How To Arrange A Pond In Your Garden

2024 Author: Sebastian Paterson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:47

How to build a pond in a garden? Easy and interesting

Suppose that after reading an article about the arrangement of a pond in the garden in the last issue of the magazine, you have decided on the questions of where and what kind of pond you want to make. Now it is appropriate to talk about how to implement what you have in mind. To begin with, you should choose a method of waterproofing your reservoir, because without this the water will simply "run away" into the ground.

There are several options for solving this issue:

• You can make a pond with concrete or clay. You need to lay a film under them, because these materials tend to crack over time.
• It is convenient to use ready-made forms for reservoirs. They can be made from a variety of materials. Note, however, that PVC molds, in addition to being environmentally unsafe, can crack in the cold. The downside here is the fact that with a ready-made form, you do not have the opportunity to give the reservoir those outlines that would fit into the landscape of your garden.
• One of the simplest and most economical ways is to use a plastic film. Choose a film specifically designed for waterproofing, because simple plastic films can collapse in 1 - 2 seasons, and all your work will be wasted. To avoid such troubles, use durable films that will last 10 years or more. They are elastic and easy to fit on the relief. An important characteristic for our climate is the frost resistance of the film.

Waterproofing films have quite a few advantages over other materials:

• The film is suitable for both indoor and outdoor pools.
• It does not require major work (it is enough to create a relief and cover the film - the pool is ready!).
• It is always easy to dismantle the pond or change the configuration (the film remains elastic). Also, it is not particularly difficult to remove the film from the reservoir for the winter, if there is such a desire or need.
• The reservoirs created with the help of the film are durable (guarantee for 10 years of outdoor service without draining water for the winter at temperatures from -80 to + 60 ° C).
• Inexpensive.
• Eco-friendly material - plants and fish feel great!

At the bottom of the pit, under the film, it is advisable to lay out a five-centimeter bed of peat or sand. In this case, the sand should be moistened and tamped thoroughly. The pit walls should have a natural level of the soil slope (approximately 30-45 °). In order to protect the film from accidental damage by plant roots and small stones, a layer of non-woven material (for example, spunbond or geotextile) can be placed on this bedding in pieces with an overlap of 10-15 cm. After that, you can lay out the film.

The required amount of film can be calculated as follows:

• film length = pond length + two depths + 30 - 50 cm on each edge
• film width = width of the reservoir + two depths + 30 - 50 cm on each edge.

The film is spread in the pit with hands in the direction from the center to the edges, at the corners and projections they form even thin folds, fixed in the corners with bricks or slabs and then the reservoir is filled with water. The water will press down on the film and shape it.

But the reservoir is not completely filled immediately. First, water is poured so that it fills the reservoir by about 1/3. After that, the film is gently pressed with your feet to the entire bottom of the reservoir. After a while, fill the reservoir completely, allowing the air under the film to come out. The water is turned off when its level is 5 cm below ground level. After that, the film is cut off.

The edges of the film can simply be masked with a layer of gravel or stones. Do not lay stones in a continuous chain, close to each other. More aesthetic and natural is the sparse, as it were, random stacking of individual boulders of various sizes, between which moisture-loving and bog plants can be planted.

Due to the fact that under the weight of the water the coating will sag for some time, the design of the banks should be postponed for 1-2 days.

Another option is to mask the edges of the film with a ditch dug around the pond. This ditch is covered with planting mixture and ground cover plants are planted in it, which will quickly grow and hide the edges of the film. If the reservoir is surrounded by a lawn, then the edges of the film can be buried 8-10 cm below the level of the lawn.

The wood finish carries a certain danger, as it becomes slippery after long rains.

If you decide to plant a pond with aquatic plants, then the pit should have a stepped bottom, because different plants prefer different depths. The slope between the steps should not exceed 30 °, otherwise there may be a threat of soil displacement. When choosing plants, pay attention to the minimum depth they can grow.

Plants can be planted directly in the intended substrate of the reservoir or in baskets, which are then set on the bottom. Baskets are handy if the pond is small and you want to limit the rapid growth of vegetation. Also, heat-loving plants planted in baskets can be transferred to a room for the winter where the temperature does not fall below zero, and returned to the reservoir in the spring.

Aquatic plants are not only visually appealing but are also vital to the overall health of the pond. Without the underwater algae to oxygenate the water, and without plants floating on the surface of the water to create a shield from the sun's rays, the water quickly becomes muddy.

The harmonious state of the aquatic environment is the result of the interaction of all components: water, soil, plants, fish and organic substances, which leads to the creation of a mini-ecosystem. It is important to maintain this delicate biological balance to prevent overpopulation and cloudiness of the water in the pond. Below are the rules that should be followed in order to create the most favorable conditions for the habitation of plants and fish, namely, to achieve the suppression of the growth of green algae.

• Remove fallen leaves and other debris from the water immediately - if they start to decompose, it will lead to water pollution.
• Do not use peat, garden compost, or manure when planting plants.
• It is good if there are plants in the reservoir that produce oxygen, which inhibits the growth of algae, and this, in turn, helps to maintain the purity of the water. In addition, fish need oxygen.
• Do not feed the fish more food than they can consume in five minutes. Remove the remaining feed.

Often the owners of reservoirs are faced with the problem of "blooming" water. With proper landscaping of the reservoir, this problem will be solved by itself. In a balanced reservoir, "bloom" will disappear quite quickly without assistance. When the first signs of "blooming" appear, algae and weeds should be collected with a rake or scoop. Complete replacement of water in the reservoir will only slow down the self-purification process: after the change of water, "blooming" will resume.

In summer, the water in the reservoir evaporates rather quickly, so it must be topped up. Water is introduced in small portions. Here, it is advisable to abandon the garden hose connected to the water tap. Use water that has settled and heated in the sun. At the same time, it is important that it flows in trickles, which can be organized by pulling a piece of burlap over the drain hole.

You can leave the water in the reservoir for the winter, and in order to reduce the ice pressure on the walls (and protect the film from excessive loads), throw any piece of wood or plastic bottle into the reservoir: they will take some of the pressure on themselves. If you decide to flush the water for the winter and there is no drain in the reservoir, use a garden hose. For this, one end of the hose is lowered to the bottom of the deepest part of the reservoir, and the other is placed in a place located below the level of the bottom of the reservoir, where water will be pumped out. It will probably be necessary to start the process of draining the water forcibly, and then the water itself will overflow into the lower place. To prevent the hose from clogging, and also to prevent fish from sucking into it, pull a burlap or protective mesh over the inlet.

The list of tips given in the article cannot be complete, since the creation of a reservoir depends both on material capabilities and on your imagination and desire to embody the most interesting ideas to the delight of yourself and to the surprise of your guests and neighbors.