Water Ways

Water gardens add a special touch of life to any garden, but you’ll want to plan ahead a little before you start digging. You’ll need to consider the amount of space you have available to install a water feature. If the space you have is relatively small, then a pre-made fountain may be the way to go. There are models that have varying sounds. If you have plenty of space available to use, then installing a functioning pond will work for you.

A pre-made plastic ‘pond’ can be used if you find that easier to handle. If you’d rather have a more natural looking pond, a little more work will be needed. Draw out on a sheet of paper how you’d like the pond to look when you’re finished, because it will give you a better idea of how to move along with your plans. From there, you can start to dig out the pond area, being sure to slope the edges. You’ll need to look into possibly getting a pond liner, or sand for the bottom. Other things you may want to have ready right away are a water pump suitable for the size of the pond, an aerator, and maybe some bacterial additives.

The aerator is an important part of your pond, because it helps keep a healthy gas exchange. The water pumps are for a fountain piece if you have one, but they also to keep the water moving to prevent it from getting stagnant. By adding water plants, you’ll create a biological filtration, which means that the plants will help filter the water to keep it clean. You can give a new pond a little help getting the natural filtration moving by adding the bacterial additives.