New Article - Use of Garden Ponds

Use of Garden Ponds
Copyright © 2007-2008 Elizabeth Jean


Why Choose A Garden Pond?

Do you enjoy spending time in your garden or outdoor space? Do
you gain a sense of relaxation and well-being from the sound and
feel of your natural surroundings? Do you enjoy the sound of
birds singing, the rustle of plants in the wind, the hum of
pollinating bees and the scent of flowers in full bloom?

Garden ponds can improve on that experience by adding a new
dimension to any outdoor space - from bath tub-sized to a small
lake, the benefits of a garden pond are potentially available to
anyone with a little outdoor space.

Many people find the sight and sound of water to be relaxing,
even therapeutic. An afternoon by a lake or river can provide the
perfect antidote to the stresses and pressures of modern life.
With a garden pond, you can bring that experience back home, and
recreate it in your own garden.

In addition, adding water to your garden offers a whole range of
opportunities to extend and vary the ecosystem of your outdoor
space and to create a more varied and rich environment right on
your doorstep.

What Can I Do With A Garden Pond?

What can't you do? Given sufficient space, you can even make
your own private swimming or fishing pond. But for most people, a
far more modestly-sized pond is enough to create a wonderful
addition to their garden. Learn more about garden ponds at
http://www.garden-fountains.com.

Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Decorative Garden Pond

By far the most popular type of pond is one that is purely
decorative. Without too much effort, it is possible to create a
healthy and sustainable pond, with a variety of attractive
aquatic plants and perhaps a little animal life too.

Water lilies provide a practical and attractive way to help keep
the water free of algae, and with a few carefully chosen plants
and rocks around the edge of your pond, you will have an
attractive addition to your garden.

Fish Ponds

Garden ponds have a strong association in many people's minds
with Carp, and formal Japanese gardens. While a true Japanese
garden takes many years to develop, a healthy fish pond just
takes a few weeks, and many people enjoy the lustrous colors and
calming movements of pond fish.

It's a hobby that just takes a little time each day, and feeding
and tending to your fish pond can be a relaxing and therapeutic
way to unwind in the evening after a day's work.

Educational Garden Ponds

This is not really a category on its own, because any pond can
serve as an educational aid for young children, but it is
important enough to be worth highlighting. Not all schools have
easy access to natural environments, and the miniature ecosystem
that can be contained in a garden pond can be a wonderful and
enjoyable educational tool for young children.

Tadpoles and frogs are always a favorite, and often seem to
arrive in ponds all by themselves! Equally, older children will
learn about the effects of sunlight on plants and water, and how
it's necessary to maintain a healthy balance between different
types of plant and animal.

Garden ponds can be a great educational tool for children (and
adults!) and if you have young children, you will undoubtedly
find that they love the garden pond!

Garden Pond Design

The creation of a garden pond does not have to be prohibitively
expensive, but it does require a little time, money and good
planning.

Making sure you get the planning right and not cutting corners on
the construction is the best way to end up with a healthy, easy
to maintain, and attractive pond, so we've put together a few
tips to help you design your pond.

Locating Your Pond

Before you do anything else, decide where you'd like to have
your pond. Consider the following points:

* Aim for a location that gets plenty of sun, especially in more
temperate climates

* Stay away from trees whose leaves might end up in the pond -
consider which way the prevailing wind blows

* Make sure you choose a location that you will be able to see
from your porch or patio - after all the effort you will want to
be able to enjoy the sight of your work.

* Make sure you can run an electrical supply to the pond - most
ponds will need a pump or filter of some sort - and you'll need
a water supply too.

Building Your Pond

For smaller ponds, you will have the choice of a rigid or
flexible liner - a pre-formed rigid liner may be easier to
install and appear the better choice, but you may struggle to
find one in the right shape for your chosen location. They are
also quite hard to get level when you install them.

A flexible liner, on the other hand, allows you to create a pond
of almost any shape and size, but requires a little more care and
effort to install successfully. You can also create a more
natural look by filling the inside with soil and rocks that allow
underwater plants to grow.

Ultimately what's best for you will depend on your budget and
location, but make sure you research your choices thoroughly, and
don't underestimate the challenge of installing a pond
successfully. It's worth considering paying a professional to do
the job, once you are clear on your requirements.

Whatever you choose, make sure you take time to enjoy the end
result and reap the rewards of your own private water garden.

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Written by Elizabeth Jean for http://www.Garden-Fountains.com
For more information, visit The Father of Fountain Design
(http://www.garden-fountains.com/articles/bernini-biography.html). ============================================================


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