How to Build a Wading Pool Garden

With the gardening season upon us, most everyone would love to grow their own fresh vegetables. But what if you just don't have the time, space or the inclination to invest in the back-breaking work of tilling and preparing a traditional garden plot? One simple solution you may not have considered is using a children's wading pool to construct your own raised gardening bed. The benefits? The pool itself is highly economical and you may already have one lying around. You also have the added advantage of being able to place your garden anywhere you'd like it to be, I have mine sitting on my back deck.

The Setup

The setup couldn't be easier. Simply make evenly spaced holes around the perimeter of your pool about 3 inches from the bottom for drainage. (A heated screwdriver or similar tool works well for this.) Elevate your pool on a few 2 x4's or something similar so the excess water can drain freely. Fill your pool with equal parts of topsoil, compost and peatmoss or a peat-based potting mix. (Note: make sure you have sited your pool where you want it before you complete this step. A filled pool can weigh in at over 350 pounds!)

Ready, Set, Plant!

Now that you've prepared your pool it's time for the fun part: planting all of your favorite plants! With a little planning you can grow almost anything in your pool. In the past I've planted green peppers, tomatoes, bush beans, sugar snap peas, cilantro, basil, hot peppers. You're limited only by your own imagination.

Maintenance and Care

The beauty of this system is that it's economical, the supplies are easy to come by, and the maintenance is almost nonexistent. Weeding for instance, is pretty much a thing of the past. Your wading pool garden will of course, need water on a regular basis since anything potted as opposed to being planted directly in the ground, tends to dry out faster.

Fertilizer

A good all purpose fertilizer like Miracle-Gro applied every two weeks throughout the growing season should do the trick to keep your garden plants happy, healthy and thriving. You'll also want to keep an eye out for pests and nip them in the bud quickly with a good all purpose insecticide specifically for edible plants so they won't get out of control.

The wading pool garden is a simple way to enjoy the wonderful taste of homegrown vegetables if you're faced with limited space. It's easy on the budget and can be reused for many years.

Happy Growing!