18
September
2007
A garden pond or a koi pond?
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There are some vital differences between a ‘garden pond’ and a ‘koi pond’. It is important to understand these distinctions before we look more closely at how to build a koi pond.
What is a garden pond ? Click Here!
A garden pond is literally a water feature that enhances the appearance of a garden and supports a wide range of plants
and wildlife that share the watery environment. When you create a garden pond you can choose from a host of aquatic plants to soften the edges of the construction and provide colour and interest the whole year through. Around the perimeter of the pond you can feature moisture-loving plants, such as hostas and primulas, that will thrive in constantly damp soil. In the shallow water over a planting shelf or lapping onto a ‘beach’, you can grow a huge selection of marginal plants, from the bright yellow blooms of spring-flowering Caltha to the elegant spikes of irises and tall stems of reeds and rushes that continue their display into the autumn months. And in the deepest parts of the pond, you can enjoy the elegance of water lilies, surely the most magnificent of aquatic plants.
Into this ‘jungle’ of plants and water, you can introduce goldfish and other hardy pond fish. These will thrive and survive throughout the year and be joined by native creatures, such as frogs, toads, newts, water beetles and dragonflies, that will make themselves at home in your pond environment. And the added bonus is that you can create this diverse and successful habitat without worrying too much about a minimum overall size or water depth, and without too much in the way of complicated life-support systems. Yes, you will need a filter and a water pump if you want to sustain quite a few fish or build a waterfall and fountain, but to a large extent a well set up garden pond is a self-sustaining system.
What is a koi pond ?
Like a garden pond, a koi pond is also a hole in the ground filled with water, but there the resemblance ends. A koi pond has a single purpose: to provide a suitable environment for keeping koi. And because koi are fast-growing fish that produce a great deal of waste, the main aim is to create and maintain a large volume of clean, well-oxygenated water in which they can flourish and show off their colours. A koi pond should be at least 1.5m (oft) deep and to keep
Posted: Garden Pond & Koi Pond
6
September
2007
Planning A Water Fountain Garden by Elizabeth Jean
A water-fountain garden will go anywhere in the yard, on the patio, on a balcony, or a porch and even indoors. But certain water features are better suited than others to certain sights (and to certain gardeners, for that matter).
What is Feasible for Installing a Water-Fountain Garden?
This should be your first question, and to find out which water-fountain garden best suits you, your resources, and your space, you’ll need to educate yourself. Be a “know it all” before you start, and you will be well prepared to begin your water garden.
Check out prices and calculate what your budget can tolerate. Call garden suppliers that handle water fountains and ask questions about their products. Also, visit local water fountains. Talk with the owners or those who care for them. Visit local clubs-many communities have organizations that sponsor tours. If you’re well informed, you’ll make better plans, find installation easier, and prevent frustrations down the road.
Size and Site for Planning a Water Fountain Garden
First, check out your site. A large water-fountain garden with a spectacular waterfall will overwhelm a small lot. It also might overwork your budget, your time, and your back. A small garden pool, on the other hand, could get lost in an expansive landscape.
If you’re planning anything more involved than a pre-made fountain or container water-fountain garden, you’ll also need to check with city or county offices to find out if there are any ordinances that apply to the installation of water-fountain gardens. Get more ideas on water fountains by visiting http://www.garden-fountains.com/Categories.bok?category=Garden+Fountains.
Be Calculating When Planning Your Water Fountain Garden
Figure all costs in advance. Small gardens are inexpensive, but large gardens can cost thousands of dollars. You don’t want to find yourself in the position of the would-be water gardener who dug a large hole one spring weekend only to fill it in again because the liner was too expensive and didn’t fit in the budget.
You may need to contract a large project (or parts of it) to a professional. Pouring concrete, installing electric lines, bricklaying, and excavation can be extensive (and expensive) and are jobs best left to the pros. Most water fountains can be bought in easy to install kits.
Assess your time and strength. A tub garden will take an hour or two to put together, but a large water fountain garden may take weeks to dig and build. It will also require a good back and strong arms and legs. An 18-inch-deep, 6-foot by 4-foot hole may not sound like a big job, but it would probably take a middle-aged man of average strength a half day to dig. For large projects, you can rent a backhoe.
Maintenance of Your Water-Fountain Garden
Remember to calculate maintenance time, too. A tub garden with a water lily takes just a few minutes a week. So does a freestanding or a wall water fountain garden. Add plants and fish and you add more time. A garden just a few feet across with a few plants and fish will need your attention for an hour or less each week. Larger gardens can demand two or three hours a week. For more wall fountain ideas check out http://www.garden-fountains.com/Categories.bok?category=Wall+Fountains.
SHOULD you HIRE IT OUT? A SKILLS RANKING.
* Working with medium-sized boulders and rocks 1 to 3 feet in diameter * Building a wood-sided water garden
CHALLENGING
* Installing a wall fountain * Installing a bridge * Working with large boulders and rocks more than 3 feet in diameter
FOR PROFESSIONALS (OR HIGHLY SKILLED AMATEURS)
* Wiring and other electrical work * Operating a backhoe * Laying brick and concrete block * Installing 1-foot or higher stone walls * Pouring concrete
EASY ENOUGH FOR BEGINNERS
* Sealing and installing a pump in a container * Digging a hole a few feet across * Laying flagstone or stacking concrete paving blocks * Installing narrow widths of flexible or preformed liner * Creating a bog garden * Working with sand, gravel, and boulders less than 1 foot in diameter
INTERMEDIATE SKILLS
* Installing a freestanding fountain * Building a stream or waterfall * Laying a brick patio * Laying small amounts of tile
About the Author
Elizabeth Jean is the author of this article written for Garden-Fountains.com, a premier Internet resource for wall fountains and garden fountains.
Posted: Planning A Water Fountain Garden
2
September
2007
Koi Pond Maintenance
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Your pond is built, your koi are swimming around happily in their new home and you can sit back and relax - wrong! Now that your pond is up and running, you will need to devise a routine for yourself so that you can regularly carry out all the tasks required to keep your system in optimum condition. Some jobs, such as feeding the fish and testing the water, obviously apply to every pond, whereas others depend on the type of filtration you have installed. In this part of the book, we start by looking at the maintenance of a pump-fed system and then go on to examine the care of a gravity-fed pond.
This is followed by a more detailed discussion of important topics that are appropriate no matter what type of pond you have, such as feeding, monitoring the health of the fish and water testing. You will soon realise that all these aspects of koi-keeping are inextricably linked with the efficient running of the pond, however large or small it is and regardless of the complexity of the systems you have installed. For that reason, you should make them part of the everyday regime of dealing with your pond. Set aside a certain time each day to check filters and appliances and to carry out the necessary maintenance quickly. While your fish are feeding, look them over and keep an eye open for potential problems. Dedicate yourself to these tasks and you, your pond and your koi will undoubtedly enjoy the benefits in the long run.So that is it, you are thinking. But there is one last thing to think about and that is how to improve your pond. The systems described in the book so far will more than adequately support a koi community, but in this part of the book we look at some items of equipment that you may wish to add to your pond at a later date. One example is a water purifier. Including one of these during the initial setting up process will confer undoubted benefits, but the absence of a purifier will not affect the basic functioning of the pond. It is an item you can add later, so it is discussed in this part of the book. So read this final section and get ready to start making those inevitable alterations that are all part of the ongoing enjoyment of the hobby.
Posted: How to Maintain Koi Pond
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