Water Gardens

Water gardens are a very attractive feature. Adding a simple pond or creating a series of pools can give your garden it's own unique character. There are many options available, and even a small shallow bird bath type water feature will still be a great way to attract wildlife into your garden.

The following small guides should provide some useful advice.

Maintaining Water Quality

One of the main considerations related to your pond or water feature will be the quality of the water. This has a direct effect on the usage of the pond, if you plan to keep fish in the pond it is essential that the water is clean and well oxygenated.

An easy mistake to make when first adding a pond to the garden is to rush to fill them up with fish and aquatic plants. It is essential to consider the natural process of these ecosystems. In nature a pond has a period of time for all the components to adjust and interact as the pond evolves. Algae growth in water gardens or garden ponds is a natural reaction, but too much can be detrimental to the life in the pond, therefore most people want to keep it to a controlled level.

Here are a few tips to keep your pond healthy.

Keep rain run-off out of the pond. It can contain soil, fertilizers, and chemicals that will prevent the pond from balancing.

Ideally you should situate the pond to have a round 50% - 70% of the surface with some kind of shading. If in direct sunlight, this can be achieved by planting water lilies and floating plants, as their leaves will act as a cover. If your pond is in less than full sun, less surface coverage is acceptable.

Avoid over planting, and also avoid over stocking the pond with fish initially.

After the pond has become fully established or when it has been equipped with a good quality pump and filter system, more fish may be added. As a general rule only feed the fish a volume of food proportional to what they can eat in 5 minutes.

Uneaten food feeds algae and will create a build up of debris that will be detrimental to the water quality.

Always remove any dead organic matter from the pond. Adding a biological filtration and an ultraviolet sterilizer will ensure that the water quality is always in good condition.