellowing and dried leaves from your pond plants.
• Depending on your climate and the plants you’ve chosen, you may be able to leave your pond outside during winter, as the surface of the water can freeze without harming the plants or any larvae overwintering at the bottom. I recommend finding pond-maintenance tips specific for your climate.

Catarina is a multimedia artist, land steward, mother, gardener, maker of things, student of plants, keeper of chickens, writer and knitter. She lives in Western Iberia, her native land.