Back to Info Sheets	Water Gardens: A dynamic addition to your landscape.   Are you looking for a focal point to your garden landscape?  Do you want something to extend the use of your backyard space?  A garden pond may be the answer.  Homeowners may find that a water garden adds a new dimension to the backyard, bringing charm, beauty, and dramatic motion to a previously un-used area.  Water pools which are incorporated with decks, benches and walkways turn the backyard into a "room" for entertaining guests during warm summer evenings.  Today, homeowners can add that water garden pool easier than ever.  Planning and installation are laid out for the do-it-yourself gardener in many available books.  If you do not want to tackle the project yourself you can enlist the advice and expertise of a professional to help plan the location, size, materials required, or even install the pool for you.  If you are thinking of installing a water garden, remember to consider these factors.   STYLE:Do you want a reflecting pool designed with contemplation in mind, or a dynamic waterfall splashing and gurgling down to a shallow pool for a frog's or bird's bathing paradise?  Does a formal pool around which you can entertain friends fit your scheme, or does a natural pond as a home for fish and water plants seem more fitting?  Think about what you really want to use the pool for before committing yourself to a style or shape.  Remember, a formal pool will be out of place in a naturalized garden and a naturalized pond will seem untidy in a formal garden.   SHAPE:When choosing a shape for your pool, stick to natural lines and avoid fussy shapes.     SITE:If you want to grow water plants, the pool should receive at least six hours of full, direct sunlight each day.  However, fish will need cooler waters and shade to hide from the sun's rays.  If the pool is to be situated in the full sun, include lots of plants and crevices for the fish to hide under. The pond should be away from any large trees to keep roots from penetrating the liner or to keep leaves from dropping into the pool.  Leaves will pollute the pond's water and can kill your fish and plants if not cleaned out regularly.  Although it seems like a logical place, the lowest point in the garden may not be the best location for your pool.  Remember to consider spring run-offs and heavy rainfalls.  You don't want a muddy mess from an over-flowed pond every time it rains.  The pool should be situated so that you can enjoy it from the house and have easy access to water and electricity.  Electricity will be required if you want lights or pumps to run a fountain or waterfall.   SPACE:Build it as large as your space and budget permit.  Even a small apartment balcony can have a tub or container filled with pebbles and a bubbling water fountain.   DEPTH:If you want to grow plants, the pond should be at least 18 inches deep.  For a suitable climate for fish, it should be at least three foot square on the surface area.  To overwinter the fish and plants outdoors in the pond, the depth should be at least 2 1/2 feet.     BUDGET:A water feature can fit any budget.  It can be as large as a formal concrete pool with multiple fountains or as simple as a water-filled barrel with a few dwarf plantings.  Both can bring pleasure on a sunny afternoon.   SAFETY AROUND CHILDREN:Check with local authorities on bylaw restrictions for pools.  If a safety fence is required, think about a horizontal fence which lies just below the water's surface and prevents anyone from falling deeper than an inch but allows the plants and fish to move through the mesh.   Homeowners now have many new materials available to them so that building a garden pool is easier than ever.  Pre-formed plastic liners and flexible rubber sheets make the installation of a water-proof pond floor a snap.  Plastic waterfall shells help control the water's flow.  Submersible pumps for water jets, bubblers and fountains are as easy to install as hooking together the hose and sinking the pump in the pool.  Underwater lights can even be added for a dramatic night-scape.  Statuary in and around the pool adds whimsy, while fish and plants bring a changing scene to the pool every day.  Check with local garden centers such as Murray's in Portugal Cove for a full line of water gardening supplies.  A garden pond can add a new gardening dimension to your landscape.  Do try this at home! Vol. 97 no 39
© Murray's Garden and Horticultural Services Last updated: March 8, 2008