Garden Ponds For All Uses

The main concern that can be intimidating about undertaking the building of garden ponds for all uses, besides price, is being able to properly construct it and care for the plants and animals that will go inside. Garden ponds for all uses, fish pond, lily pond, or otherwise is no matter to be taken lightly. Where do you begin?

Garden Ponds for All Uses: The Basics

Building and caring for garden ponds for all uses is not as difficult as it seems on the surface. In fact, the surface is the first place to begin. The surface area of your pond is the most important thing to consider. It should be at least 25 square feet. The surface area is actually far more important than the pond's depth. Depth wise, a pond should be between 18 inches and two feet deep.

The surface area on the other hand will be a pond's way to access the sun, which will promote plant growth. It also will allow a pond to transfer and exchange oxygen and other gases more easily. The more surface area a pond has, the healthier it will be, allowing it to more easily deal with and shake off impurities. This will promote plant growth and keep fish and frogs in your pond healthier in the process as well.

Avoiding Impurities

It's best to keep as many impurities as possible from ever getting in the pond in the first place. Make sure to place a pond in a location where it won't have things thrown into it, or where children and dogs can't play in it. The backyard is a better location than the front yard.

It's also important to not let rain run off drain into a garden pool. Rain can contain a lot of unknown impurities. Although its OK for rain drops to land in it, rain drainage can add greater quantities of strange pollutants into the fragile eco system of a pond.

Shape and Location

Before committing to a location or shape for a garden pond for all uses, it's important to plan ahead. Most pond enthusiasts recommend using a garden hose to do this. Lay the hose out on the lawn, or wherever you are thinking of placing your pond, and see if you like that area. You want it to be as visible as possible.

You also want to get an idea of the right size and shape of garden ponds for all uses with your garden hose. The shape is extremely important. Round, kidney, or oval shapes are the best to stick with. The more weird you get with a pond shape, the less overall surface area it will have, and it will be much harder and more expensive to build.

Actual Construction

The last step in building garden ponds for all uses is the actual construction. The hole you dig should have sloped edges, like a bowl, to make the walls stronger. Make sure to dig your pond at least 2 inches deeper than you want to allow for the thickness of the liner and protective layer of sand that will go on the bottom. 45 mil EPDM or Tetra Xavan are the best materials to use as pond liners. Pond filters are also important to help keep the pond clear of animal waste and unwanted particles. Natural filters, like various plants are the best choice.