Garden Water Feature - Your Personal Wildlife Sanctuary

Gardens are the personal retreat's best option. This saves you on a lot of time and money, as the woods are made available in your own backyard. And what better if there are live animals coming to your gardens? The animals like us also need food and water and if they are made available to them, they would come to your gardens for sure and you can have a small wildlife sanctuary in your own garden.

The easiest way to attract them is using a pond - the best garden water feature for the purpose. In the wild, the animals all flock to the pond to quench their thirst and so if you have one in your own garden, then this garden water feature will give them the same feel and birds, amphibians and other animals will be naturally attracted. This will be the start of your personal ecosystem, which will be self-sustained. And if a birdbath is added, then the birds will come in large numbers are they love to splash and play in water. But one must take care that the water is either changed every 3 days or a fountain is added so that the water does not stagnate and keeps the animals interested.

Building stream, which flow into the pond, will mean that the water is always in motion and hence it will cleanse itself in the normal course and the cleaning costs are minimized. The other important advantage is that the stream will be a rich source of insects and attract more birds and reptiles.

In addition to the primary pond, if a secondary pond is add, then a wetland habitat is created significantly improving the quality of the water and also will amaze you at the various species of wildlife, which will make your garden their home. But make sure not to add any waterfall or fountains in the pond as it will act as a deterrent to the wildlife.

Hence, one needs to be creative with the garden water feature and make sure that a balanced ecosystem is created. This will make wildlife very easy to attract, as one needs to provide them the basic needs that of food, water and shelter.

Garden Water Feature - 6 Steps to Easily Clean Out Your Pond!

A garden water feature like a backyard pond can be an enchanting feature in any garden, big or small. There can be nothing better than sipping a cool drink on a summer's day whilst relaxing next to your own piece of heaven - the tranquility and beauty of your pond and its aquatic life.

A successful pond requires regular maintenance and upkeep to help ensure that fish are happy and healthy and to ensure plants continue to flourish. In winter for example, you need to do safety checks like cutting back folliage, removing fallen leaves, moving smaller fish to aquariums and covering the surface of the pond to protect it from cruel weather conditions. Furthermore, in spring time, it is important to check for fish infections, as a result of coming out of winter dormancy. As temperatures begin to rise towards summer, fish get hungry, which is a great sign, but this increase in appetite can mean increased waste matter in the water, which in turn results in too much ammonia which can be damaging to plants and fish.

Early Springtime is often the most appropriate time to clean out your garden water feature. This way, the pond will have time to revitalize itself in time for the warmer, summer months when the fish are going to be their most active. Ignoring the fact that your pond needs a good clearout can be damaging. After all, during the year sediment will have built up considerably and your pond plants will most likely have grown substantially, leaving less and less room in the water (not to mention oxygen) for other aquatic life.

There may have also been fish infections in the pond that should be completely disinfected before the vibrant summer months. Clearly if you have a preformed unit it may be easier to clean as generally you can take it out of the ground. Even if you don't have aquatic life, giving your garden water feature a spring clean will make it neater and more attractive!

The following 6 steps will help you clean out your backyard pond sufficiently:

1. For those with fish, catch them carefully and transfer to an indoor aquarium or protective environment.
2. Pump out the pond water or bail out the water with a bucket. You should also look to remove any snails or dragonfly larvae as these should not be left behind.
3. Make sure you divide and re-pot marginal plants and waterlilies - these will have overgrown their current pots during the year and their roots will need room to grow further.
4. Remove any silt with a spade - don't waste it, instead try sprinkling it on your flower beds. Also hose out the bottom of the garden water feature.
5. Start to refill the pond with a suitable amount of water conditioner (see product for the required amount).
6. Make sure you let the water temperature rise before adding your fish back to the pond as they may become stressed by the sudden change in temperature (as any human would too!).

Garden Water Feature - 5 Monthly Must-Do's For Healthy Pond & Fish!

Building a garden water feature such as a pond or fountain in your own garden can be a very rewarding experience, especially once you can sit back on a Summer's day and relax to the sound of the running water. Before you know it the hustle and bustle of the working week becomes a distant memory.

The type and style of water feature will depend on your space, budget and personal style. If you are looking for a garden water feature with a contemporary feel, you might envisage a pond with a waterfall, neat edges and decking. Those wanting something more traditional and naturalistic might be looking for a garden water feature with native plants and blurred perimeters.

Whatever the style you choose, there are steps to take to ensure your pond is healthy and well maintained throughout the year. With frequent monitoring and an awareness of the seasons, you can ensure a safe environment for your plants and fish.

These 5 monthly checks are crucial:

1. Ensure that nitrate levels in the water do not exceed 50mg/l.

2. Remove blanketweed (a type of filamentous algae) on the surface of the water before it chokes plants and fish. It has a tendency to grow quickly and starve other pond life of oxygen. You can use a stick to remove it safely.

3. Scrub away any green algae on bridges, decking and fountains within your garden water feature as this will cause slippery conditions and a potential accident situation. You can use a clean brush for this. You can also remove any dead leaves from plants around the pond as this will limit the spread of algae.

4. Keep your eye on a build up of moss - despite softening the look of your pond, similar to algae moss can pose a significant risk to your pond life by taking all the oxygen. If you have a heavy moss issue, you can use potassium permanganate or an aquatic herbicide (the amount you use will depend on the size of your pond - consult the dosage in the instructions).

5. If you want fish in your pond, it is best to keep adding fish on a more regular basis rather than stocking the water fully at the outset. The best time to buy pond fish is in the spring and summer as these fish tend to be hardier and have an opportunity to get used to the pond environment before the cold winter.

In terms of keeping your fish healthy, it is highly recommended to do regular water level checks. In the summer, increased evaporation of the water is likely. This leads to more concentrated levels of dissolved nitrogenous waste and lower oxygen levels which can be fatal to the fish, particularly larger breeds. There during the summer months in particular, make sure you top up water levels to break down this waste and promote more oxygen for a healthier environment.

A garden water feature like a pond can be a wonderful asset to your home. Be sure to treat it with the love and care it needs and it will love you back!

Garden Water Feature - Size Does Matter!

Today, the houses come in all sizes and shapes and most of them come without a garden. Those lucky ones who have gardens also have to be content with the small sizes of the gardens available these days. So the best way to combat this situation is have a small balcony garden and give up the extensive garden water features for the smaller and more compact water features.

Container gardening is also catching on as it can be done in the restricted space of the modern homes. These are the perfect option for the house having small children because of the safety issues it brings along with. But before you buy one make sure to do your research and select the most appropriate garden water feature for you and your garden.

You can also build your own containers and use your creativity to get the most out of the place available to you. You can either arrange them in a waterfall formation or the fountain formation. This will make sure that you do not miss a big garden.

Also in a compact space, you can create a miniature fountain using various pumps. This can be placed anywhere in the house but is best placed near the window or in the balcony. The fountain is also the most common water garden feature, which can be used in all sizes and shapes of gardens. The size of the garden has little impact on the size of the fountain. One though just has to make sure that all the fountain parts are all in sync with the size and are installed by a professional.

The other great garden water feature, which can be used in any garden, is birdbath. This will not only add tranquility to the entire atmosphere but also bring with it a host of birds. The birds will come to the birdbath and splash the water and so the birdbaths are best placed in the balcony. They also give a complete look to the house.

Hence, you need to be creative and mach sure to start a garden using these water features, as they will keep you occupied and also brighten up your day. These garden water features make up in the beauty quotient, which is lacking in them in size.