There are a lot of new trends surfacing in gardening, and water gardening is one of the new interests. Water gardening can include waterfalls, ponds, streams and fountains, all of which can be combined with lighting, plants, and fish. Water gardening need not have a pond or natural water source moreover, it could be a plastic tub, plastic lined shallow in the back yard or, almost anything that will hold water.
Before building your water garden, do a little homework to decide what size and design is best for you. Unlike regular gardening, where you can blunder your way through almost any experiment and start fresh the following year, a pond often involves a greater investment of time and money.
A water garden opens up a new world of planting and landscaping possibilities. You can start small, with a hollowed-out stone that catches rainwater, a watertight, patio-sized container or jump right in with an in-ground pond with water lilies, fish and a fountain. A smaller water garden in a container may be a better fit for your lifestyle and pocketbook that doesn't sacrifice the soothing beauty and color of water plants.
An important consideration in planning a water garden is the choosing a location. Plants and fish both need plenty of sunlight, places in direct light away from trees and bushes are the top places. This will also help prevent leaves and debris from collecting in the water.
When planning for a water garden, the next step is to choose the size you want. This depends, of course, on the resources you want to dedicate to it, how much money and time you are willing to spend. A water garden can be expensive if you go for a big garden filled with plants, rocks, fish, and lights. Also think about your property’s size, which will also the effect amount of time you’ll spend maintaining your water garden.
Aquatic pond plants can be free floating, submerged, or marginal. What type you select is a matter of aesthetics and preference. Some plants are known for their scents, some for supplying oxygen to keep the pool healthy, and some are just picturesque. Remember that the plants should only cover about half of the water, especially if you have fish. Fish are not only nice to look at; they’re beneficial in that they help keep debris at a minimum and help in controlling larva and other insects.
One of the big challenges in water gardening is maintaining water free of algae. Algae problems are usually the result of nutrients in the water from feeding fish too often or over fertilizing plants. By cutting back on feeding and fertilizing, adding more plants, putting in a pond filtering system, or replacing the water with fresh water, algae is easily controlled. If a pond is constructed correctly and maintained properly, algae problems can be kept at a minimum.
All garden pools, no matter the size, require some maintenance during the year. With proper planning, you can create a healthy equilibrium between living and decorative features of a water garden that can almost care for itself with simple maintenance inputs from you.
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