A pond in the garden will create a charming corner, but also a good microclimate. It will lure small animals, e.g. frogs, which will make sure that you are not bothered by mosquitoes. In a modern garden, a minimalist, rectangular or round shape of the pond will work better. If you have a more casual garden, in a country or English style, the pond can have any shape and undulating shoreline.
- what shape and place for the pond to choose
- how to build your own pond
- which pond plants are best
- how to care for a decorative pond
What pond to make in the garden: minimalist or rustic?
1. Where to locate the pond
Plan the pond in a sunny part of the garden, not under trees, so it will not be polluted by falling leaves.
Decide what shape it should be. In a modern garden, a minimalist, rectangular or round one will work better. If you have a more casual garden, in a country or English style, the pond can have any shape and undulating shoreline. When planning it - mark the edges with a garden hose or rope, then climb onto the balcony and look from above how it fits in the garden. The pond can enter the bend of the flower beds or connect with the rest of the garden. From the side of the lawn, it can have a substitute of a "beach", i.e. a fragment of the shore sprinkled with gravel with the addition of larger stones. Remember, the larger the pond and the richer in vegetation, the easier it is to maintain biological balance in it, and thus clean water.
In minimalist gardens, a pond made of concrete, metal or stone slabs will work.
2. The shape of the pond
In minimalist gardens, a pond made of concrete, metal or stone slabs will work.
3. Construction of a pond
To set up a natural pond, start by digging the next floors (bottom and shelves at different depths) where you will plant the plants. Mark the deepest zone in the middle. If you dream of fish, it must be at least 1.3 m deep.
In addition, designate two or three more shelves that should be inclined towards the edges of the pond, not with its slope (and not more than 45º, because the ground will slide). Clean the surface of the dug pond of stones and large roots, sprinkle with sand, and cover it tightly with geotextile, on which you will lay the EPDM membrane (stretchable as rubber, so e.g. a dog will not pierce it with its claws). On the formed shelves, pour a suitable substrate for growing aquatic plants. If this is not possible, plant the plants in openwork baskets. So that the water does not run away from the pond and the surrounding plants do not suck it out, make the so-called ponds on the banks. capillary partition - a vertical wall covered with foil turned outwards, the edges of which you will mask with stones. Remember, you cut the foil only when you pour water into the pond, otherwise, it may turn out that there is not enough of it.
In turn, build a modern pond of concrete, and seal it before or after construction - make one chamber for water and another, separated by a partition for plants. Without a hydro botanical zone, the pond quickly becomes green with algae. Do not exaggerate with the number of plants in a modern pond - choose one or at most a few species, e.g. only irises or Japanese horsetail. In a garden with a more free line, choose a natural pond. In it you can plant more different plants. Or maybe you will be tempted by a swamp reservoir? Properly selected plants will be the most beautiful decoration of the pond in the garden.
If you plan to have fish, give the water at least two weeks to warm up and settle down before putting them into the pond.
Plants for the pond - how to plant flowers on the edge of the pond and in the water
4. Which plants to plant in a traditional pond and which ones in a modern pond
In each pond in the middle, you can use floating plants: underwater waterweed or turnpike, which will oxygenate the water. At a depth of 80 cm - water lilies or water lilies, the so-called water lilies. At 30-50 cm, the plants of the coastal zone will be perfect: irises, irises, darts, pontederia, umbellifera, marigold, marshmallows, marsh cherry or loosestrife. By the shore, outside the water, Siberian irises, funkies, tawułki and daylilies will do well.In turn, build a modern pond of concrete, and seal it before or after construction - make one chamber for water and another, separated by a partition for plants. Without a hydro botanical zone, the pond quickly becomes green with algae. Do not exaggerate with the number of plants in a modern pond - choose one or at most a few species, e.g. only irises or Japanese horsetail. In a garden with a more free line, choose a natural pond. In it you can plant more different plants. Or maybe you will be tempted by a swamp reservoir? Properly selected plants will be the most beautiful decoration of the pond in the garden.
If you plan to have fish, give the water at least two weeks to warm up and settle down before putting them into the pond.
How to care for a pond in the garden? Aerate and take care of the fish
5. Swamp hole - what to plant and how to build
If you want a bog pond, dig a hole about 50 cm deep, with gently sloping edges, and line it with foil. At a height of 10 cm from the bottom, slightly pierce the foil, thanks to which excess water will escape from the tank after heavy rains, but a minimum amount will always remain at the bottom. Pour the foil with soil and you can plant plants - in this type of pond, coastal flora or plants of the shallow zone will work, e.g. It will be interesting, but it requires a poor acidic soil based on acidic peat and sand. Carnivorous plants must not be fertilized.6. Don't forget to aerate the water
A floating device that runs on solar batteries can take care of this, or a stream of water flowing into a pond - from an old pump, a jug, a sculpture or a stone lion's mouth - it depends on the style of the garden and your imagination.
7. What fish for such tanks
If you plan to have fish, give the water at least two weeks to warm up and settle down before putting them into the pond. Koi carps (they can raise mud from the bottom), decorative crucian carps (do not muddy the water) or golden ropes will be perfect.
Pump, filter, and lighting for an even more beautiful pond
We asked Sebastian Dudek from Aquael about ways to beautify a garden pond
What to invest in to make the pond look nice, and serve the fish and us?
First of all, a pump and a filter thus purify the water from substances harmful to fish. Inside, it has good bacteria that convert it into safe compounds. It also makes the water crystal clear. We can install it on the bottom, but it takes up space in the mesh and is harder to clean. An external filter, mounted next to the edge of the pond, is more convenient. We wash the cartridges with water from the pond (not from the tap!), so as not to kill the bacteria.
And the pump?
It drives the filter and also sprays and aerates the water. It is also a drive for a cascade, fountain or sterilizer. The size and capacity of the pump should be matched to the size of the pond and its function (spraying water alone requires a lower capacity than, for example, a waterfall). The pump should work in the pond all the time, so it is worth paying attention to its power consumption and choosing an energy-saving model, e.g. Aquael Aquajet PFN ECO, which consumes up to 60 percent less energy compared to older devices.