The Pond Blogs - Week 6 - How to Build a Garden Pond Part 3

Pondkeeper

The pond blogs – 29/06/2011

Garden Pond - Part 3

This is the third and final instalment of how to build a pond.  So far we have looked at choosing; size, location and type of pond; as well as how to dig, prepare the ground and lay the liner. This week will look at the final stage, how to finish off your own water garden paradise.

Finishing

Once you have let your pond liner to settle you need to trim off excess pond liner and underlay, leaving a minimum of 30cm overlap for anchorage.  Next you need to finish the pond with some sort of edging.  This is normally done with stones or paving, but this is by no means a restrictive list.  Ideally you would leave a small overhang to protect any exposed liner from direct sunlight, even though most liners are now UV resistant.  Another method would be to use grass turf, which may overhang and touch the water.

Add equipment and plants

Now the basic pond is built you need to think about equipment and plants.  Depending on the type of pond you have decided to make the question of filtration, pumps, and plants comes up.

Filtration

For any normally sized garden pond, a good filtration system will be important, as the body of water is not really sufficient to create a natural cleaning system.  There is the old fashioned but much more complicated way of designing a gravel bed filter, which is basically feeding the water through layers of gravel in a specially designed holder pond, either bottom or top fed and then taken back to the main pond.  A much simpler way is to use a pre made filter.  These come in two di9fferent types; a pressurised filter or a box filter.  The later provides the best filtration as it is gravity fed the water only slowly moves through the filter and sediment has time to fall out of the water.  The benefit of a pressurised filter is that they can be burried and placed away from the edge of the pond (a box filter must be higher than and next to the pond).  Unfortunately, although a pressurised filter solves the issue of having a large plastic box standing out next to your pond, due to the fact that the filter basically works on the concented of forcing water quickly through sponges and some biomedia they do not provide a good enough filtration for Koi or a highly stocked fish pond as the sediment has no chance to fall out of the water.  Generally today most filters also come with a UV Unit inbuilt.  The UV unit uses a UV bulb to clarify the water by breaking down green water (algae) and other such organisms

Pump

Now you have decided on one of the two basic types of filtration, you need to look at how big a pump and filter that you need.  As a rule for a normally stocked fish pond (excluding koi) you would look to turn the water over between once every 2 hours and every 1 and a half.  If you have a Koi or a high fish stock, it is important to turn the water over at least once every hour.  It is also important to match the pump size to the filter size, a sa pump that is too big for the filter will cause the filter to overflow.

Pond Plants

The addition of pond plants can have a number of positive benefits and are strongly recommended for any pond.  As we have discussed in the first part of ‘how to build a pond’ they oxygenate the pond, and help to prevent green water and blanket weed.  They also act as a natural filter as well as providing an aesthetically pleasing aspect.  It is important to develop a biologically balanced pond, and then you will avoid the majority of pond problems as well as attract more wildlife. 

Some good suggestions for newly built ponds were made on BBC Gardeners Question Time, and included;

Hornwort, which acts as a very good initial oxygenator and a James Brydon Water Lilly, to provide surface coverage. 

Around the pond in the marsh area to provide some colour to the planting a couple of emergent plants were recommended such as the Caltha or ‘Marsh Marigolds’ for spring colour, an Iris for Summer colour, and the Pontderia or ‘pickerel weed’ for late season colour.

These can all bve planted in your pond using planting baskets and socks

For all your pond building and maintenance needs follow these links

• pond liners
• pond pumps
• pond filters
• filter and pump sets
• pond kits
• pond vacuums
• pump to filter hoses
Next week, we will look at general pond maintenance.  All the products you need can be found at www.pondkeeper.co.uk and so long as orders are placed before 1pm on a Thursday you can have all the equipment ready for the weekend.  Please also follow Pondkeeperuk on Twitter and Pondkeeper.co.uk - Armstrong Direct Ltd on Facebook to be kept up to date with all the latest news and offers from the world of Pondkeeper.co.uk

The Pond Blogs - Week 5 - How to Build a Garden Pond Part 2

Pondkeeper

The pond blogs – 23/06/2011

Garden Pond - Part 2

The traditional garden pond is probably the most common form of water feature in a British garden.  It allows you to bring almost all aspects of a water feature into your garden.  This is a much more complex operation than creating a fountain, so we will break week we will break it down into more detailed weekly sections.  This is the second instalment of how to build a pond.  Last week we looked at choosing; size, location and type of pond.  This week will look at the next stage.  Digging the pond and laying the liner and underlay.

Digging

First of all lay out the shape of the pond using a rope or hose pipe, and using fine sand trickle this along the shape of the rope or hose.  You can then remove the hose and start cutting the turf.  Be careful to not cut too deep when removing the turf, as this results in a large step down from the grass level to the level in the pond which is not ideal for wildlife.

            

Then dig the Pond to the desired depth and shape the shelving and contours.  Be careful to make the sides sloping rather than vertical.  Contour the shape of the pond to allow for natural flow around all parts of the pond and avoid creating dead spots.  Remember when keeping Koi or other types of fish a 1.5m depth is ideal, and ensure that this depth is at least 40% of the pond area.  For a perfect finish ensure that the top of the pond is level.

Laying the Liner and Underlay

Once the digging and shaping has been done, ensure that all sharp stones have been removed from the surface of the soil.  Then using the strips of underlay cover the whole of the dug out area, including the sides.  Then unfold the liner and place it squarely in the middle of the dug area.  Making sure that it is sat down into and follows the contours, should you need to step on the liner make sure that you remove your shoes first to avoid piercing with stones stuck in shoe tread.  Next anchor the liner down with bricks around the edge of the liner (note – not around the excavation, the actual edge of the liner)

 

The liner is now ready to be filled.  This can either be done naturally from rainwater over a few weeks, or using tap water.  If you do use tap water ensure that you treat the water once in the pond with Fresh Start to remove all the metals and chemicals in the water which are harmful to wildlife and fish.  If using tap water, get in the pond while it is filling to make sure that the liner is pushed down into all the contours of the pond.  Do not cut the liner to size at this stage, leave it to settle for a few days.

Next week, we will look at how to finish your pond and the basics of pond maintence.  All the products you need can be found at www.pondkeeper.co.uk and so long as orders are placed before 1pm on a Thursday you can have all the equipment ready for the weekend.  Please also follow Pondkeeperuk on Twitter and Pondkeeper.co.uk - Armstrong Direct Ltd on Facebook to be kept up to date with all the latest news and offers from the world of Pondkeeper.co.uk

The Pond Blogs - Week 4 - How to Build a Garden Pond

Pondkeeper

The pond blogs – 16/06/2011

Garden Pond

The traditional garden pond is probably the most common form of water feature in a British garden.  It allows you to bring almost all aspects of a water feature into your garden.  This is a much more complex operation than creating a fountain, so we will break week we will break it down into more detailed weekly sections.  This week will look at the 1^st stage of building a pond; Location, design, and size.

Where should I put my pond?

For some people they will want a pond because of the location, for others they will need to decide on the location because they want a pond.  A pond really requires about 5 hours sunlight a day.  This allows the oxygenating plants to thrive, which help to maintain a healthy balanced pond.  Having said this, you really want to try and limit the amount of water that is in direct sunlight as it can cause an algae bloom, a great way to achieve this is to use water lilies and covering around half of the pond surface with them.  If you are wanting to use a pump and filter (recommended) then will need to ensure that you are able to get power to your pond.

How big should I make it?

This can be a key decision, the bigger the pond the easier to maintain a biologically balanced system.  An easy way to increase the size without taking up more room in your garden is to increase the depth.  Anyone considering a Koi Pond should be looking at building a pond at least 1.5m deep.  As a rule for fish, you need to work out how deep your water will freeze and then add at least another 60cm to ensure that the fish are safe.  This depth is only required for a minimum of 40% of the total area of the pond.  When digging try to ensure you stick to your measurements, as it is important to be able to work out the volume when using treatments in the future.

Design

Ideally a Pond will have 3 levels; marshy/beach, shallow, and deep.  The marshy/beach level would ideally go around the whole circumference and is just in case any animals fall into the pond they are able to climb out, this is also important if you intend to have your pond as a wildlife pond.  The shallow level, is easily achieved by leaving a shelf when digging the pond out.  As has already been discussed the deep level is important to allow fish to survive the winter months.  The final consideration is the shape of your pond, there is the theory that fish prefer a rounded pond to a square one, although the supporting evidence is very sketchy, a rounded uncomplicated shape that allows a natural water flow does prevent areas of the pond becoming stagnant.

Which Liner?

The last thing to do at this stage is to work out what type of liner and what size you require.  We do 4 different types of Pond Liners:

Flexi Liner (L.D.P.E  / Low Density Polyethylene) is the most popular liner we sell.  It’s only 0.35mm thick which makes it lightweight and easier to manoeuvre and install. It’s also more resistant to tears because of 3-ply weave which is used to manufacture it.  It is coated with a durable laminate on both sides which is Rot and UV resistant.

PVC Liner is a heavier liner which is 0.5mm thick, they are also more malleable than the Flexiliner, but do not fold quite as well.

Synthetic Rubber (EPDM / Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer) is 0.75mm thick, which makes itthe thickest liner and as a result more resistant to punctures.  Being rubber based it is more malleable and stretchy.  It is naturally not affected by UV light, temperature or age and Does not shrink, lose weight or become brittle.

Butyl Natural Rubber is again 0.75mm thick, it is the more traditional material for pond liners with very similar properties to an EPDM liner.

Size?

To work out the size you simply need to know the plan dimensions of maximum width, length, and depth, this can be simply worked out by making a quick sketch of your pond see pictures below

With those measurements you us the formula below to work out the dimensions of the liner required.  This formula works in a 50cm overlap on each side.  A simpler way is to use our Pond Calculator, which will also work out the size in litres for you.

Liner length = max length + (2 x max depth) + 1 (for overlap)
Liner width = max width + (2 x max depth) + 1 (for overlap)

Next week, we will look at how to dig and shape the hole, and fit the liner.  All the products you need can be found at www.pondkeeper.co.uk and so long as orders are placed before 1pm on a Thursday you can have all the equipment ready for the weekend.  Please also follow Pondkeeperuk on Twitter and Pondkeeper.co.uk - Armstrong Direct Ltd on Facebook to be kept up to date with all the latest news and offers from the world of Pondkeeper.co.uk

The Pond Blogs - Week 3

Pondkeeper

The pond blogs – 09/06/2011

Stand alone Waterfall

Not everyone has expansive lawns and are able to accommodate a large waterfall and pond, but the calming and relaxing sound of flowing water should by no means be an exclusive feature.  The Stand alone waterfall is a great way of making use of limited space, while still providing everything you could want from a moving water feature, adding height, interest, noise and movement to a small area.  Again just like the fountain they can vary hugely; the basic principle is to have a small container or water reservoir, and a water pump and some sort of structure for the water to flow down or over.  The reservoir can be part of the feature or hidden completely.  It is very similar to the stand alone fountain in its initial build; however it is important to match the pump size to the height and width of the waterfall.  The one we are building today is designed to be built against a wall.

How to build a basic Stand Alone Waterfall:

Equipment:

·         Spade

·         Scissors/Craft Knife

·         Drill with 8mm masonry drill bit.

·         3x plastic plugs and 8mm screws

·         3x3m Flexiliner

·         3x3m Basic Underlay

·         Bag of large Pebbles

·         Bag of small/medium Pebbles

·         (Outdoor Power Set)

·         Niagara Waterfall 30cm - 3000 Pump - 60cm Grid - 25mm Hose & Clips Kit

o   PondXpert Pondpush 3,000

o   5m Length of 25mm Hose, and clips

o   60x60cm Metal Feature Grid

o   Niagara Waterfall 30cm

This should create a feature similar to the one outlined in the diagram below

Step 1: The Reservoir

Dig a hole approximately 50cm square, and 45cm deep, and within 8cm of the wall where you are wanting to mount the waterfall. Line this with the 3x3m Basic Underlay, and 3x3m Flexiliner. Carefully smoothing down the liner as it fills, once it’s full leave it to settle for a few hours to make sure the liner has been dragged completely into place by the weight of the water, and trim the liner leaving approximately 15cm overlap around the edge.

Step 2: The Pump

For this feature we are going to use the PondXpert Pondpush 3,000, as for waterfalls the assumed flow rate is 1,000 lph for every 10cm of width. This needs to be placed in the bottom of the reservoir. The 25mm hose then needs to be connected using the clip, onto the hose attachment on the pump

Step 3: The Grid

Take the 60x60cm Metal feature grid and place it squarely over the reservoir. Ensuring that the liner is caught under the grid along the whole length, and that the ready cut opening is on the wall side.  Using the ready cut opening in the grid allow the electric cable from the pump to come out of the reservoir and be taken towards an outdoor electrical connection (any outdoor power connections or set should be installed by a qualified electrician), also stick the hose through the back of the grate in the same place.

Step 4: The Niagara Waterfall 30cm

Carefully ensuring that the waterfall is squarely in the middle of the water reservoir and is level mark the wall where the 3 corresponding holes on the Niagara waterfall are.  Drill these holes with the 8mm drill bit.  Place the plastic plugs in the holes, place the Niagara back in place and screw it to the wall.  Using the hose tail provided and connect the 25mm hose to the bottom of the Niagara waterfall, trimming the hose to the right length.

Step 5: The Finish

Dress the top of the grid with large pebbles, and then use the smaller/medium pebbles on top to your own taste.  Ensure that all the edges of the Grid are covered, and ensure that the hose continues to come through the middle of the pebbles.  Connect the pump to the mains (using the outdoor power set), and switch on! You now have an attractive stand alone water feature which should have taken no longer than a day to complete.  The height of the waterfall is up to you, can produce quite different effects.

Pond Problems!

This again is the time of year when Blanket weed can become a real problem, Blanket weds simply starves the pond of oxygen, and so aquatic life like fish can die.  If the balance of pond plants such as lilies and other oxygenating plants is correct then this should not be a problem however if it is not, or while the pond is maturing it can be a yearly problem.  It is basically a special kind of algae that grows in long strands.  Algae is traditionally treated using UV units, which break down the algae and allow it to be filtered out.  This is not possible for blanket weed however as it will not be taken up by the pump.  There are a number of solutions available.  The most traditional method is to place a bale of barley straw in the water.  This lowers the nitrogen level which is one of the main factors in the growth of blanket weed.  Unfortunately if you already have a blanket weed problem there is no real way of avoiding getting in and pulling the blanket weed out yourself.  There are also a lot of water treatments that can be used, varying from barley straw extract to algae eating bacteria.  We have a large range of blanket weed treatments available on our website.

Next week, we will look at creating the traditional garden fish pond. This is a more time consuming project, however so long as you have all the equipment ready it should take no longer than a weekend, and can be a very fulfilling activity.  All the products you need can be found at www.pondkeeper.co.uk and so long as orders are placed before 1pm on a Thursday you can have all the equipment ready for the weekend.  Please also follow Pondkeeperuk on Twitter and Pondkeeper.co.uk - Armstrong Direct Ltd on Facebook to be kept up to date with all the latest news and offers from the world of PondKeeper.co.uk

The Pond Blogs - Week 2

Pondkeeper

The pond blogs – 02/06/2011

This week we discuss how to make a stand alone fountain, and the Pond Problem of the week is algae growth.

Stand alone Fountain

The Stand alone fountain is  probably the easiest and simplest form of garden water feature, yet done well can be one of the most effective, creating a nice calming sound along with an attractive focal point. 

The form that they take can vary hugely; the basic principle is to have a small container or water reservoir, and a small water pump to pump the water to the top of the fountain.  The reservoir can be part of the feature, or hidden completely, see the examples below.

  

How to build a basic Stand Alone Fountain:

Equipment:

• Spade
• Scissors/Craft Knife
• 3x3m Flexiliner
• 3x3m Basic Underlay
• Hozelock Cascade Fountain Pump 450lph
• 2m Length of 12mm Hose, and clip
• 80x80cm Metal Feature Grid
• Bag of large Pebbles
• Bag of small/medium Pebbles
• (Outdoor Power Set)

This equipment following 4 easy steps, should create a feature similar to the one outlined in the diagram below




Basic set up for a stand alone fountain, using the 4 easy steps.

 

Step 1: The Reservoir

Dig a hole approximately 70cm square, and 45cm deep.  Line this with the Basic Underlay, and Flexiliner. Carefully smoothing down the liner as it fills, once it’s full leave it to settle for a few hours to make sure the liner has been dragged completely into place by the weight of the water, and trim the liner leaving approximately 15cm overlap around the edge.

Step 2: The Pump

For this feature we are going to use the Hozelock Cascade Fountain Pump 450lph. This needs to be placed in the middle on the bottom of the reservoir. The 12mm Hose then needs to be connected using the clip, onto the hose attachment on the pump

Step 3: The Grid

Take the 80x80cm Metal feature grid and place it squarely over the reservoir. Ensuring that the liner is caught under the grid along the whole length using the ready cut opening in the grid allow the electric cable from the pump to come out of the reservoir and be taken towards an outdoor electrical connection (any outdoor power connections or set should be installed by a qualified electrician).  Also stick the hose through the middle hole on the grate.

Step 4: The Finish

Dress the top of the grid with large pebbles, and then use the smaller/medium pebbles on top to your own taste.  Ensure that all the edges of the Grid are covered, and ensure that the hose continues to come through the middle of the pebbles.  Trim the hose to a length just shorter than the height of the surrounding pebbles, connect the pump to the mains (using the outdoor power set), and switch on! You now have an attractive stand alone water feature which should have taken no longer than a day to complete.  You can vary the size and height of the fountain very easily by changing the height at which the hose is among the stones.

Pond Problems!

At this time of year it excessive algae growth is a common problem.  Algae is traditionally treated using UV units, which break down the algae and allow it to be filtered out.  If this is not working or not really an option, then there are a number of different treatments around.  One of the best is the Blagdon Green Away, this is particularly useful for those with wildlife ponds, as all it does is cause the algae to clump together, causing it to sink, this results in a clear pond, without the use of nasty chemicals. Green Away is not an algicide, so does not pose a threat to your pond's ecological system and it is harmless to filters, all species of pond fish, plants and water using wildlife. 

Next week

We will look at creating the slightly more complex stand alone waterfall, something that is a big hit across the pond, but has struggled to gain popularity in the UK.  This again can be done in an afternoon and provide almost instant gratification.  We will also address the perennial problam of blanket weed!  All the products you need can be found at www.pondkeeper.co.uk .  Please also follow The Pond Keeper on Twitter and Pondkeeper.co.uk - Armstrong Direct Ltd on Facebook to be kept up to date with all the latest news and offers from the world of PondKeeper.co.uk