Building a pond

The sight and sound of water has a very soothing and calming effect and adds to the beauty of a garden. Building a pond is a complex and time-consuming operation. The first step towards building a pond is to decide what kind of pond you want. Do you want a koi fish pond or a goldfish pond with aquatic plants? Do you want a want to use pond liners or a pre-formed pond? How big a pond do you want?

The next step in building a pond is to analyze the topography of the space to decide the location of the pond. Are there rocks, trees or any soil conditions to consider? Can these be removed or worked into the garden landscape? Once that is decided, you need to lay down the shape and dimension of the pond. For example, a garden pond for water lilies or goldfish needs to be only about two feet deep while a koi fish pond will need to be three feet or deeper because koi fish are larger fish and need enough space. The pond will then be dug to the desired shape and a shelf around one foot deep and wide dug around the perimeter of the pond. The pond could have more than one levels or just slope gently.

There are two kinds of pond liners – hard pond liners and flexible pond liners. Pond liners are usually made of butyl or PVC. After excavation, any lumps or stones are removed from the hole. Then a one inch layer of soft sand is spread over the area. This helps protect the pond liner from being torn or punctured. The liner is then spread over the pond hole and spread evenly so that wrinkles and folds are minimized. The liner edges are secured and held down on the edges of the pond with bricks or stones. Water is then poured into the pond slowly until it fills up. Pond pumps and filters are then fixed in place. Pond pumps and filters are important to ensure proper circulation of clean water in the pond. Pond filters remove organic debris from the water and clean it before it returns to the pond. Good pond filters prevent the water from going green with algae formation and ensure the healthy survival of marine life like fish. There are different varieties of pond filters and pond filtration system to suit different sizes of ponds. Garden pond pumps come in many sizes and ratings according to the rate of flow required. Garden pond pumps will ensure that the right volume of water is being pumped through the pond filters or filtration system.

The last step towards building a pond is to add aquatic plants in and around the pond. Aquatic plants do not just add to the beauty and feel of the garden pond but are also vital to the health of the whole pond ecosystem. There are four kinds of aquatic plants. - water lilies or lotuses, marginals or bog plants, floating plants like water hyacinths and oxygenator plants. Fish may be introduced into the pond after six to eight weeks after the plants are established.

Garden water features

Garden water features bring charm, beauty and magic and also add value to your home. A well-designed, well placed and well-constructed water feature adds another dimension to the garden. Contrary to belief, water gardens are not difficult and time-consuming to build, install or maintain. Maintaining a lawn or perennial border probably requires far more work than maintaining a pond. Developments through the 1990s in construction material have made water gardens relatively easy and inexpensive to maintain. No matter how small a space you have, there are garden water features that will turn it into a place wonderful to be in and see.

It is important to consider several factors before making your decision as to which garden water features are ideal for your yard. A little research of the market and what’s available in landscaping and gardening supplies websites will tell give you lots of ideas, help you know what is available and for how much.. It is also advisable to set up a few criteria that will help you narrow down your choices and act as guidelines to help you in making your final decision. For example, know your budget and decide on a theme before anything else.

Some suggested popular themes are English garden fountains, Balinese water gardens, Japanese Koi ponds and Riviera and Mediterranean water gardens. It is also important to keep in mind the theme of the existing garden and ensure that the garden water features and the other elements surrounding it blend together with or have elements that reflect the garden’s theme. The size and design of the garden water features will depend on the budget, amount of space available and the placement for maximum visibility and aesthetic appeal.

Garden water features such as fountains and waterfalls come in many different forms, designs and are made of various materials. There is the choice of multi-tiered fountains, barrel fountains, wall fountains and pond fountains. Pond fountains require more space while wall fountains are perfect for small spaces such as a balcony of an apartment. Fountains are made of stone, cast iron, copper and concrete. Solar water fountains are the new trend in gardening. The advantage with solar water fountains is that they cost nothing to operate and do not need electricity and wiring. All that is needed is adequate sun exposure, a solar panel, pump, and the fountain. Solar water fountains may cost more initially but eventual savings in electricity usage, plumbing and electricity set-ups make them definitely worth considering.

There are other backyard water garden supplies like plants, rocks and statuary. The rocks are an ornamental feature, to be placed in and around small garden ponds and fountains. Potted aquatic plants may be planted around the edges of small garden ponds or even submerged. Some of the water plants that could be used in and around small garden ponds are lag iris, dollar weed, cattails, horsetail, elephant ear, canna lilly, nymphitis, Pothos ivy, English ivy, walking iris, Ruellia, Blue-eyed grass, calla lilly, houttonia, lotus, watercress and bamboo.

Small Garden Designs

In the modern day and age and especially in the urban milieu, space is limited and even if we did have the space, most of us do not have the time or energy to devote towards maintaining a large garden. There is so much that one can do with small garden designs.

The rules of garden design would apply even to small garden designs, even though they may have to be modified a bit. There are no plants or garden designs that cannot be made to work on a smaller scale. Bear in mind that small garden designs need to work in a small space. Small garden designs have their challenges such as limited choice of plants and colors, space-use optimization and the fact that the whole garden will be seen as a whole. But what you lose out in dimension and space, you gain in detail and maintenance. Attention to detail can be achieved with interesting results in a small garden. Maintenance is easier and less time-consuming too. Most small gardens designs are built around sitting and entertaining areas rather than the need to grow vegetables and plants.

Before designing and choosing a style for a small garden, one must take into account how much sunshine is available through the day, the soil, the shape of the garden space and existing plants, if any. Growing zones would be decided depending upon which part of the garden gets adequate sunlight and choice of plants. Some plants might need a shady place while some would require sunshine at least for a few hours a day. Choice of plants would depend on budget, size of the garden, plants already in garden, garden style and maintenance requirements.

A small garden is really an extension of the house and reflects the taste and sensibilities of the owner. That is why front garden design assumes so much importance because the front yard is the first space in our homes that we see and is visible to others. It is also a place to live in, play in and entertain. There is so much front garden design can do in terms of framing, landscaping ideas and greening the walkways, driveways, entrances and sidewalks. Just a few pots of colorful plants or ferns at the entrance can liven up even the dreariest tenement.

Front yard landscaping is focused more on the how the whole property appears with respect to the over all picture that the front yard projects as a whole with the house. The backyard landscape designs focus more on the purpose, fun, entertainment and privacy aspects of the space. Thus, there is a big difference between backyard landscape designs and front yard landscaping. However, the five key elements of good landscaping holds true for both. These are unity or harmony, focal point, symmetry and balance, proportion and simplicity.

It is amazing how simple landscaping ideas like garden decorations, garden benches, statuettes, swings and garden rocs create a feel and bring a sense of taste to your garden. Garden benches are a cozy place to sit and relax and make for a lovely idyllic setting. Landscaping with garden rocs can add texture and depth to the garden.