Water in the garden is like a magnet. Whether a clear, still reflecting pool or an effervescent fountain dancing in the sun. It attracts our attention and draws us in. A water feature provides soothing music for our ears, is refreshing to the touch, and adds a dramatic visual element that can be richly planted or left elegantly unadorned.
They’re mostly low maintenance, too. Plants will need to be divided every year, and a thorough dredging operation may be necessary at some point, but otherwise there’s very little work involved. The most time-consuming aspect of water gardening is sitting back and enjoying it.
How to Create a Garden Pond Location
A sunny location is best if you want to grow sun-loving plants like water lilies. But you can perk up a shady site with a water garden, and most plants, especially grasses and sedges, will grow well. However, try to avoid the shade cast by trees – fallen leaves pollute the water, harming plant and animal life, and will need to be cleaned up regularly. Also make sure the site’s level, too, or the water will look like it’s going to spill out.
Construction
Preformed plastic or fiberglass pools seem like an “instant” solution, but they can be tricky to install, unless the shape is very simple. Using a flexible butyl rubber or PVC liner gives you much more freedom to create a pond that fits your site and suits the garden design. Always use a good-quality liner (look for a 20-year guarantee), unless you want to go through the headache of constantly draining and patching a leaking pond. Mark out the pond shape using garden hose for a curved pond or stake and string for a square or rectangle. To calculate the size of the liner you’ll need, use the following equation:
Length = overall length of the pool + twice maximum depth Width = overall width of the pool + twice maximum depth
Dig out the area so that you create a series of 10 in/ 25cm shelves stepped down from the edge – water plants vary in the depth of water they need, and this will allow you to plant a wide selection.
To let birds take a bath and give frogs an easy exit route, make at least one “beach” area that slopes very gently from the edge. At the center of the excavation, try to achieve a depth of at least 2 ft/60cm; this will help keep the area unfrozen through cold winter weather and will help protect fish and pond life.
Once the digging is done, remove any sharp stones or debris that could puncture the liner. As an extra precaution, you can line the hole with sand or with sheets of fiberglass insulation or landscape fabric.
Drape the liner centrally over the hole, weigh down the edges, then fill from a hose-you’ll find that the liner molds to the shape of the hole simply by the weight of the water.
This is best disguised by a surround of decorative rocks or paving slabs that overhang the pond slightly; in a lawn, you can simply tuck the edge under the turf. Finally, leave the water for a week or so before doing any planting or stocking with fish, to allow any tap-water additives to disperse.
Image: by aerialsilentsun
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