Water Gardens

The Location of a Water Garden

The key to creating a water garden or garden pond that you will enjoy for years is to select the best location. So, before you start digging a hole, take a few minutes and consider the following:

The slope of the yard and landscape is a very important to where you place your water garden. Stay away from wet or low-lying areas that attract water run off. These areas tend to carry debris from your yard which will be a constant headache to your water garden.

Electricity and water need to be accessible. You will need electric for you pump and any water features you may add to your water garden. As well you will need to add water from time to time. You don't want to be carrying buckets of water a long way to fill the pond. Remember to locate underground utility lines before you dig.

If you prefer to order by phone, please call us at 888-575-2299.

How to choose a water garden

Once you know where you want your water garden, the next step is choosing the shape and size. A Perfect Garden offers many options that will fit you unique needs.

3 Tiered Deck Pond - This is a perfect starting pond. If you don't have room for a traditional water garden, this pond will fit in the corner of a deck or balcony.

71109CP $130.00 (Shipping included)

Butterfly Pond in a Box - This all in one water garden kit gives you everything you need including the pond, pump and two fountain heads. A preformed 91 gallon garden pond liner gives you the durability of a preformed pond with the ease of installation of a liner. This pond is 50"x48"x18". It is the perfect center piece to your landscape.

This water garden kit comes with everything you need. Kit includes a preformed pond liner in the shape of a butterfly. 71106CP $105.00(Includes Shipping)

Butterfly Shape - More Information

Delta Pond in a Box - This all in one water garden pond kit gives you everything you need including the pond, pump and two fountain heads . A preformed 86 gallon pond liner gives you the durability of a preformed pond with the ease of installation of a liner. This pond is 50"x42"x21". This is the perfect pond for the corner or back against a fence or wall.

This water garden kit comes with everything you need. Kit includes a preformed pond liner in the shape of a delta. 71110CP $105.00(Includes shipping)

Delta Shape - More Information

Landscape Fountain - This all in on water garden kit gives you everything you need. The closed reservoir is perfect for a yard with pets or animals. It includes the closed reservoir pond, pump and fountain head. Just add some decorative rocks and you have a beautiful water feature.

A perfect water garden for the beginner. Just add some decorative rocks or marbles to make a beautiful garden accent. More Information.

8'x10' Pond Kit

10'x12' Pond Kit

Bird Pond with 3 Tier Cascade - This pond includes the pond liner, pump and 3 tier water fall. The ideal backyard pond system for family enjoyment. Includes Everything needed to create a great backyard water garden, yet easy enough to install in just a few short hours

A natural and effective ground level bird bath. Everything needed to create a great backyard water garden. Natural and effective ground level birdbath. This kit contains a 4' x 5' PVC Liner, an ABS Three Tier Cascade, and an energy efficient pump. It can be set up in approximately 2 hours. Landscape to your desire.

CSB-011CP $70.00(Includes shipping)

More information...

Constructing your pond

Most pond lining material is made from either polythene or butyl rubber, but some ponds are clay or concrete-lined. You can buy pre-formed plastic liners from garden centres, but, for wildlife, many of these are more trouble than they are worth: they are difficult to fit and level and tend to be very steep-sided. They are also very expensive for their size.

Having dug the basic hole for your pond, line it with a smooth layer of newspapers, sand or old carpet to prevent the plastic liner being punctured. Lay the liner in the hole, but do not stretch it too tight. You must allow room for it to expand. Make sure the liner is large enough to overlap the edges, and weigh it down. These edges can be covered by turf to give a pleasing appearance and to protect them from sunlight. Add a further layer of sand or soil over the liner once you have laid it to prevent it being broken down by sunlight.

Fill your pond with water, and allow it to stand for a couple of days before stocking it to allow any chlorine in the water to dissipate.

Stocking the pond

You may be surprised just how rapidly insects, frogs and plants colonize your new pond. A bucket of water from an established pond will help to boost the wildlife of your own more quickly.
It is best to have a mixture of submerged plants, floating plants and emergent plants, those that are rooted in water but whose foliage extends into the air. Native plants to look out for are:

Submerged Water-milfoil Myriophyllum, curled pondweed Potamogeton crispus, hornwort Ceratophyllum, water starwort Callitriche.

Floating White water-lily Nymphaea alba, ivy-leaved duckweed Lemna trisulca.

Emergent Yellow iris Iris pseudacorus, meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria, purple loosestrife Lythrum salicria, rushes Juncus, sedges Carex, greater spearwort Ranunculus lingua, water mint Mentha aquatica, water forget-me-not Mysootis scorpidides.

Some plants, especially non-native ones, can take over a pond and are best avoided. These include New Zealand stonecrop Crassula helmsii and water fern Azolla filiculoides.

The most important plant is Anacharis. This is an underwater plant that uses up the nutrients that would otherwise feed the algae. For ponds and water gardens under 25-sq. ft. use one bunch for every square foot of pond surface area. For ponds 25 to 100 sq. ft. use one bunch for every two square feet of surface area. For ponds 100 to 300 square feet use one bunch for every three-sq. ft. of surface area. Use one bunch for every four square feet for ponds over 400 square feet in size. If you are keeping koi then a smaller upper pool or plant protectors will be needed to keep them from eating the Anacharis.

The next step is to add water lilies and other plants with surface leaves to provide shade to approximately 66% of the surface area if in full sun. If less than full sun then less coverage is acceptable

Pond management

In the early years, blanket weed can cover ponds in warm weather. This can be pulled out carefully, but once the pond has settled down blanket weed will usually be kept in check by the pond animals. Other plants can also threaten to take over, and again these are best cleared out. Do not remove more than one-third of any species in a year because the pond creatures need them. You will cause least disturbance to most pond animals if you only remove the plants in the winter. Generally, pond management should take place between October and January.

Keep the water level topped up, but do not worry too much if it drops a bit during the summer. Most pond plants can cope with this.

Try to keep a hole open in the winter ice so that birds can wash and drink. A tub of hot water placed on the ice will melt a hole.
 

We are also happy to take orders over the phone if you prefer. You can contact us at 888-575-2299 or just email us at sales@aperfectgarden.net, leave a phone number and time you can be reached and we will be happy to contact you for your order.