Building Water Gardens

Water features in landscapes have been popular for thousands of years. Recently, products that make water gardening easier have been gaining popularity. In fact, professionals suggest that once established, water gardens require less maintenance for the same area than any other form of gardening.

There are several benefits to placing a water garden in your yard. Not only is it pleasing to look at, but it also provides a habitat for numerous forms of wildlife. A shelved interior provides deep water for fish while shallow edges permit installation of bog plants and moist areas around the edge allow for what are called marginal plants.

Consider, too, the element of sound. Adding a fountain or even a small waterfall offers the pleasing and relaxing tones of falling water that can enhance your yard in yet another way and also help mask surrounding unwanted noise. If you are planning to add a fountain, get assistance from your garden store to make sure you get a big enough pump to really move some water. I love the sound of flowing water, but a little drip, drip, drip really gets on my nerves.

Planning your water garden includes consideration of size, type and contents, but location should be the foremost concern of the plan. For best plant growth, a sunny spot is critical. It should have a minimum of four hours with six hours of full sun best in order to keep the water warm and encourage growth of the types of plants that are undoubtedly part of your reason for installing the water garden in the first place.

Plan to place the water garden close enough to your patio or deck to be able to enjoy both its beauty and sound, but, if possible, position it out from under deciduous trees. Falling leaves in the autumn can contaminate the water garden as they break down in the water causing cloudiness, and occasionally, an odor problem. However, netting over the water area to keep out falling leaves for a brief period in the fall is only a temporary inconvenience.

If trees already in your yard force you to place your water garden too far from your house to really watch it closely, put a seating area around it as part of the overall landscaping plant. This is a good time to look at the surroundings also. I like to see a water garden that is worked into its surroundings, not simply popping up in the middle of the yard. Talk to your favorite landscape professional about building the area around the water garden or how best to nestle it into existing surroundings.

Another aspect of location is to avoid low spots. This may seem like a contradiction, but you don't want lawn fertilizer and soil washing into the pond every time it rains. Try to have the actual water level at least 3 inches above the surrounding soil grade so an occasional overflow can run away from the pond.

Now that you've decided where to place your water garden, you should consider various sizes and types. Pre-formed ponds are generally smaller in size - anywhere from 100 - 250 gallons. I prefer using flexible liner fabrics to allow more creativity with size and shape.

Flexible liner material usually comes in black. I recommend buying fish friendly rubber lining material rather than using heavy plastic. Even if you layer plastic, it perforates too easily and breaks down form the UV light.

Plan to put stone or similar edging around and slightly overhanging the pond to create a shadow pattern. It is an attractive finishing touch and also serves a vital function by protecting the liner from the sun, which can literally cause the material in the liner to break down.

Now, to install your water garden: use a regular garden hose or a piece of flexible rope to define the shape of the pool. Place it on the ground in the area you have chosen and experiment with several shapes. Realize that you are laying out the overall size, including the stone edging. You might want to use an additional length of hose placed within the first hose to represent the various depth levels, if you plan to tier the pool, which I recommend.

Once you've settled on a size and shape, start digging. Water expands when it freezes and you must slightly slope the sides and leave enough space under the edge stone for the water to rise slightly during the winter. If you are planning to have fish in your water garden, (and you really should to prevent growth of mosquito larvae) you'll need a minimum of 18 inches in depth. Water lilies require greater depth, which is also best for the fish - about 3 feet, or more, if possible. I like to see a more shallow edge for bog plants at 4-6 inches and usually about 8-12 inches wide. The deepest portion should normally be the widest, usually in one end of the pond to accommodate the recirculating pump. I like to recommend three tiers for a variety of plants that different levels of water can accommodate, especially in larger ponds.

After the hole is dug, line it with specially made material or many thicknesses of newspaper or about 3 inches of builders' sand for padding and to level it and provide for winter flexibility important for a pre-formed unit. Water seeks its own grade and a pond that isn't level will never be full. If you are using a preformed unit, fill along the side of the pond with sand also.

Once the sand is down and the pre-formed pool is placed or the liner is in position, edge the pond with flat stones. This will hide the edge of the liner for aesthetic reasons, as well as protect it from decay caused by the sun.

Now, position the pump and filtration equipment and fill your pond with water. Let the water stand about three days before you add fish. This is a good time to go to your favorite garden center to select the plants and fish you are going to grow in your new water garden. Step back and enjoy your new creation.