Plant Gardens 101

Just like caring for your fall flowers it is just as important to beware of what the needs are of your garden pond. Most garden ponds are built to give additional beauty to the area. Yes, these are becoming more common.

Some of these have fish which adds another dimension They are relatively easy to care for. In the colder climates there are some important tips I have for you. If you are susceptible to the water freezing you need to read on.

The debris that collects in the garden ponds can give off toxic waste including gases. Like fall flowers these toxic chemicals need a place to go. This is into the atmosphere. (more…)

Who would have thought that a small water garden could be anything but safe? However, a couple of measures of precaution can help ensure that your magical water garden stays safe for everyone, including your goldfish! Remember, that if your water garden is deep enough for goldfish or koi, then its more than deep enough to be dangerous for toddlers.

Here are a couple of things to consider:

Depth of Your Pond: The ponds edges provide you an opportunity to increase safety around the water pond. Put a shelf or ledge around the sides of your pond that is at least 1 foot deep to provide an easier escape for a child that has fallen in. You may also want to consider placing boulders around the side, which will provide some added leverage for the child to pull themselves out.

Watch Your Children: Just like you wouldnt let your children swim without a lifeguard or adult supervision, never leave young children unattended around your water garden pond. While the fish will provide enough curiosity, remember that same curiosity may tempt them to get too close to the edge to get a closer look, raising the risk of them falling in, hitting their heads on the edge of the pond, or even drown. A child can drown in less than 6inches of water. (more…)

Hi, today I will show you how to build a water pond by yourself.

The first thing you need to do is, ask yourself where you want to put the pond. It should be in a place where you see it instantly upon entering the yard. You may also choose to install it at the back of your back yard. By installing the pond in the back portion of your yard, you will make the yard look deeper. I recommend installing the pond where it can be visible from the house at almost any angle. The second step is to pick the liner for your pond. You can choose a pre-formed liner or a soft liner. For this article we will discuss using the pre-formed liner. This liner is more durable, easier to install, and easier to clean. You have to choose the form before digging so you will have the exact shape and the depth of the hole. Now that you know how big, how deep, and where your pond is going to be, you may need to check with local housing authorities to ensure your plans conform to established zoning rules. Better safe than sorry! When this is complete, it’s time to dig. Trace the form of your pond on your lawn and measure how deep you will have to dig. Be sure to dig two inches deeper than the depth of the pond liner. To fit your liner properly, put two inches of sand in the hole before inserting your liner. This will provide a much better fit, while at the same time protecting the liner from rocks.

The third step is to bring electricity to the pond. This step should be done by a professional, if more than one extension cord is needed. You can purchase a solar pump to avoid the hassle of cords. Now you can put water into your new pond to see if everything is right. Start the pump to make sure it’s working properly before you start decorating your pond. (more…)

Imported from Japan to the western world is the Koi pond. Koi are a form of carp fish that look like giant, majestic goldfish. When these fish are added to a beautiful and artistically crafted pond, Koi can truly make the exterior of a property look incredible. Of course, building the pond is not enough. The pond – and the Koi that inhabit it – must be maintained for longevity.

For Koi to survive and thrive they will need a water environment that is conducive for their survival. For this it is helpful to have water test kits that tell you the basic parameter readings of your pond such as pH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate as these readings are critical so that you can monitor the levels of toxins in your water. For example, a pond should contain no more than .5 ppm of ammonia (with as close to 0 as possible) and no more than .25 ppm. Other testers to monitor the dissolved oxygen levels can also be helpful. (more…)

1. Liners will eventually leak. Manufacturers have varying warranties, ranging from 15 to 30 years, with a 75-year life expectancy. In reality, it will definitely last as long as the guarantee claims as long as you leave it in the box, and store it in your garage. Once you place it in the ground, nature’s forces begin a contest to see which will break its water-tight integrity first. Vying for the title of culprit are gophers, ground squirrels, chipmunks, rats, moles, roots from trees, plants and weeds, sharp rocks, heavy rocks, sharp objects, and moose (if you live in Alaska). If a leak does develop, it is next to impossible to locate it without removing all the rocks covering the liner, draining the pond, spreading the liner out on the ground, and inspecting every square inch. A tiny pin hole can lose five gallons every 24 hours.

2. Bottom drains cannot be utilized with liners. Liner advocates discount the use of bottom drains primarily because they would rather not, since approximately one half the sources for leaks in liner ponds are from bottom drains. When the liner is cut to install the drain, sealants are used along with pressure rings to make a water-tight seal. The sealants dry out or break down and seal collars warp, resulting in time-consuming, costly repair. (more…)

Do you waste your money on lottery tickets? Feed your hard earned money to the one-armed bandits in the casinos? Drive without a seat belt? Then a pond liner is for you. You obviously like taking chances and are not too concerned about the outcome. Well, when someone spends thousands of dollars on a liner pond, they are playing the odds. Will their liner pond leak or not. From my 26 years experience in the pond business, I can assure you that the odds are not in your favor. This is an article the liner pond dudes don’t want you to read. If you weren’t giving my industry such a bad name, there would be no need for this writing.

The liner pond gurus such as the “Liner messiah” with his own magazine and catalogue, recruits unsuspecting followers with a “Build a Liner Pond Day”, and shows how easy it is to get something for next to nothing. Here’s what these liner pond guys do:

• Lay out the pond with a garden hose

• Remove the sod and dig the hole

• Drop in our guaranteed liner

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Sometimes I get calls from people who have purchased a new home with an old pond that has a big problem. The number one complaint is that it won’t hold water; second is the water is green; third is that the rock work is ugly – an eyesore! At that point I ask if they have a pond liner pond and waterfall and they are surprised that I knew that, however eighty percent of all these type calls pertain to a liner pond and waterfall. We have replaced over $40,000 worth of defective liner ponds. One customer in Rancho Bernardo, California had spent $14,000 to have a koi pond and waterfall built by a large and well respected local pond liner supply company. They complained of needing to add water daily since the liner pond was constructed over a year ago. The pond liner installer’s response was that the loss of water was from evaporation. The liner pond was fitted with a manual auto fill system and they discovered the solenoid was turning on every 15 minutes to replenish the loss. In addition to the annoying water loss, they could not enjoy their fish for half the year because of murky green foul-smelling water. They reported the pond liner company came out dozens of times dumping various concoctions in the pond with a promise of startling results. The results were startling all right – our client sued the pond liner store and contracted with us.

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A Garden Pond is an asset to your Garden as well as your Home. The Garden Pond will add value and beauty to your Home. When Completed as per your idea and the Plant and Animal life thrive on it, you have a small wonder World within your Garden Pond..

Building your Garden Pond needs careful planning and perfect execution. A well built Garden Pond can change your Garden in many ways. If you know anybody who has a Garden Pond they will tell you how much the Pond has changed their Gardens. It not only provides a focal point for relaxing and enjoying your Garden, but it will also be a heaven for wonderful local Wildlife.
The first and foremost thing in setting up a Garden Pond is to plan well, don’t try to take any step before planning. That is never rushing to buy materials before the plan is perfect. The next step is to plan the best position within your Garden for the Pond. Point to consider include the amount of Sunlight the Pond will receive during the year, distance from the House and household Members such as Children and Pets, position in relation to Trees, because if the Pond is subjected to strong Sunlight, Algae may be encouraged to grow. Constantly clearing out leaves is not an easy job. (more…)

Koi Pond Heating
There are many reasons for heating your koi pond,maybe you just want to see your enjoy your pond in all seasons.Whatever your reason we just want to give you some insight to make it easy to accomplish. There is now new technology,enery efficient heaters being developed for pond heating.Therefore we recommend electric koi pond heaters,submersible heaters,heat exchangers and floating pond heaters.Pond heating Considerations: First you must determine whether you want to de-ice or actually heat your pond to a specific temperature .Deicers melt the ice to provide an opening for harmful gas exchange only. Heating your pond to obtain a specific temperature can be a bit technical, so if your not sure about the heater sizing we recommend that you contact our koi pond heating specialists. The outside low temperature is the key to your kilowatt requirements and unfortunately it can vary. Your heater output kilowatts are calculated based on your low ambient temperature and if your geographical area drops far below that normal low temperature a safety factor should be included in the calculations.We recommend submersible pond heaters for small to medium size ponds and energy efficient heat exchangers for large ponds. (more…)

Building a garden pond is not just a matter of digging a hole, lining it with plastic and filling it with water. There are other considerations such as whether it should contain fish or just plants; how big or small it should be; its shape, and so on. Be prepared to dig a decent hole and spend many hours complaining about your aching back … but you’ll be very pleased with the results and you can happily stand around, beer in hand, praising your efforts after the fact. For those who have done it, building a garden pond can be a very satisfying project indeed.

Step 1 – Decide on where to build your pond.
Naturally, level ground would be best or else you’ll spend far more time and effort doing the levelling yourself. Building a garden pond under a tree is unwise as the roots will continue to grow and could encroach upon the pond’s territory in the future. The shade of the tree will also mean a lack of sunlight, which is essential to your pond’s survival. Since you will need electricity for the pump, proximity to an outlet is important. (more…)

If you’ve never seen an indoor fish pond or are of the mind that the only place for a fishpond is outdoors, it’s time to readjust your thinking. Many people love the idea of having a goldfish or Koi pond in their lawn and garden area but find the reality isn’t always as wonderful as the fantasy.

Every winter runs the risk of losing the plant and fish life in your pond with the first freeze. As a result, more and more people are coming up with a method for bringing the outdoors, in and forming your very own pond indoors is a beautiful alternative to a tired old aquarium. While an indoor pond doesn’t have to be beautiful in order to be functional, you can choose to make it a focal point and conversation piece quite easily. (more…)

When a stream intersects the garden, this requires more work. You should use general treatment in expanding the water area considerably. One of the ways in which you can do this is to create a lily pond in that part of the garden beyond the brook, having an inlet and an outlet, thus securing water circulation.

Bays should be formed on the near side. Communication across the stream may be by means of a simple bridge, or stepping stones if the water is shallow. You should resist the temptation to give a “rustic” character to his bridge and think carefully about adding patio statuary, large fountains, or indoor wall fountains that are best left indoors. It should be a plain affair, well and firmly built, as befits its purpose, and with a hand-rail on either side.

There is a type of water garden which is frankly artificial and depends for its water supply on the kitchen tap or the pump. This last condition means that you should have some knowledge of the economy of water and that can best be done by devising what is called a circulating system. (more…)

A good Garden Pond is a thing of beauty that makes your Garden a better place for you and your family. A Garden must not only be a beauty to look at but at the same time it must be safe for all concerned. Some steps have to be taken to ensure that the Garden Pond is safe and healthy for all. Special care has to be taken with regard to the depth of the Garden Pond if you have toddlers or small pets.

In case you have small toddlers in your House, they should be carefully watched while they are in the Garden and they do not slip and fall into the Garden Pond. Even then it is prudent to plan for any eventuality. You can add a Shelf or Ledge or other leaning Structures around the sides of your Garden Pond so that it provides an easier escape for a child to come out of the Pond by itself. Adding other materials around the edge of the Pond and its side will help in getting out of the Pond more easily. (more…)

Why do people put up backyard ponds and waterfalls? Some people would find this just a bit too wasteful of resources. Some would think that putting up a backyard pond and waterfall would be equal to showing off. However, you need to know that people who put up backyard ponds and waterfalls do so for very good reasons.

1) Relaxation – there’s something about watching the crystalline water flow from a waterfall that just outs a person’s mind at ease. People can spend hours staring at the flowing water and not even feel the time go by.

The sight of a backyard pond and waterfall would have been enough to relax any person, but the sound is just unbelievable. Although large waterfalls emit a roar of sound, backyard ponds and waterfalls actually sing. This fluid lullaby achieves the effect of coaxing the tired spirit to rest. Relaxation is a luxury oft ignored by man in his quest to succeed in life. However, you should know that the man who oft relaxes can work harder than he who does not rest at all. (more…)

First of all: know what you want. If you need some ideas, visit the library or your local book store and browse through landscape books, garden and pond magazines. You can also search the web and read and study as much as possible. Layout is the most important phase of the entire project. I have heard many complaints from disappointed clients after they had a chance to get used to their new addition to the landscape. “I only wish we had made it bigger … made it deeper … added an island … made it longer and constructed a bridge … built it closer to the house … installed a larger water pump for the waterfall … or … built the waterfall higher or wider.” Most of these wishes could have been granted for a reasonable cost before or during construction. But waiting until afterward means incurring a major expense that may be cost prohibitive. If your choice is to omit the item or feature because of its cost, then make structural preparations to allow for adding it on later. You can plan and design the landscape to allow for easy additions to the koi pond later just by the strategic placement of trees, sprinklers, drain lines, and much more. When you decide exactly where you want to place the koi pond, take your time laying it out. A garden hose is popular for this job because it can easily be moved around until the desired shape is achieved. Once that is accomplished, you can use construction paint and spray the ground in the outline of the hose. If there is any doubt about where to locate the koi pond, give it a couple of days and ask for outside opinions. Then walk around the yard while you observe the proposed spot from various angles, especially views from inside your house, from the room where you spend most of your time. Remember to take into consideration everything around it. How close is the nearest tree? Will its roots pose a problem later? Is there going to be sufficient sun throughout the day? Some water plants require more sun exposure than others, such as lilies. Make sure you know where the main power, water and sewer lines are routed to the house. It is not so good to find out after the fact that the gas or water line runs right through the center, 36 inches below the surface of a 48 inch deep koi pond. (more…)

Garden Ponds are a great way to upgrade your Garden looks. There are two ways of spicing up your Garden. Some of these features are expensive and very hard to get, that is like the complicated Water Fountains and Iron Structures. But there are few things which can make your Garden look beautiful and can be bought easily and installed easily. This would certainly add a lot of class to your Garden. And it’s true you can hear people say that you are a landscape expert.

A Garden Pond is the new trend, it is relatively easy to fix and not at all complicated to maintain throughout the Year. Owning a Garden Pond holds in it wonderful possibilities and prospects, in your own backyard is a rare opportunity to further exploring the power of your Garden s., Moreover it is a beginning of a love affair with Nature as you start to grow your Garden Ponds into living habitats for Fishes and Plants. (more…)

Imagine the pleasure of owning a beautiful pond as part of your landscape. Ponds and water features can be incorporated into many areas of your landscape such as patios, barbeque areas, entrance ways, or even vegetable gardens. A beautiful pond or water feature adds a quality to the landscape that is inviting and relaxing. Creating a beautiful and inexpensive pond in your yard is actually not as difficult as you might think. http://easygardeningsecrets.blogspot.com/ Here is a simple way to add the beauty of a pond to your landscape.

When building a pond or water feature take in to consideration the topographic features that are already present in your landscape. It may be possible to incorporate the landscape features that are already present in your yard into your future pond or water feature. Landscape features that may compliment your water feature or pond might include hills, slopes, boulders, low areas etc. (more…)

Having a Garden Pond in your Home Garden is both attractive and refreshing adding value to your Garden and to your House. With little effort, money and time you can build a beautiful and functional Garden pond for you. You will need the following while constructing the Pond and giving it a good and beautiful design.

The Fist step towards your dream Garden pond is to design and plan for your Pond. You have to consider various factors seriously and take a firm and final decision before you start your work and changing your decisions after starting the construction will cost you money and time. So, think seriously and decide once for all. The things you have to decide are the best place to put your Pond, the size of the Pond, the shape of the Pond, depth of the Pond, and whether you want to have fish in it or not and other like details. (more…)

With this guide, you will be prepared to winterize a water garden pond. Make sure that you follow each step to ensure the health of your plants and fish. It should be easy and quick to maintain a healthy water garden pond.

This is a guide for those with a soft pond liner. If you have a hard pond liner, you have many less steps to take, which can be found easily online. Make sure that you check which type of liner you have before you begin to winterize your pond.

Your first step is to empty half of the water from the pond. You can do this by taking the hose that is connected to your pump, and reconnecting it so that the water is pumped onto the ground. This will make it easier for you to see while you clean. (more…)

The spring pond season is an exciting time especially after a long, cold winter. Many pond and water gardeners are anxious to experiment and try out new products and techniques for a refreshing new look. But for many, spring also means the arrival of the dreaded “spring green.” The warmer temperatures and longer days create conditions ideal for algae that turn your pond into pea soup.

The following spring algae-busting tips will help you enjoy your outdoor space throughout the summer without having to constantly worry about algae.

Get a jump start Once algae take hold, they seem nearly impossible to rid. This may be the case if conditions that encourage aggressive algae growth are not addressed in a prompt manner. Simplify algae control by getting a jump-start. Take steps to keep algae growth under control as soon as possible – don’t wait until the water turns murky green. (more…)