This pond was built in December 2007 in the earlier days of my turn-the-front-lawn-into-garden project.
The tires came from a park mowing tractor so are wider than normal tractor tires, giving extra height to the pond. You can usually pick these up free, in New Zealand anyway, from large tire repair and supply workshops: mine came from the parks maintenance company I work for - free disposal for them and free supply for me!
Materials:
two tractor tires (one, two, tractor, car - your choice)
large cardboard box, old carpet, etc
sand
newspaper
thick polythene sheet from a local BORG (Big Orange Retail Giant)
flexible drainage coil (I had this lying around)
geotextile (eg weedmat, mudstop, etc) [oh, or you could use old carpet!]
wire mesh
fencing wire
soil, container mix, or compost
water
fish
water plants and land plants
two terracotta pots
Tools:
spade
bucket
hose
clamps
reciprocating saw, jigsaw, hacksaw or even a sharp sturdy knife
short length of 25mm PVC pipe
craft knife
tape measure
stapler
step 1Cut sidewalls from tires
I haven't gone into tire cutting detail here, as there are other Instructables that deal with this (eg auntwrenny, who thinks much the same as I do about leaving one sidewall on: http://www.instructables.com/id/Used-Tired-Raised-Garden-amp-Tree-Ring/). I used a reciprocating saw for this step, but a sturdy sharp knife would probably do it with a lot more effort. A small amount of frequently applied water helps as a lubricant. Remember the proximity of electricity: if you kill yourself, don't say I didn't warn you.
Cut one sidewall from one tire and both walls from the other, leaving about a 75mm (3 inch) lip. I only cut out the upper wall of the second tire at first, but the polythene would not mould around the convoluted 3D-ness of this arrangement. Unfortunately, I did not take photos of the second try, but you'll get the idea.
Smaller tires can be done with a jigsaw or even a small knife: see the paring knife I used on car tires (thanks for the use Sweetie ... oh, I thought I'd asked you about that?... oh ... er ...).
introUsed Tired Raised Garden & Tree Ring
Ever wonder what to do with those old tires? Do you want to have a garden without the need to till soil? We have found that used tires make GREAT raised garden beds!
Caution!
Please note that we are using some serious saws to cut the tire. It's important that you are familiar with and comfortable using power tools to make these projects. While the cuts are not difficult, the tires do have steel wires in the sidewall that can be resistant to sawing initially. BE CAREFUL AND WATCH WHERE YOU PLACE YOUR HANDS/FINGERS!
