Dennis Kelsey-Wood - Garden Ponds: Basic Pond Setup And Maintenance

Karla Austin, Business Operations Manager

Nick Clemente, Special Consultant

Jarelle S. Stein, Editor

Kendra Strey, Assistant Editor

Jill Dupont, Production

Honey Winters, Design

Indexed by Melody Englund

Cover photograph by Adrian Binns, logo photograph (2005) JupiterImages and its Licensors.

Illustrations are by: 3739, 6365, 6770: Laurie OKeefe; : Heather Powers.

The additional photographs in this book are by: , 84 top: Derk R. Kuyper; 3, 7, 10, 87, 92, 98, 104 bottom: (2005) JupiterImages and its Licensors; 9, 1113, 15, 16, 19, 22, 25, 41, 53, 54, 72, 73, 77, 80, 82, 84 bottom, 85, 93, 96, 99 top, 104 top, 105 bottom, 113, 114: Adrian Binns; 24, 31, 42, 50, 51, 89, 101103, 105 top: Sally McCrae Kuyper; 44, 59, 74, 76, 79, 83, 90, 97, 99 bottom, 109112: Debbie Dineen/Longshots; : Larry Maupin.

Copyright 2006 by I-5 Press

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of I-5 Press, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in an acknowledged review.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Kelsey-Wood, Dennis.

Garden ponds : basic pond setup and maintenance / by Dennis Kelsey-Wood and Tom Barthel.

p. cm.

ISBN 1-931993-69-6

eISBN 978-1-62008-005-4

1. Water gardens. I. Barthel, Tom. II. Title.

SB423.K45 2006

635.9'674dc22

2005033363

I-5 Press

A Division of I-5 Publishing, LLC

3 Burroughs

Irvine, California 92618p

Printed and bound in Singapore

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Dedicated to Dennis Kelsey-Wood, whose love of nature and animals continues to inspire readers.

Contents

Introduction: Beauty and Tranquility

The sight and sound of water gently flowing in a pond or watercourse creates a scene of beauty and tranquility, one that can wash away the stresses of daily life. Hospitals and doctors surgeries feature aquariums to instill a sense of well-being in their patients. Restaurants, hotel lobbies, and many public buildings also use water features to enhance a setting and to create a feeling of peace.

T oday, an entire industry has developed to meet the needs of those wishing to feature a garden pond in their immediate surroundings. The types, shapes, sizes, materials, and locations for a pond are many. It is quite possible, and becoming more popular, to own a pond that is actually indoors or located under a covered patio. In Japan and other Asian countries, outdoor ponds may extend into the home, so the owners can enjoy them regardless of the weather. Even if you have only a very small yard, you can plan and develop a magnificent pond to fit it, one to be long enjoyed by family and friendsand you.

In some basic ways, the efficient functioning of a garden pond is similar to that of an indoor aquarium. It differs most in the way the water is contained. With the many choices of materials and equipment now at your disposal, there are endless possibilities. A pond, with its special qualities of beauty and tranquility, is certainly worth the effort required in planning and construction.

Always remember that in the creation of a garden pond, especially one that will support plants and fish, you are creating a self-contained ecosystem. In such a system, everything is dependent on a successful biological balance. Careful planning is essential, and that planning is best achieved through understanding what is required and paying attention to detail.

Garden Ponds is organized to help you understand basic concepts that are the foundation of a successful pond. These concepts are presented first, in this overview, to give you an understanding of just what a garden pond is. Chapters 110 provide in-depth coverage of each of the critical issues, as well as technical information that will ensure your success in the planning, construction, implementation, and maintenance phases of your pond.

Basic concepts of the garden pond deal with creating a small, but healthy ecosystem outdoors in water: Just as gardens and aquariums need human intervention to be well established and to remain healthy, so, too, the garden pond requires your knowledge, care, and devotion.

Few things in life can match the beauty of a well-constructed pond that includes hardscapes, colorful landscape plants, and lively pond fish.

First, you need to understand some key concepts related to a garden pond environment:

Water balance. A healthy pond has a properly balanced chemistry for the fish and plants you want to live there.

Acidity and alkalinity are measured as pH values. The proper pH is essential for fish and plant health.

Controlling nitrogenous compounds is important to ensure good water quality.

Proper concentrations of calcium and magnesium salts provide appropriate water hardness.

Water conditioners can remove disinfectants such as chloramine and chlorine that have been added to the water by your water supplier.

Oxygen. Freshwater fish, plants, and helpful microorganisms need plenty of dissolved oxygen.

Factors affecting oxygen levels include temperature, daylight and night, and debris in and on the water.

Oxygen dissolves in water at the surface, so it is the surface area that determines the size of fish and plant populations.

The depth of a pond affects its temperature.

Mechanical Aids. Drainage, aeration, filtration, and pumps are valuable devices that can help you maintain a healthy pond.

Issues related to water quality and maintenance will influence site selection, planning, construction, stocking, and maintenance.

Having made the decision to feature a pond in your garden or patio, the next thing to do is to consider placement, style, and size of the pond. Many factors determine these, some of which are of a negative type easy to overlook or underrate. Such negatives can turn the project into a disaster or, at the very least, cause the pond to be less efficient and thus create more maintenance work for you. Only when your options are established can you proceed with worthwhile planning.

SITE CONSIDERATIONS

You may already have an idea about where youd like to establish your garden pond. But does that location meet all the necessary criteria? Here are some major factors to consider.

Legal Aspects

Check local zoning laws governing all aspects of garden ponds. There may be specifications relating to: