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