Water Gardens Planning and Building a Water Garden

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Water Gardens Planning and Building a Water
Garden

• Developed by
• Dr. Teri Hamlin
• Georgia Department of Education

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Watergardens
Before
After
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Planning for Supplies Needed

• Tools
• Spade
• Wheelbarrow
• Carpenters level
• Measuring tape
• Pair of heavy leather gloves
• Materials
• Filter
• Pump
• Liner
• Edging

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Planning Building Codes Safety

• Comply with local building codes
• Check with local authorities
• Small Children
• Foot-deep shelf around edge
• Strategically place boulders

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Selecting a Site

• Level, well-drained location
• Direct line between house and pond for electrical
  wiring
• Nearby outdoor faucet
• Balance of sun shade
• Sun promotion of flowering water plants
• Shade for fish and water temperature
• High water temperature promotes excessive algae
  growth and increase water evaporation

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Pond Styles

• Formal
• geometric
• Informal
• abstract

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Lighting

• Underwater lights
• Surface reflecting spotlights
• Illuminate focal points (waterfall)

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Pond Capacity

• Depth 18-24
• Determine size of pump and filter
• Determine correct dosages of
• plant fertilizers
• algaecides
• other chemical treatments

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Pond Capacity

• Rectangular Ponds - Length x Width x Depth x 7.5
  gallons     Example 10' x 20' x 1.5' x 7.5
  2250 gallons.
• Circular Ponds Diameter x Diameter x depth x
  5.9 gallons.
• Oval Ponds Depth x Width x Length x 6.7
  gallons.
• Irregular Ponds - It is difficult to calculate
  accurately the volume of an irregularly shaped
  pond. The best way is to determine the average
  width and length, and then use the equation for
  oval ponds above.

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Choosing a Liner

• Flexible Polyethylene Liner
• Create pond any size or shape
• Relatively inexpensive
• Made of
• PVC (polyvinyl chloride)
• Synthetic rubber (butyl rubber or ethylene diene
  monomer)

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Choosing a Liner

• Rubber liners
• More durable than PVC
• Stretchable
• More resistant to ultraviolet light
• Thicker the liner the longer it last
• Rubber liners 30-45 mil
• PVC 20-32 mil

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Choosing a Liner

• Performed shells
• Rigid Fiberglass
• Last 10-30 years
• More expensive
• Limited shape size

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Sizing the Liner

• Outline the Shape
• Clear the site of plantings and other obstacles
• Outline the pond shape on the ground.
• Measure Pond Dimensions
• Measure the maximum width and length of the pond
  then determine the smallest rectangle that would
  enclose the pond area.

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Sizing the Liner

• Formula for Width Width of pool (Depth x 2) 2'
  
• Formula for Length Length of pool (Depth x 2)
  2'
• Example Pond is 24" deep and fits inside a
  10x12' rectangle.To figure liner
• 10' (the width) 4' (the depth doubled) 2' (for
  overlap) 16'.12' (the length) 4' (the depth
  doubled) 2' 18
• So youll need a 16x18' liner for a 10x12' pond

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Sizing the Liner

To determine the liner size you need length -
add overall length plus twice the maximum depth
width - add the overall width plus twice the
maximum depth It is generally a good idea to add
a foot to both of these measurements to allow for
error and a few inches over the pond
edge. Example A pond 6 ft. Wide x 11 ft. Long
and 1 1/2 ft. deep will need a liner 10 x
15. Width   6 1.5 1.5 1 10 Length  11
1.5 1.5 1 15
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Installing a Flexible Liner

• Installing a liner requires four basic steps
• 1. digging the hole
• 2. laying down the liner
• 3. filling the pond with water
• 4. adding stones or other edging around the pond
  perimeter
• Removing Turf
• Use a flat shovel to remove patches or strips of
  sod within the pond area
• remove the grass 6-12 beyond the perimeter

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Digging the hole

• Start along edge
• Remove dirt by layers
• Dig two inches deeper that pool depth
• Create spot to over winter plants fish
• Dig Shelf for bog plants
• Dig ledge for edging
• Check to make sure pond is level

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Digging the hole
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Preparing the Hole

• Carefully inspect the hole for sharp stones or
  roots
• Cushion the liner with an under layment of some
  kind.
• Options include
• two to three inches of sand
• fiberglass insulation material
• newspaper
• water garden suppliers offer a tough, flexible
  under layment material specifically designed for
  use with pond liners

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Layer Pond with Sand
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Positioning the Liner

• Warm, Sunny Day
• Drape loosely into hole with overlap
• Weight down w/flat stones
• Fill pond w/water
• As pond fills adjust liner smooth out creases
• Need enough liner around pond rim to extend under
  edging stones

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Positioning the Liner
Gradually fill the pond while smoothing creases
and adjusting the liner as needed.
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Adding Edging Materials

• Push 20d nails through liner to keep in place
• Position largest stones first around liner
• Mortar stones in place to prevent movement

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Placement of Edging
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Building the Waterfall

• Selection Placement of stones effects flow and
  sound

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Position any pond filters and/or pond skimmers
and level these in their proper location
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Finishing Touches
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Installing a Preformed Shell

• Mark the Shell Outline
• Dig the Hole
• Set the Shell
• Backfill Around the Pond
• Add Edging

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Mark the Shell Outline

• Place shell upright in desired location
• Use plumbed stakes to transfer shape on ground
• Mark outline with paint

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Dig the Hole

• Dig hole to conform shape of shell allowing 2
  around perimeter
• Cut ledges for plant shelves
• Remove rocks and sharp objects
• Flatten the bottom of the hole
• Ensure the bottom of the hole is perfectly level
  in all directions, place a level on a 2x4 laid on
  the sand base

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Set the Shell

• Set pond shell into hole and check rim height
• Rim should be 1 above ground
• Check to make sure pond is level if not pull
  shell out and reset.

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Backfilling Around the Pond

• As fill pond with water, backfill the hole around
  the shell pack gently
• Important to
• Not allow the water inside the pond to rise above
  the backfilled earth
• Try to equalize the pressure exerted on shell as
  you backfill

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Adding Edging

• After shell is filled with water, conceal exposed
  rim with rocks or overhanging plants
• Allow rocks to hang over edging only a couple of
  inches to avoid weight damage

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Types of Fountains

• 2 basic types
• Sprays
• Ornamental statuary

Sound emitted from a sprinkling fountain can be
peaceful and soothing.
Ornamental statues and lighting can add charm to
your water garden area.
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Choosing a Pump

• Determine size needed
• Calculate the volume of water in pond
• Choose a pump that can move half the total volume
  in one hour
• Ex ponds holds 1000 gallons of water pump 500
  gph
• Note increase the capacity for waterfall or
  stream

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Filtration

• Purpose
• Trap waste and decaying matter
• Help maintain balance pond
• Increase water clarity

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Filters

• There are two basic types of filters
• Mechanical filters
• Cartridge-type
• Effectiveness based on size of filter
• Requires high flow rate of water through filter
• Biological filters
• Beneficial bacteria feed on impurities in the
  water
• Gravel based w/nitrifying bacteria
• Does not require high rate of water

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Adding Plants

• Plants Fish
• create a balance
• add life
• add color interest

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Plants

• Submerged plants
• Grow entirely underwater
• Provide food and hiding places for fish
• Floating plants
• Use to cover pond surface keep water cool
• Limits algae growth
• Require no soil
• Water lilies Hardy Tropical

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Plants

• Lily pads are a very popular addition to backyard
  getaways.

Miniature cattails add to the traditional look of
a pond and are less likely to take over than the
larger varieties.
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Potting Plants
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Adding Fish and Snails

• Fish
• Control mosquitoes and algae
• Red Comet, Calico Fantail, Japanese koi
• Before adding fish acclimate fish to pool by
  adding pool water to bag four times every 15mins
• Dont feed for first 3-4 day then feed them daily
  amounts of only what they can eat in 10-15 mins.
• Snails
• Contribute eat algae

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Fish

• Fish are a great addition to any pond. They help
  control insects and are soothing to watch.

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Pond Ratio

• Snails
• Place eight small snails in the pond per square
  yard
• Fish
• Each fish should have six square inches to one
  square foot of water
• 2" fish 1 square foot
• 4" fish 2 square feet
• 6" fish 3 square feet
• 8" fish 4 square feet
• 12" fish 6 square feet
• Submerged plants
• two groups of plants per square yard of surface
  area
• Floating plants
• Cover at least 50 percent of the surface

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Routine Maintenance

• pH 6.5-8.5
• Removal dead leaves
• Change 20 of water each month