An Introduction To Water Gardens
An Introduction To Water Gardens. A water garden or pond can provide a whole new dimension to a garden, Introducing fish, aquatic plants, sound, and movement, it can be fun for the kids and soothing for the adults. A water feature will always brighten up that new look garden design!
Large water gardens can look spectacular, but small ones can be just as fun and attractive. It can be constructed by either laying down a liner, or using naturally occurring impacted clay as a pool.
Planting keeps the pond healthy and provides an illusion of age. Cover 2/3 of the surface with deep water aquatic plants to help cut down on weed growth, and combine this with oxygenating and marginal plants.
A bucket of water from an established pond can help attract wildlife faster. A sunny south facing site is best, and size and shape will affect what is attracted. Frogs spawn in water 7-10cm deep, toads and newts in 10-50cms. Frogs will breed in ponds with a surface area of 1m plus, dragonflies 4m plus, and toads and crested newts 15m plus.
A water garden can feature all types of fish, but remember that they will constantly battle with the plants you have included.
If your water has an algae problem, combat this with uv lights or barley straw.
Well balanced planting should produce good water quality, and some algal bloom or muddiness can be beneficial to fish. Cures for imbalances are rarely needed, though an over population of fish may cause the need for de-toxicants, as found by many Koi enthusiasts.
A water feature can bring a pond to life. It can be constructed with stones, butyl liner, and a good pump, but you may well need to bring in a professional to install this.
