Ponds And Gardens

All gardening and gardeners know that there are a few things that can spice up their garden and upgrade their garden looks, some of these features are expensive and very hard to get, like complicated water fountains and iron structures and some are pretty easy to buy and install, this article talks about one thing that is not that easy to install but certainly will add a lot of class to your garden and upgrade you from a gardener to a landscape expert.

 A garden pond is the things these days, it is relatively easy to understand and not complicated to maintain throughout the year, and owning a pond holds in it wonderful possibilities and prospects, for some gardeners to have a pond in their own backyard is a rare opportunity to further exploring the power of their gardens, to others it is beginning of a love affair with nature as they start to grow their ponds into living habitats for fishes and plants.

The real purpose of a pond, some say, is to present a living environment by itself, regardless of the garden in which it is placed, because a successful pond will have its own plants and fish in it and even birds that will visit it during the different seasons. This is the reason that so many of the garden lovers that try and place a pond in their garden discover that they are quickly amazed and interested in a whole different thing then gardening, learning about fish and algae and water plants.

Koi Fish For Ponds

Koi fish make excellent pond fish because of their beautiful colorings and ornamental quality, many people choose to keep fish for ponds because they are quite easy to look after and make such beautiful features in the garden. However, fish need a lot of room to live and grow which means that Koi fish are better suited to larger fish ponds rather than aquariums because they will tend to thrive more in an open environment.

When it comes to fish for ponds, you should consider how much of a commitment this species can be. This is because fish will live for around forty years at the most which is longer than the average pet or fish so you need to be sure that you are going to be able to keep up with this commitment. However, sometimes the fish will outgrow their environment and most pet stores will take them on, so there is a fall back just in case you need it in the future!

Fish for ponds are easy to look after, but they still need a certain amount of maintenance and care like any other fish. You need to ensure that the pond is kept clean and the water is at a constant water temperature; this can be quite difficult to do as the seasons change but you can get some good advice from fish guides about maintaining the correct water temperature throughout the summer and winter months. You also need to ensure that your pond is covered with netting because this not only keeps out unwanted pests such as insects and the garden cat, but it also helps to stop the fish from jumping out of the pond as they are sometimes known to do.

Building A Backyard Pond

Having a pond in your backyard adds interest and invites butterflies and birds to visit. Your pond may be large or small but whatever size you choose will bring a focal point to your backyard.

You can decide to have either a water garden or a fish pond. You can choose to have prefab pond or dig a hole and add a pond liner. Or, you can build your pond in plant containers or barrels for your patio or deck. There are many different types to choose from and many accessories to make your pond unique and interesting.

Before you add your pond to the backyard pond you need to take some time to consider the location. You will probably want to place your pond in an area that allows you to view it from your deck or patio. But it will also need to blend into the natural setting in your garden. You will not want to place the pond in the too sunny a place or under trees. A pond is best in a shaded area so that the sun doesn't overheat the water; something that is important if you are going to add fish to the pond.

Landscaping around your pond should look natural but you can also add lights to make the pond more attractive at night. You will need to make sure you have electricity for the lights as well as filters and a water re-cycling device.

The Perfect Water Garden

A water garden can be the most enjoyable investment you could ever make, or the biggest wet nightmare. A recent phone call from an angry water garden owner prompted this article. What she was describing to me was just the opposite of what would be considered the ideal water garden experience.

She began by telling me the pond was leaking, and she needed to add water daily. It was full of algae and smelled like dead fish. Besides needing to pull the sump pump out of the pond every three days to clean the algae and debris from its intake screen, her electric bill was out of hand since she installed the pond. She continued: "The grandkids were climbing around on the waterfall and the rocks slid around, exposing the liner everywhere."

When she complained to the contractor about needing to add water every couple of days, he came out and did something and it stopped losing water. She explained that she told a friend that her water bill was three times its normal cost and that she heard running water all the time and thought it might be a stuck toilet tank float. The friend investigated and discovered the contractor had installed a mechanical water level controller to the pond. He did this instead of fixing the leak, apparently assuming that the client would never figure it out.