So. The water garden bug has bitten. You’ve dug and leveled and
sweated and said words you hope that no one else has heard. Now
it’s time for the fun part – picking out your water garden
plants!

Plant varieties within these four categories are what you need to
eyeball: deep-water, marginals, oxygenators, and floaters. (If
you think these words are big and weird, just thank your stars
we’re not talking medicine.)

After you’ve diligently planted your babies in plastic tubs,
pans, or clay pots, packing the fertilizer- and chemical-free
soil down tightly, load the container down with pea gravel to
keep the soil from floating away. (Don’t ask why this works, but
it does.) Plunk your prize into the water at the appropriate
depth (You’ll read about that in just a minute, so hang on to
your hat.) and you’re on your way!

Plant-dunking should be done during the growing season. Wait four
or five weeks for the water plants to do their thing before you
add your fish. If you just can’t hold your horses, er, your fish,
for that long, you can jump the gun a couple of weeks, but the
idea is to let the plants first get established.

When picking your plants, you’ll no doubt be wowed by water
lilies of the tropical persuasion. These aquatic wonders lord it
over their hardier cousins with knock-out fragrance, big blooms
day or night – depending on the variety – and a habit of blooming
their little hearts out nearly every day during the growing
season. They love their warmth, though, so unless you live in a
year-round, warm-weather climate (in which case, you are used to
being hated and has absolutely nothing to do with this article),
be prepared to hasten them into a greenhouse or at least muster
up enough moolah to buy them some “grow” lights to tough it out
through the winter. They will definitely bite the dust at
freezing temperatures, but give them night-time temps of at least
65F and daytime temps of 75F or warmer, and your love affair with
tropicals will only grow that much more torrid.

Hardy water lilies, while not the showboaters that tropicals are,
are . . . well, hardier. Their big advantage is that they can
stay in the water year ?round unless it freezes so deeply the
rootstock is affected. And being the tough guys they are, you can
plant these puppies deeper than the tropicals, some living it up
in depths of 8 to 10 feet.

Both hardy and tropical water lilies are real sun worshippers. At
least 5 to 10 hours a day is what it takes, along with regular
fertilization, to keep these plant pals happy.

Everybody and their brother with a water garden wants a lotus
plant. (Sisters, too, no doubt.) These water-lily relatives come
in hardy and not-so-hardy strains, so make sure you know what
you’re buying. Much bigger than water lilies, lotus have huge,
famously splendid blooms that not only will knock your socks off,
but make you forget you have feet altogether. Their leaves and
seed pods are so breathtaking, they’re a favorite in costly
cut-flower arrangements. Big, bold, and beautiful, with
water-depth needs of 2-3 feet, these shouters are really better
off in big ponds that get plenty of sun.

Marginals (sometimes called “bog” plants by those less
high-falutin’) are grass-like plants that strut their stuff in
shallow areas no deeper than 6″ that border the water garden.
They also do well in mud. Cattail, bamboo, rush, papyrus, and
many other plants fall into the family of marginals and grow best
with a minimum of at least three hours of jolly old Sol.

Some plants are there but not seen, working stoically under water
and without fanfare to fight algae, oxygenate the water, and
provide food for fish. (In lieu of these plants, if your pond is
small, you can fake it fairly adequately with an aquarium pump.)
Easy on the wallet, varieties of these plants can be bought in
bunches and like their soil sandy and/or gravelly. Like hardy
water lilies, they, too, will warrior it through the winter.

Water hyacinths have become a recent rage, especially for the
lazy among us. No soil is required for these beauties. Toss them
in the water and they’re “planted.” A water hyacinth ain’t just
another pretty face, though; these plants do their part in the
war against algae and blanket weeds by keeping sunlight scarce on
the water’s surface. But one note of caution: This plant may take
over the world if allowed. It’s invasive as all get out, so keep
it under control or you (and your neighbors) may wish you’d never
laid eyes on it.

A water garden isn’t a garden without plants. Take your time,
know your climate, and choose wisely. Your rewards will be great
in return.

**************************************************
Brett Fogle is the owner of MacArthur Water Gardens and several other pond-related websites including MacArthurWatergardens.com, and Pond-Filters-Online.com.

He also publishes a free monthly newsletter called PondStuff! with a reader circulation of over 9,000. To sign up for the free newsletter and receive our FREE ‘New Pond Owners Guide’ visit MacArthur Water Gardens today!
**************************************************

The average home can reduce their water consumption by around 30% by re-using grey water on their garden.

The figures are compelling. Sure, they vary from household to household, but they go something like this?

An average household on a suburban block consumes some 60,000 gallons/300,000 litres of water a year- all of it drinking-quality water from the tap.

Around one-third, or 20,000 gallons/100,000 litres a year, is used on gardens and lawns.

That means that around 40,000 gallons/200,000 litres get used in the home.

Almost all of that (lets say 36,000 gallons/180,000 litres) leaves the home, and the block, as waste water.

Now, here’s the fun part. According to one major water body, approximately 60% of that is re-usable grey water. That includes water from the bathroom and laundry, but does not include black water from the toilet, or water from the kitchen.

60% of 36,000/180,000 is just over 20,000 gallons/100,000 litres.

Where have we heard that number before? Oh, yes, that’s the same 20,000/100,000 we put on the garden and lawns!

As we said, the figures are compelling. The question is, how do we do it in practice? Where do we find a product to take advantage of this free water, worth about $100 at today’s low prices?

Let’s start by excluding a few options from the discussion. At the bottom end of the scale, we’ll exclude bucketing water from the house, and gravity feeding a hose from the washing machine. Cheap, but time consuming, and limited in application. We’ll also exclude waste/grey water treatment systems that cost many thousands of dollars.

So that’s what the product we’re seeking isn’t. What would the ideal product be? It would

- be able to accept water from both bathroom and/or laundry.

- automatically pump water to the garden.

- pump itself out every 24 hours to meet the requirements of health and environment authorities.

- have a unit price under $1000.

There is now such a product on the Australian market, called eco-Care. Visit our website, and you can read more about it, and other Grey Water Systems.

We need to think about how we use grey water to get the best results, and avoid problems. A few points worth considering?

? Use grey water sub-surface if possible.

? Don’t use grey water near fruit or vegetables.

? Don’t use grey water containing lint and hair with fine-pore soaker hoses.

? Grey water is alkaline, so don’t drown acid-loving plants in it.

? Choose a less aggressive detergent and you can use the water on more plants.

? Read the detergent lab report at our site to help you choose.

? Don’t let grey water leave your property

? Remain actively involved in the use and maintenance of your equipment

Follow these few sensible guidelines, and you may be able to reduce YOUR water consumption by 30%, saving money, and the environment. -

What about water tanks, you ask? It’s a whole different subject, but I’d answer you this way?”They’re great, but use that high-quality rainwater inside the house, where we can’t really use grey water.”

John Payne is the Founder of Enviro-Friendly Products, a marketer of water tanks, solar hot water systems, grey water systems, leafless guttering and hot water recirculators. You’re invited to visit the Enviro-Friendly Products website, where you’ll find full product and contact details.

Today’s successful water garden usually is designed as an ecosystem that uses a balance between fish, plants and bacteria keeping the water clear. The type of pond I’m talking about is self-contained (not fed by a spring or stream) and between 100-900 sq ft; a backyard water garden that is easy to maintain and adds value to your lifestyle and property. 20 years ago the typical do-it-yourself water garden was a muck-filled cesspool waiting to happen, while the successful koi pond required deep water and unattractive out of the pond filtering equipment. Thanks to a better understanding of the pond ecosystem and some equipment ideas borrowed from the pool equipment industry, anyone with the ability to dig, make things level, and move rocks and dirt around can create a beautiful living water garden if they use proven equipment and methods.

Now I will admit that there are other ways that can work; But none of the other pond construction methods have the successful track record I’ve seen with pond installs using this system.

The basic elements for this system are underlayment, liner, rocks and gravel, skimmer, fill valve, pump, plumbing, biological filtration, plants, fish, and bacteria.

Here’s a simplified explanation of how this works as an ecosystem. Fish eat insects and plants and then the fish waste spreads through the system . The skimmer draws water off the top layer of the pond helping with circulation and aeration while trapping floating debris in a net. The pump is situated under the net in the skimmer and pumps up to a bio-filter. The bio-filter is often designed to be incorporated into a waterfall. The water enters the bio filter and rises up through filter media that is colonized by bacteria. The bacteria converts the waste into forms less harmful to the fish and less conducive to excessive algae growth. The waterfall or stream add more aeration that the bacteria and fish need. The plants uptake more of the nitrogen and some oxygenate the water. The rocks and gravel provide more area for bacteria and protect the liner from UV rays.

Sheesh! Every time I set out to give a simple explanation of a pond ecosystem it still takes 10 sentences. Suffice it to say that all the parts work together to make your pondkeeping easy!

I use the word easy as a relative term. Compared to the work and rebuilding you may experience with other methods this is the easiest way I know. But there is still a good deal of work in pond construction. Obviously you need to dig and shape a hole in the ground and move some heavy items around. A well trained crew with everything needed on-site can install a pond in a day. It may take a few weekends for a homeowner to do the job himself, depending on their ability, time, and conditions.

Some key points:

Size: It’s best to have it at least 6 ft across. Bigger is better. 16 x 11 is a good medium size. Generally people regret not making the pond larger when they are done with their first one.

Location: There is a tendency to put ponds in a place where water already collects in the yard. This isn’t always the best idea. Groundwater running into the pond can create problems. If possible bring it right up near the patio where you can enjoy the fish and flowing water everyday.

Electric and plumbing: Don’t overlook the need for a GFI outlet near the pump and a water source to keep the pond topped off. Most kits for some reason don’t include a fill valve, but it really is important since on a windy day a pond can easily lose an inch of water. Left unattended this can lead to the pump running dry in the skimmer for a long period causing possible damage. The ponds level of course won’t drop below the skimmer opening.

Lets go over the basic steps for installing this type of pond system.

Decide the size of the pond and order a kit with all the necessary components. Layout the shape of the pond with something like a garden hose. Leave it out there for a while, move it, think about where the falls and different plants will be. If you are building a stream do the layout for it too. Level ground isn’t a problem since you will be excavating enough soil to buildup around your waterfall filter. Paint an outline with orange marking spray paint.

Make arrangements for getting the variety of rock and gravel you will be using.

Position your skimmer and BioFilter. The skimmer should be on the opposite side from the falls or stream to create circulation. Then lay the flexible PVC, or kink-free pipe between the skimmer and waterfall filter. This is so it can be covered during excavation instead of trenching it in.

Establish a firm compacted and level base for the Waterfall filter, perhaps leaning slightly forward, depending on it’s design. If you have help they can be working on digging the pond while you get this right, or vice versa.

Hook up the plumbing to the filter and backfill around it. It’s a good idea to have someone stand in the filter while it is being backfilled to prevent it from shifting out of position on the base.

Examine any slope of the land and establish where the water level will be; usually a couple inches below grade. Finish digging the pond relative to the water level. A rotating laser level is the ultimate tool for this, though they are expensive to rent. Patiently checking string levels in all directions can get the job done also. Include shelves for marginal plants and keep the sides and shelves level. The deep part of the pond should be around 2 ft or a little less. Any deeper and most towns swimming pool codes kick in with fence requirements. Unless you intend to keep a great number of koi this will be plenty deep for your fish. Planting pockets for water lilies can also be dug now. These pockets create a plantable depression in you liner for later. You can either plant directly in these pockets or hide your planters in them covering with gravel creating a more natural looking pond.

Excavate the position for the skimmer so it will be on a firm level base that gets it into correct position relative to the water level. Recheck everything. All the measurements and levels. Make sure the pond is free of sharp objects and unfold the underlayment into it. Start in the deep area pushing the underlayment into all the shelves and pockets. The EPDM rubber liner is then installed in the same way, making sure that it extends far past the waterline (settling will occur) and above the openings on your skimmer, filter, stream etc.

Add rock and gravel. Pre-washing the stones can help with a clean install or you can hose them down in the pond while pumping out the dirty water. Use larger stones at the base of each wall that forms a shelf, building up with smaller ones. Cover flat areas with 1″-2″ gravel?absolutely no more than that. If you have extra gravel don’t be tempted to just use more in the bottom of your pond. This is for biological reasons I won’t go into now. The rock should have your liner pretty well pulled into position now so you can make final adjustments on your skimmer and attach the liner to it according to the manufacturers instructions.

Start filling the pond. Now the fun of building the waterfall and stream. Make sure you have plenty of slack running up to the falls opening before you attach it and make any cuts. Also take care to avoid folds in the liner as you twist downstream. Folds in the stream liner are a common source of leaks and why a very wide liner for a stream is recommended. Dry stack stones as in a wall up the front of the waterfall filter. Using black waterfall foam or some other type of expanding foam to seal the space between the rocks. This makes the water flow over the rocks instead of disappearing into the cracks between. Black waterfall foam is nice for blending in with the rocks. The basic outline of the stream should have been established with excavated soil from the pond, but some digging of different catch pools may be necessary and you may need to build up more of a berm at the waterfall. Rock in the sides of the stream and cover the bottom with gravel as in the pond. Use the waterfall foam to seal in rocks wherever a cascading effect is wanted, using flat rock to form the lip of falls and sealing under them.

Install the pump, install the overflow plumbing and fill valve in the skimmer. When water level is high enough and all the waterfall foam is dry, (you can assume your hands will be covered with the stuff, but try to avoid it because it is very difficult to clean off!) try out the pump. You will then need to refill the pond as it will take a large volume of water to fill the plumbing, falls and stream. Once you are happy everything is as it should be, cut the excess liner away. Leave several inches of liner for settling and possible adjustments.

There are plenty more nuances to building a pond but this should give you a decent feel for what a water garden project entails. The kits we sell include a decent installation manual and I’m happy to answer any questions as are many other pond enthusiasts.

A garden center manager, writer, builder of water gardens, musician and webmaster; Lee Goins is often called on as an expert in landscaping and gardening. Lee’s site The Garden Aquatic offers products and advice to make water gardening easier. His garden and landscaping site is http://www.shelbylandscaping.com.

If you are a gardener you probably already do a bit composting to recycle yard and kitchen waste. This homemade “Black Gold” does wonders for your plants and soil. But, have you discovered the gardening benefits of harvesting and recycling rainwater to use in the garden?

Many communities nationwide are experiencing either short-term or long-term water shortages. Some communities have begun rationing programs and impose fines if a homeowner uses too much water. Why not try some simple rainwater harvesting techniques and use the water to irrigate your garden? You’ll be able to water your plants when they need it and you may see a bit of savings on your water bill at the same time.

Harvesting rainwater is as simple as placing a rain barrel under a roof gutter downspout. Practically any large, clean container can be used as a rain barrel. For instance, you can use a plastic or metal trash can. However, there are major benefits to using commercially designed rain barrels. Features of commercially available rain barrels include: childproof and pet-proof lids, mosquito screens, overflow hardware, spigots for attaching hoses, and the ability to link multiple barrels together. These features make using your rainwater much easier and safer. Many city water departments will give homeowners a rebate on their water bill if they buy a rain barrel.

You can find durable, heavy-duty rainbarrels at most home improvement stores and garden centers. You can also order them from online suppliers. These rain barrels can be quite attractive also. Some are made to look like traditional round wooden barrels while some are square, or half-round to provide versatility and style when placing one beside your house. Some rain barrels currently on the market are made from recycled shipping containers for Mediterranean foods such as olives.

What are some of the advantages of collecting rainwater for use in your garden? For starters, you will be doing your part to conserve both water and energy. When you use rainwater you will not be using your municipal drinking water and will not be using the energy it takes to pump it to your house. It’s free, so you won’t be billed for it! Rainwater is fresh and naturally low in salt and chlorine so it’s good for your plants. Most of the time it is not cold and won’t shock your plants like water from an underground source can do.

Your grandparents probably used rain barrels to irrigate their gardens. Why not try something old to solve a new problem and conserve water by using a rain barrel? Even if you live in an area with very little annual rainfall you will be amazed when your rain barrel fills up after just one or two rain showers.

Article by Amy Passmore for The Gardening Guide. Visit The Gardening Guide for more information on conserving water in your garden.

This article may be freely distributed as long as the author’s name and live website link appear.

2414

A Garden Pond in your Landscape – Want Water in your Yard?

Thought about adding a garden pond? Should you?
Here are the pros and cons to consider:

On the pro side:

A garden pond adds an entirely new dimension to your garden!
Where before the living things were limited to plant life,
the pond will have fish (must does not need to).

The water will attract birds and other animals which make
for wonderful watching and viewing. This aspect of the water
feature can be enhanced by adding landscaping attractive to
birds.

The water noise generated by a waterfall, fountain or creek
is very relaxing and the visual beauty of the water feature
adds much enjoyment to the outdoor space.

Aquatic plants such as water lilies and lotus are absolutely
spectacular, do not need much care once established and
provide blooms all summer long.

Aquatic plants never need to be watered!

A garden pond actually needs less water than a lawn. This is
an important consideration in areas with water restrictions.

Pond fish do not need to be taken for walk, they do not make
noise and they can be left for a week or two on their own and
will do just fine.

A pond contributes important living space for critters that
have been impacted greatly by development of subdivisions and
shopping centers. Frogs, toads and newts will make a pond
their new home.

A well designed water feature will add to the resale value of
the home by greatly enhancing its landscape.

On the con side:

Building a garden pond requires a bit of an initial
investment. Good equipment should be used, because once a
pond is installed it will last many, many years.

Pond equipment does have to be mainted: Good equipment needs
very little maintenance, lower end equipment needs much
more.

A water feature has to made secure if small children are
close by.

This article provided courtesy of http://www.pondmarket.com – a site dedicated to garden ponds and water features providing free information including
e-books and a newsletter for water gardening hobbyists as well as a complete online catalog.

This article is copyright of The PondMarket, but may be
freely published without any changes to article or byline.

There are a lot of new trends surfacing in gardening, and water gardening is one of the new interests. Water gardening can include waterfalls, ponds, streams and fountains, all of which can be combined with lighting, plants, and fish. Water gardening need not have a pond or natural water source moreover, it could be a plastic tub, plastic lined shallow in the back yard or, almost anything that will hold water.

An important consideration in planning a water garden is the choosing a location. Plants and fish both need plenty of sunlight, places in direct light away from trees and bushes are the top places. This will also help prevent leaves and debris from collecting in the water.

When planning for a water garden the next step is to choose the size you want. This depends of course on the resources you want to dedicate to it, how much money and time you are willing to spend. A water garden can be expensive if you go for a big garden filled with plants, rocks, fish, and lights. Also think about your property’s size, which will also affect amount of time you’ll spend maintaining your water garden.

Aquatic pond plants can be free floating, submerged, or marginal. What type you select is a matter of aesthetics and preference. Some plants are known for their scents, some for supplying oxygen keep the pool healthy, and some are just picturesque. Remember that the plants should only cover about half of the water, especially if you have fish. Fish are not only nice to look at; they’re beneficial in that they help keep debris at a minimum and help in controlling larva and other insects.

One of the big challenges in water gardening is maintaining water free of algae. Algae problems are usually the result of nutrients in the water from feeding fish too often or over fertilizing plants. By cutting back on feeding and fertilizing, adding more plants, putting in a pond filtering system, or replacing the water with fresh water, algae is easily controlled. If a pond is constructed correctly and maintained properly algae problems can be kept at a minimum.

All garden pools, no matter the size, require some maintenance during the year. With proper planning you can create a healthy equilibrium between living and decorative features of a water garden that can almost care for itself with simple maintenance inputs from you.

Carlo Morelli writes for OnlineTips.Org, where you can read about landscaping to attract birds, Murray lawn mowers and other home/garden topics.