Water gardens can be a beautiful enhancement to any garden although, I don't think I would want to put one in my vegetable garden! Water displays attract little critters that might eat your veggies and/or plants.
Things you will want to consider:
You will want to pick a good spot for your water garden. You don't want to put it right under a tree where all the leaves will fall right into the water. Sooner or later, that would cause problems with your filters and/or pump. This could also harm any plants or fish you may have chosen to add.
You will want it in a place where you can see and enjoy it from your deck, patio, and/or window. Choose a spot that your garden will get at least 5 to 8 hours of sunlight if you are going to have plants in it.
If you have chosen to build an in ground pond, you will want to research to see if you need a permit or if there are any restrictions and/or requirements that you will need to follow to install your water garden. You can find this information at your city's local building permit office.
Before digging you will want to contact your utility companies so they can come out and mark any power lines or water lines. It is better to stay on the safe side. The last thing you need is for you or someone else to be digging and hit or even cut a power line or water line. This could be a very expensive or even life threatening mishap.
If you are going to build an in ground pond, then you will want a spot where the dirty rain water will not run in to your garden. This can also cause problems for you down the road.
You will need to have electricity for your pump as well as any other accessories you might want in your water garden. Solar is another option.
You might want to think about putting a float system on your water garden. As your water evaporates the float will turn on the water and refill your water garden. Every little thing you can do now to help make it more maintenance free will allow you more time to relax and enjoy.
Depending on what size you want your water garden, there are many different styles to choose from.
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Here are some ideas you can consider for the appearance on the outside: |
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� Brick |
� Flowers |
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� Plants |
� Plaster |
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� Plastic Models |
� Railroad Ties |
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� Rocks |
� Sand |
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There are a lot of different kinds of plants you can use in your water garden: |
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� Exotic Lotus |
� Tropical Day Bloomers |
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� Water Lilies |
� Much More! |
Once you have your water garden up and running, you will have to clean the top of the water with a net to remove dead bugs and leaves that have fallen into the water from time to time.
The water will evaporate so you will have to refill your water garden as it gets low if you do not have a float system installed.
You will have to clean and prepare your water garden for winter and the same for the spring.
There are a lot of accessories you can use to spice up your water garden. Lights are nice. You can get colored lights or even strobe lights allowing for the colors change. Fountains or bubblers, for the middle or the side of your water garden may be a thought. Accessories can enhance all gardens.
