Garden pond: safety, design issues, plants

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Water plays a large role in nature and in the lives of all organisms. It is a resource, component of a natural landscape, which is used by people for creation a comfortable environment, beautiful parks and gardens, recreation areas. Water has been used by the landscape architects as a key aesthetic factor. The «magic» of water has fascinated us for centuries. So, at the times of Ramesses III people made artificial water ponds, which were intended for fish cultivation. In China people first began to use various stones and plants to decorate a pond. So, water is important design element. Nowadays many people have private houses and summer cottages. Garden ponds are the perfect solution for the area decoration near your house (fig. 1).

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Garden pond is an important element of the landscape design, which gives a stylish and well-groomed look to a garden site. Water creates the illusion that your garden looks bigger. This transformation will definitely amaze all your guests. Territories with large coniferous or deciduous trees are not suitable for a garden pond, because during the construction their root system can be damaged. Also leaves and needles might fall into the pond and plug its drainage system. An ideal place for a pond is an open, sunny area (ideally the pond should receive six hours of sunlight a day) on the ground level. But take into consideration pond safety in your design. Water can always be a hazard, especially for the young children. A sturdy stainless steel grid placed a few inches under the water surface will provide good protection to a deep pond. Also steep sides must be avoided. No matter how beautiful a design you have created, it can never compensate the loss of a child or pet's life. The risks can be minimized if the pond will be seen from the house and grow plants around the deep side of a pond to stop children getting close to its edge (fig. 2, 3). landscape garden design

The pond design should harmoniously fit in the rest of your garden design. Ponds are often described as «classical» or «formal» (regular style) and «natural» (landscape style). Classical pond tends to have straight or evenly curved edges. This pond is roughly symmetrical and has geometric shape: square, rectangle, trapezoid or circle. «Natural» pond has arbitrary shape with soft contours. This pond is designed as natural. When choosing a construction for your pond, three main options are available:

1) Preformed ponds made from molded plastic and are the easiest to install. However, these ponds are pre-molded and you are limited in the choice of design.

2) Flexible liners. It is the most popular choice for constructing ponds. There are different types of lining materials. For example, butyl based liners are stronger and more durable, whereas PVC liners are cheaper and more flexible.

3) Brickwork ponds. They are much harder to install. If you have necessary skills or can pay someone to build such a pond it will last a long period of time.

It follows logically from what has been said that these types can also be combined.

It is a well-known fact that garden ponds may be filled with exotic fish, plants, frogs, snails and other critters to create a miniature ecosystem. You can decorate a pond with sea rocks, pebbles, shells and other similar elements. The bottom of the ponds can be decorated with different sorts of decorative mirrors and other shiny elements. They will shine, when the sun's rays fall on them. Installing lighting, wonderful sculptures, natural stones, large boulders and some other materials will help your dreams come true.

Plants selection for your pond will decorate your garden. Water garden plants benefit your backyard garden pond and are divided into five categories. They have different growing requirements.

1) Floating plants are the plants that float on the water surface. Planting these plants is very easy: just add water and sun.

There are two types of floating pond plants. The first type has roots in the soil and the leaves floating on the surface (water lilies and lotuses). The second type has roots which simply float in the water surface (water lettuce or water hyacinth). Lotus, water poppy, duckweed, water lily, floating pondweed and water clover are also good examples of the root floating plants.

2) Submerged plants.

These plants will provide you with clear water, oxygen and food for your fish. Submerged plants grow completely under water and are very important to the ecology of your pond.

Examples: elodea canadensis, vallisneria, hornwort.

3) Bog plants.

These plants grow in the moist environment that surrounds your pond. Among them are the cattail, bulrush, iris pseudacorus and hemerocallis. Bog plants are good for the easy transition from the pond to the existing landscape.

4) Deep water plants.

These plants need a certain water depth their roots (15-45 cm).

They usually have floating leaves with flowers on or above the water surface, which provide shade and shelter for fish and other animals. Popular varieties include water hawthorne, willow grass, yellow pond lily.

5) Shallow-water plants.

These plants grow in shallow water around the perimeter of the pond. They can grow in six inches or less deep in the water and usually have beautiful flowers. Examples: pickerel rush, dwarf papyrus, water cannas, arrowhead.

This is just brief information about pond plants. If you are ready to design your own project you should carefully study the information about all groups of plants and to consult the gardener. A water garden is a miniature ecosystem that must be balanced to remain healthy. Typically, it takes three or four weeks for a new garden pond to be established in a healthy balance. For the best functioning of the pond, only about half of the water surface should be covered with plants.

We must conclude that creating a garden pond design will worth the efforts because garden lovers can sit at the pond and just marvel at the dragonflies, butterflies and birds. So, modern materials and equipment allow you to create almost any design, ideal for your particular requirements. But it is always better to consult with the engineers and landscape architects because they will develop the project of a garden pond according to your needs.

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