Gardening - Water gardening and features

New technologies have brought all forms of water gardening into our backyards; from the simple water feature to the expansive pond complete with water plants and fish! From the simple to the elaborate and everything in between, homeowners can now enjoy the element of water in their gardens. In today’s market, water gardening opportunities exist for the adventurous homeowner to build it yourself as well as hiring out trained professionals for construction.

Container gardening. The quickest way to add a water element to your garden is with a simple container garden or water feature. The visual and sound with complementary plants can provide a sense of relaxation to your environment. These are especially great for small yard areas, decks and patios. The construction time is minimal with many build-it-yourself kits on the market. You could have this up and running in a matter of hours!

Container gardens are simple to create using any container that holds water. Half whiskey barrel with rubber liners and sealed terra cotta pots are most popular choices. Depending on the size, you can choose water plants in containers such as lotus, cana or lilies and floaters like water hyacinths. If goldfish are appealing, you need a minimum of 20 gallons of water to support goldfish. If you do add goldfish, keep in mind they are sensitive to extremes in temperature, so you will have to monitor that during hot spells. A small 75-gph pump with a fountain head or spitter is needed to keep the water moving and achieve that relaxing sound. Small water pumps specifically designed for water gardening come with sponge-like filter medium that will help keep the system clear. Maintenance is simple with containers. You merely need to keep the pump operating, rinse the filter and maintain the water level.

With any water garden a balanced ecosystem is needed to keep it healthy and water clear. Even with a small container the five elements of a water garden ecosystem should be considered: mechanical and biological filters, pumps, rocks/gravel, aquatic plants and fish. Often waste and excess nutrients build so beneficial bacteria treatment used specifically for ponds are added at various intervals to minimize build up. I have had great success with the Aquascape line of products in my water gardening experience. In general, overdoing water plants and reducing the number of fish in your container garden will help you balance your ecosystem and reduce your maintenance.

Preformed ponds. Preformed ponds are the familiar black plastic basins made of various shapes and sizes found in the home improvement centers. Generally they are a “container garden” on a larger scale, placed in a shallow hole in the ground. Many come with detailed instructions and templates to dig your ground holes. Many offer preformed water courses that allow for streams and waterfalls.

Pebble water gardens. A wonderful way to get that relaxing sound of water and not have the maintenance of standing water is a pebble pond. This is simply achieved by digging a hole in your garden area to accommodate a 16-20 inch plastic basin. Line the bottom of the container with small pebbles. Place a small pump in the container and surround it with decorative stone. For a more natural look, I use #2 river blend stones. Expand your stone surface area level with your surrounding dirt or mulch. Use various size rock and stone accents to give a more natural look. Fill your container with water and start the pump. You have a quick “pondless” water feature. All you need add are the accent plants.

Pondless waterfalls. One of the newest forms of water gardening is the pondless waterfall. This is exactly what the name suggests, the beauty and sound of a natural waterfall and stream, without the open pond basin. It is by far the lowest maintenance water garden. It requires filling the water basin periodically to accommodate for evaporation. Its basic operation is that of the pebble water garden using water holding basin, pump and stone/rock surfacing. That basic design is expanded with addition of skimmer/filter mats and a biofalls filter. Pondless waterfalls can be tucked into a small corner of a yard or off a deck or patio and the stream bed can be as long or short as you desire. The design is up to the homeowner. This is a great alternative for families who would love to have a water feature on the property, but concerned about the safety of small children. If cost is a factor, the pondless waterfall is generally less expensive to build as labor, and materials are less than the standard lined pond. Believe it or not, pondless features have become extremely popular at McDonald’s drive-thrus in southern New Jersey. I have observed many under construction along with the finished product. What a pleasant experience waiting in the drive-thru line!

Lined ponds. Lined ponds have become the popular choice for many homeowners to create their private backyard oasis. Once again, styles, kits and sizes are available for the homeowner to do-it yourself or hire a water garden professional. The basic system involves excavating the area to accommodate your pond design creating shelving for aquatic plants; lining that area with underlayment and pond liner; lining the basin with stone and rocks; adding a skimmer, with filter mat and biofalls filter; and installing a pump and overflow unit. The five basic elements of ecosystem balance are applied, only on a larger scale. The infusion of just the right amount of aquatic plants and fish are critical for keeping the pond low maintenance and enjoyable. Streams and waterfalls can be added for additional garden interest. Finishing the perimeter of the lined pond with rocks and plantings provides the natural look.

Most homeowners think only of lined ponds on a large scale. But recently, smaller scale lined ponds have become popular with homeowners. Cost and maintenance are appealing factors in these smaller scale designs. These smaller accents at patio edge, or infused into an existing garden, can serve as the butterfly pond to attract wildlife, support fish and still give you that relaxing water environment.

Looking for more information on water gardening? Check out the following:

North American Water Garden Society (NAWGS). Clubs exist nationwide to provide and opportunity to connect with water garden hobbyists. Web: www.nawgs.org.

Aquascape Lifestyles magazine. This is an informational magazine dedicated to pond and nature enthusiasts. Web: www.aquascapelifestyles.com.

Pond Lifestyles. A great Web site to explore various forms of water gardening and features. Web: www.pondlifestyles.com.

Sue Ann DuBois is a Master Gardener and partner to the husband-wife team of Chips Landscaping. She designs, constructs and maintains outdoor landscape and water garden features in Saratoga County. For more information visit: www.chipslandscaping.net.