Water Gardening Basics - Puddle and Pond

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Ornamental Lilies

pond basics | flexible pond installations | calculator
preformed pond installations | pond & pump calculations

Welcome to the world of water gardening.
If you haven't already, you'll soon discover some of the reasons why water gardening has attracted so many fans around the world.

For some, it's the beauty of the plants and the serenity of the slowly moving water. For others, it's the opportunity to add an interesting natural setting to the backyard. Yet others are intrigued by the challenge of raising interesting and exotic fish.

Water gardening's growing popularity has resulted in a large increase in the number of products available for the construction and maintenance of ponds. Many water garden products have been recently introduced here from the United Kingdom, where water gardening has been much more widespread.

In this website, we introduce you to the basics of building and maintaining a pond and explain the range of popular products available from leading manufacturers.

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POND LOCATION
If you are a beginner, your first step is to decide where your pond will be located. The main consideration in pond location is aesthetics. Place the pond in a location where it can be fully enjoyed. Water features should be visible from the main viewing area. Waterfalls should always be placed behind the pond. A location that offers views from the inside of the house is a plus.

Ponds should be placed in a sunny location that receives 6-8 hours of sun during the summer. Too much sun will encourage growth of algae and may damage some types of plants.

Avoid placing ponds under trees as foliage and other debris requires extra effort to remove from the pond. Needles from evergreen trees can raise pH of a pond to dangerous levels.

Another pond planning consideration is the accessibility to electricity and water, both will be required at the pond site. For most locations not immediately adjacent to an existing structure, installing an underground electric cable will be necessary. In cases where underwater pumps or lighting will be required, a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) should be installed, along with a circuit cutoff switch.

POND TYPES
The next decision to make is what type of pond to install. Some first-timers set up a barrel water garden made from half a whisky barrel. These can accommodate several plants and goldfish and make an interesting addition to the deck or patio.

To keep water circulating, you will need a small pump for the water garden. Numerous accessories are available. For example, several styles of old-fashioned hand pumps can be added to the barrel garden.

For in-ground ponds, you can pick between a pre-formed shell or a flexible pond liner.

Pre-formed ponds come in a variety of interesting shapes, usually with plant shelves built in. Compared to liner ponds, they are easier to install, easier to clean and more resistant to damage.

Liner ponds, however, allow for more creativity. Also, larger and deeper ponds are only possible using the liner technique.

Another product you will need to acquire is a pump for your pond. For a healthy pond, the water will have to be circulating most of the time, most of it through a filter.

Unless you are powering a stream or waterfall, your pump should be large enough to circulate the pond water at least once every two hours.

Once your pond is installed and set-up, you may consider adding some of the decorative and useful accessories found her at Puddle and Pond.

Maintenance of your pond will be easy if you have the right filtration system and the right water treatments.

We hope you find this product information useful and that you receive many years of enjoyment from your pond.

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