Winter Pond (part one)
Planning a Water Garden
–Dan Winter
When planning a water garden, factors such as the amount of space,
location, function, construction method and maintenance will
determine the outcome of your project.
My suggestion is to build the largest pool possible. It seems that
once bitten by the pool bug, one never has enough room for lilies,
fish, and marginals. Generally, the larger the pool the better.
Both temperature and water chemistry extremes are moderated by the
greater volume of water. This provides the hobbyist with more room
for error in fertilizing, stocking, water changes and filtration.
A pool of 1000 gallons is nearly self maintaining.
To find the gallon capacity of a rectangular container, multiply
length, width, and height in inches together and divide by 231. To
find the capacity in gallons of a cylindrical container, multiply
length, width, and depth or height and subtract 20% from the
result. For another method to figure gallon capacity of a
rectangular container, multiply length by width by depth in feet.
This gives you a result in cubic feet. There are 7.5 gallons in a
cubic foot. To find the cubic feet of a large cylindrical
container, multiply 3.14 times the radius squared, times the depth.
Yet another way to figure the capacity of a pool is to use your
domestic water meter. A pair of Visegrips or a wrench will turn
the locking nut on the meter cover so the lid will come off. The
actual meter has a flip type cover protecting the glass over the
indicator dials. Note the reading on the dials before filling the
pool, then subtract the reading when you have finished for an
accurate figure.
The proper location of the water garden is very important for good
plant growth, safety and liability, plant and animal protection
from predators, aesthetics and maintenance. Water lilies need a
lot of sunlight. As a minimum, the pool should have direct sun
exposure at least 25% of the day, the remainder bright indirect
light. A fence around it, or some type of wire cover over the pool
is a wise consideration. It can serve to protect the pool from
children, exuberant water spaniels, or a curious raccoon’s
grappling paws.
Keep in mind that the water garden is to be a pleasure. One will
want to view it throughout the moments of the day. A pool in an
inaccessible area, far from electrical and water supplies, is not
conducive to cleaning and repotting plants. Areas where the wind
settles quantities of debris will increase your maintenance
efforts. Avoid swampy areas which will flood and overflow the pool
when it rains.
The focus of function in the water garden can vary among hobbyists.
The person with dwarf lilies in mind may want a number of small,
shallow pools. If bog plants interest you, more of the pool will
be devoted to shallow shelves for marginals. Perhaps you are
interested in providing habitat and sunning spots for frogs and
turtles, also. Where fish are the focus, you won’t want the
surface obscured with many lily pads, so devote more effort to
underwater foliage plants like Vallisneria, Sagittaria, or
Anacharis. Obviously, a large collection of lilies with robust
growth habits will take considerable space. Tropical lilies need
year-around warmth, or have to be planted as annuals. Those who
aspire to keeping a variety of mollusks or insects will certainly
discover variables specific to their culture. The greatest
challenge and the most rewarding aspect of the hobby is the
incorporation of all the possible inhabitants into a balanced,
natural setting.
The construction of a water garden can be as simple as a hole in
the earth lined with two layers of polyethylene plastic from your
local lumber yard. The soil from the excavation may be piled up as
a berm and stacked with some suitable rocks for a waterfall. The
remaining edges of the pool may be bordered with flagstone or
bricks. A simple filter can be made from a 5 gallon plastic bucket
lightly packed with polyester quilt batting. The filter system can
be powered by a small submersible pump, connected to a
G.F.I.(Ground Fault Interrupt) circuit.
