The Wonders of Water Gardening

Water gardening is an exciting form of gardening that has increased in popularity over the past several years. Water gardening involves the use of water features, such as ponds, fountains and waterfalls.
These forms can be enhanced with rock and stone work, plants, lighting and fish, depending on your taste and aesthetic preferences. Best of all, water gardening can be as easy, or as complicated, as you like. You can have an expensive pond system installed, or you can build a garden around a plastic tub of water – the sky’s the limit!

Choosing the right spot for your water gardening is essential. If you’re planning to incorporate fish and plants into your design, be sure they have plenty of direct sunlight and are kept far enough away form bushes and trees. This will prevent the water from collecting fallen leaves and debris.

You’ll also need how big a water garden to plan. This decision will be based on your budget, since water gardening can quickly become expensive - especially when you consider the cost and maintenance of a large garden including lights, plants, fish and rocks. You should also consider the size of your property and the amount of time you plan to spend on maintenance of your water garden.

When choosing which types of aquatic plants to include, keep in mind that plants should cover only half of the water. Your plant choices of plants are a matter of personal preference. Some plants simply add beauty while others provide a pleasant scent and still others incorporate more oxygen, creating a healthy water environment. Fish are pleasing to the eye and beneficial, since they keep debris down to a minimum while controlling insects and larva. However, if your water feature is small and contained, you may need to clean it occasionally to prevent fish waste from building up.
Keeping the water clear of algae is one of the main challenges of water gardening. Over-fertilizing plants or feeding fish to often are the most common causes of algae, since they add too many nutrients to the water. Algae problems and control can be minimal when a pond is correctly constructed and maintained. If you’re having trouble controlling algae, consult a local garden supply store – they should be able to offer specific advice and remedies for your situation.

In general, to keep your water garden algae-free, you can reduce the nutrients that cause algae. A few steps you can take are to minimize fertilizing and feeding, plant more plants and either install a filtration system or regularly replace the water in your garden. If you prefer, you can also use chemicals, such as copper compounds. Be careful though - overuse may kill your plant and fish life.

Regardless of its size, you’ll need to maintain your water garden throughout the year. Keeping a healthy balance between the decorative features of a water garden and the condition of your plants and fish requires proper planning. Depending on your setup, you may need to empty the pond, scrub it out, trim overgrown plants and more. Regular, simple maintenance will help keep your garden in great shape throughout the year.

TheGardenStaff.com is a great resource for information on vegetable gardening, rose gardening, water gardening and more. Let us help your garden grow!