Creating Your Unique Water Garden: A Guide to Peaceful Outdoor Retreats

1. Water Gardening By, Tiffany Abbott

2. What is Water Gardening? • New Area of Gardening • Can be used in residential, or public areas • Peaceful and relaxing place to unwind • Easy and fun project to create on your own • Every design is unique

4. Things to think about before you begin. • Where do you want it? • Which kind do you want? • Will it be above or below ground? • Will there be fountains, waterfalls or lighting? • Will you use pumps?

5. Location of your pond. • Good view • Good size • Good amount of sun and shade • Electricity

6. Three Types of Ponds • Cement • Preformed • Flexible Plastic Liner

7. Cement • Longest lasting • Cool Climate requirements • Layer of loose gravel or pebbles • 6” thick walls • Walls should be at a 20 degree angle • Pour on a cool, cloudy day • Check for cracks • Clean

8. Preformed • Rigid Fiberglass • Long lasting, will discolor over the years • Bonded resin • Less expensive than Fiberglass, BUT more fragile • Semi-rigid/ABS plastic • Less expensive than Fiberglass, BUT more fragile

9. Preformed Installation • Select shell • Measure • Excavate 2”deeper & wider than shell • Line with sand & level out bottom • Install & fill • Add around edges

10. Flexible Liner • Plastic • Can last fro 20- 50 years • Never use less than 16 mil thick • Can deteriorate if constant UV light • Butyl rubber liner-twice as expensive, 30 mil thick, no deterioration, lasts 40 years

11. Flexible Liner Installation • Pick area & size. • Outline with hose and mark with paint • Measure and get liner to fit, with overlap • Width+2(depth)+1 + Length+2(depth)+1 • Excavate • Shelves (9-12” deep and wide) • Level top ledges • Install (protective liner) • Secure with edging

13. Added Features • Waterfalls • Lights • Fountains • Flat stones around perimeter for more natural look

14. Waterfalls

15. Added Features • Waterfalls • Lights • Fountains • Flat stones around perimeter for more natural look

16. Lights

17. Added Features • Waterfalls • Lights • Fountains • Flat stones around perimeter for more natural look

18. Pumps or no pumps • Helps keep your garden clean and clear • Not necessary • 2 used: • Skimmer • Filter • Place 2” off bottom if submersible • Need electricity, or solar power

19. Pond Ecology • Balance between plant and animal life makes for a clear pond • Plant life includes: • Aquatic and bog plants • Welcome and unwelcome algae

20. Algae • Filamentous algae=good • Becomes a moss coat on liner • Single celled algae= bad • Floats and covers pond • Fish eat it • Normal to see algae for few weeks in new ponds and in spring • Settles to ground and sides • Chemicals can cause other problems

21. Water Conditions • Tap can be used • Check with local water authority about chemicals • Chlorine is okay • Chloramine and chloride dioxide may cause problems for fish • Chemicals can be used to help this problem, but are not necessary

22. Adding Fish • Ornamentals- good color adds to pond • Koi –move peacefully • certain plants are toxic • Goldfish • Natural fish-don’t use, because not aesthetically pleasing • Add when 55 F or mid May • Do not overstock or stock to soon • Have water tested or test yourself

23. Fish

24. Care of Fish • Do not feed in first few days • Feed once a day with floating pellet food for large fish; flakes for small • Do not feed mid September on

25. Wintering Fish • Stock tank heater • Best if indoors • Small fish=aquarium • Large or Many small=small stock tank, or garbage can in basement • Circulating pump for aeration • No need to feed much, or at all if below 55 F

26. Adding Plants • Select them according to sun • Heavy garden soil or topsoil • Cover with 1” of coarse sand or gravel • Oxegenating plants • Tropicals added when 70 F • Never cover more than 70%

27. Types of Plants • Free Floating • Submerged or Oxygenators • Marginal (shallow) • In and out of water • Deep water or Bog

28. Free Floating • Water lettuce • Water hyacinth

29. Submerged • Anachris • Cabomba • Hornwort

30. Marginal • Water Liles • Arrowhead • Cattails & Horsetails • Water Canna

31. Bog plants • Nordic Holly • Jack-in-the-Pulpit • Gooseneck Loosestrife • Ligularia • Astilbe & Goatsbeard • Arrowhead • Cardinal Flower

32. Water liles • Shallow root system • Water 12” above crown • A lot of sun

33. Care of Plants • Fertilize with a water plant fertilizer • Slow release pellets • Do not fertilize until there is some spring activity • Remove old flowers and yellow leaves

34. Wintering Plants • Stock-tank heater • ID and group into category • Hardy=cut foliage and sink • In spring dig up, acclimate, and replant • Cattails=leave foliage until spring because it acts as a snorkel to get oxygen to the roots • Hardy water lilies=late Sept. early Oct • Remove foliage and store as bare root or in soil in cold area of basement or fridge • Must be kept damp & dark

35. Maintenance • Clean in fall and spring • Drain if possible • Leaves and extra organic matter • Rinse before re-filling • Netting for leaves • Rigid, fiberglass liners left filled • Flexible liners filled or drained • Concrete liners, drain, dry, tarp

36. Summary • New and exciting • Unique designs • Easy to do yourself • Not much maintenance • Peaceful and relaxing atmosphere

37. Questions?