The Pond Blogs - Week 1

Pondkeeper

The pond blogs  - 26/05/2011

Why a Pond?

You will be hard pushed to find someone who does not find the gentle noise of the sea, or low rumble of a babbling brook relaxing.  The types of water and the enjoyment that people get out of it is are as varied as peoples personalities;  from huge lakes to tiny fountain pools, and expensive well groomed Koi ponds to cheap overgrown wildlife ponds.  There are now so many options that people really can create their very own piece of tranquil paradise within the confines of their back yard.  The form of that paradise is completely up to you.  This will be a weekly blog that will look at the possible different forms that your own water paradise could take, as well as maintenance tips relevant to the time of year.  This week’s blog will just briefly look at some of the wide range of possibilities to whet your appetite, and jump start you on your way to pond paradise.

Stand alone Fountain

This 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.  All it needs is a small hole dug for the reservoir which can then be lined using a Flexiliner, and a fountain pump.  The rest is up to you.....

Stand alone Waterfall

Again a very simple and effective water feature, this as a standalone feature is something that for some reason is much bigger in the United States, but there is no reason it can’t work anywhere.  These again add a relaxing noise and focal point along with much more water movement.  It is a feature that is almost as straight forward as the fountain, needing only a small reservoir pool lined by a Flexiliner, a pump, and a waterfall which can be made using a preformed cascade.  Once again your imagination is the only limit.....

Traditional Garden pond

When anyone talks about a pond this is what most people will think of.  These can range from a small pond barely bigger than a standalone Waterfall, to a large expanse of water with plants, fish.  It is usual for these to also have either a fountain or a waterfall, and for some people these provide the perfect balance of moving water, and aesthetic interest.  They also allow the owner to keep fish, which can again be as varied as the type ponds.  These are one of the most complicated but also the most fulfilling types of pond/water feature.  They require a filtration system to maintain clean and clear water.

Wildlife Pond

The Wildlife pond is a great way to for the naturalists amongst you to encourage a much more diverse type of wildlife into your garden.  From the obvious frogs and newts that you will get, there will be an increase in the number of birds, foxes, hedgehogs, pretty much anything that naturally lives in the area.  With larger ponds in the less urbanised areas it would not be uncommon to find animals such as otters setting up residence.  These ponds although they can be time consuming to set up when making sure the correct sort of plants go in, are pretty much self sustaining once finished, and you can sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labour

Next week, we will look at creating the simplest of these, the stand alone fountain.  This can be done in an afternoon and provide almost instant gratification.  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