Water Gardening: Ponds and Containers

There are many different ways to bring the soothing sound of water to your garden. You can create a pond, a waterfall, or a fountain. Bringing water to your yard can be created in many different ways. The shapes, sizes, and materials you can use are endless. You don't necessarily need to put a pond in your yard either. This article will introduce you to the many different aspects of ponds and containers, and tips on installing these things in your yard.

Before you do anything you will need to think about a few things. First, where can you put a water feature? How much space do you have? How much money can you spend? How much time do you have to devote, (not only installation, but maintenance as well)? You also need to think about a power source to plug in your pump and filter too.

If space isn't an issue, then your possibilities are endless. If you don't have a lot of space though, there are still many options available to you as well. If space is limited you can create a mini pond using a whisky barrel, deep sink, or even a small rigid liner. Small water features in colder climates do need to be dismantled seasonally through. The ideal spot to put any pond, is somewhere close to the house, preferably somewhere that is visible from the inside too. Your pond will also need to be in a spot that gets some sun for part of the day. Positioning your pond away from overhanging trees or other plants that loose a lot of leaves or blossoms will save you a lot of time in cleaning too. And of course you want to put your pond as close to a practical source of electricity for operation of a fountain, waterfall and/or lights. I was able to run an extension cord from my pond to the inside of my house, so if you don't have an outlet outside, you may still be able to add a water feature by doing that.

If you are adding fish to your pond, you will need a depth of 18-24 inches for goldfish. Koi on the other hand need a depth of 3 feet. The deeper the pond, the safer the fish will be as well. If you don't have enough room for a water feature that will accommodate fish, you can add plenty of plants instead. Plants will be happy in no more then 18 inches of water. For plants that need their roots in the water, and foliage above, you will need to build a shelf for them when digging your pond. The shelf should be about 9 inches below the surface of the water, and 9 to 12 inches wide. You can run your shelf all around the pond, or just part way. If you need to raise a plant up, place a stone or brick under it's pot. I was having a hard time keeping my pond plants upright. I learned a wonderful trick to keep them from tipping. Take a pair of pantyhose and cut the legs off, making sure to keep the foot part intact. You can fill the pantyhose legs with smooth rocks or pebbles, making it long enough to fit around half of your pot. Then tie off the open end of your pantyhose, place your pot in the pond, ans your rock filled pantyhose around the pot to keep it in place!

There are a variety of materials you can choose from to build your pond. The first thing you will need to decide on is a liner. There are two main liners to choose from, the flexible sheet liners, and the rigid preformed liners. The flexible sheet liners are less expensive then the preformed, and very versatile. You can make just about any size and shape, (except square or rectangle), of pond with this type of liner. This liner can be used to line any water feature no matter how complex. This is the type of liner I choose for my own pond. I had a few concerns about rips, but they are a very strong material and can be repaired if something does happen. After three years I still haven't had any problems. These liners should come with at least a ten year warranty, if not twenty years. Rigid preformed liners come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. If you don't see the shape or size you want I would keep looking, maybe go online, because there really are a lot, and most stores will only carry a few styles. If you get a good quality fiberglass liner, it should last a lifetime.

After you choose your liner you will need to choose a pump, and maybe a filter as well. A pump is a necessity though. The size of your pond will decide which pump you will be getting too. To figure out your water volume, you can use these equations: For rectangular ponds...volume in gallons=average length in feet x average width in feet x average depth in feet x 6.2. For circular ponds... volume in gallons=3.14 x 1/2 diameter in feet x depth in feet x 6.2.

If you choose to make a sunken pond, you will need a flexible liner. First mark out the shape of your pond using a rope or a garden hose. Next, start digging! You should have a depth of at least 18 inches. You want to angle the sides of the hole 20 degrees so they don't cave in as well. Once you have dug out your hole, line it with an inch of damp sand and use it to smooth out any rough areas. Loosely drape your liner across the hole. Remember to remove any stones or any other sharp things before laying down your liner. After draping the liner, make sure it is even all the way around. Let it sag gently into the hole, then weigh it down at the edges with stones. Start filling the pond slowly with a hose, As the pond fills, remove some of the weights to allow the liner to settle snugly into the hole. Smooth out as many creases as you can too. Fill about 2 inches from the rim. Trim any excess liner with scissors, but leave six inches all the way around to allow for settling. Weight this down. Now you can start covering the edges with stones or pavers, leaving a slight overhang. Flagstone works well. You will have to wait a few days before adding plants. If you want, you can ass small pebbles to the pond water. If you do, be sure to hose them off first, until the water runs clear. This will prevent your pond water from turning completely foggy. The pebbles will sink to the bottom, and wok their way up the edges if you have enough. This will protect the liner from the sun.

If you are making a raised or semi raised pond you will need a preformed pond liner. You can also use these to make a sunken pond, but the flexible liners are much easier for those. Some raised ponds are a little more work to put together then sunken ponds, but are equally as stunning too! You will need to place your preformed liner first. Most raised ponds are 24-28 inches high. If this is too much, you can go with 18 inches, which is the absolute minimum for fish. When choosing materials for your walls, keep in mind that they need to be strong enough to support the weight of the water. Stone or brick is an ideal material. Circular raised ponds are easier to construct the rectangular or square raised ponds to. A single wall of stone or brick, or ever wood will be sufficient to hold a liner, but for better insulation, it's preferable to build a double 'cavity wall'. The inner wall can be made of cheaper, less expensive concrete blocks, or common bricks, and then use prettier, more decorative ones for the outside. The width of the coping will dictate how far the walls need to be spaced apart. The coping should overhand a good 1 1/2 inches over the water's edge.

If you don't have room, time, or money for a bigger pond, or if it will over power your garden, but you still want a water feature, there are a lot of different options available. You can find kits at your local garden center, or online that come with everything that you need to make a smaller water feature. You can even make your own small water features as well. Barrels make a great mini water feature. After you purchase your barrel, (which you will want one that is about 2 feet in diameter, with a minimum depth of 12 inches), you will need to check it for leaks first. Fill it with water, mark the level, and let it stand for a few days. If the water level drops you will need to re-waterproof it before it can be used. It's also a good idea to support the barrel on bricks for water circulation. Now, to get your plants up to the top of the barrel, you will need some bricks, or blocks to put into the barrel. This will be what you will set your planter's, rocks, and other decorative materials on. After you have your bricks in and have added all you decor, be sure to cover any of the plant's dirt with pebbles. Then gently fill the barrel with water from your hose. If you are able to find an old galvanized sink or wash tub, you can easily turn that into a water feature as well. Make sure it is still water tight. Add some water lilies, and you have a gorgeous. inexpensive, and easy to maintain water feature! If you want to go even smaller, you can make a table top fountain out of just about anything that is water tight. You can buy a small fountain pump at your local garden center or hardware store, and add some decor, and water, and you will have a table fountain for your patio.

I know you will have a wonderful time creating your very own water feature in your yard. Make it a style you like, and that goes well with your garden. These tips will get you well on your way to adding a beautiful water feature in your yard.