Tuesday, November 07, 2006

Indoor Ponds Keep Plants and Fish Healthy During Winter Months

Indoor Ponds Keep Plants and Fish Healthy During Winter Months
by: Rob Bernabe


If you’ve never seen an indoor fish pond or are of the mind that the only place for a fishpond is outdoors, it’s time to readjust your thinking. Many people love the idea of having a goldfish or Koi pond in their lawn and garden area but find the reality isn’t always as wonderful as the fantasy.

Every winter runs the risk of losing the plant and fish life in your pond with the first freeze. As a result, more and more people are coming up with a method for bringing the outdoors, in and forming your very own pond indoors is a beautiful alternative to a tired old aquarium. While an indoor pond doesn’t have to be beautiful in order to be functional, you can choose to make it a focal point and conversation piece quite easily.

A fairly simple and inexpensive way to craft an indoor pond this winter season is by using interlocking landscaping blocks to form a basic outline, and place a pre molded plastic pond liner (to avoid leaks), and other landscaping items such as rocks, plants, and soil in order to fill in the gaps. Others have even used a plastic kiddie pool for the fish and disguised the pool by hiding it with bricks or landscaping rocks.

The main purpose of indoor ponds is to protect your fish and plant life from the extreme winter weather conditions. It is quite easy to move the fish and plants from one pond to another. Be sure to keep the indoor pond regulated for temperature and water freshness by using proper equipment. Taking these precautions should keep your Koi fish and your plants healthy throughout the harsher winter months.

About The Author

Rob Bernabe invites you to http://www.artificialgardens.com, your water gardening center. Here we provide tips on water fountain and waterfall ideas. For additional information on related Koi ponds, check out http://www.artificialgardens.com/Building-Koi-Ponds-Can-Create-A-Beautiful-Relaxing-Atmosphere.html on benefits of building Koi ponds.

Sunday, November 05, 2006

Free Backyard Landscaping Idea - Article

Free Backyard Landscaping Idea by Sam Streubel


No matter where you live, there's nothing better than relaxing outdoors on a warm summer night watching your backyard landscaping ideas come to life.

Unfortunately, re-landscaping your entire backyard during the course of one growing season can be back breaking, expensive and requires major planning.

Here's a simple solution: Break up your backyard into "rooms" and remodel one room each year. This is especially helpful if you're on a budget. You're results will be much better if you spend as much time and money as you can on one project, rather than trying to revamp the entire backyard all at once for the same amount of money.

Although you're landscaping only one section of the yard at a time, you still need an overall plan. Using graph paper, sketch out the permanent structures on your property including the house, out buildings, deck and trees.

This is also a good time to consider which existing plants and shrubs won't be a part of the new landscape.

Make copies of your sketch and experiment with different designs. Incorporate ideas you like from magazines or gardens you've visited.

If you host frequent cook outs you'll probably want to keep the yard open and plant along the borders. If you don't need the space, you could create real drama with an island bed, walkways, solar lighting and cutouts for comfortable furniture to relax on.

Here are some ideas you'll dig:

Screening with Plants

If your yard doesn't have a fence, you might want to consider planting a row of hawthorn, juniper, arborvitae, or a combination of these bushes to create privacy and provide a backdrop for future flower beds. A strategically place evergreen screen will also provide a windbreak from winter winds and drifting snow.

Planning a Border Flower Bed

The hardest part of designing a border is choosing flowers that complement each other both in color and height. The list of perennials I suggest here is for a six foot wide bed in a mainly sunny situation. Wide, in this case, means outward from the plant screen or fence, not the length of the bed.

Use 3 or 5 plants for each kind of flower and allow 16"-18" between each plant. Allow 20"-22" between the different plant groups. Planting an odd number of plants is more visually appealing than an even number.

Allow sufficient space at the rear of the bed for access. This will also prevent choking off necessary air and light from the plants in back.

These are my suggestions for a perennial border. They were chosen to give a long display, with the first flowers appearing in April and the last in October.

Tall plants for the back row: SEDUM 'Autumn Joy'; RUDBECKIA Goldsturm; PHLOX White; IRIS light blue or yellow; VERONICA Blue; SOLIDAGO 'Golden Shower'; and HOSTA fortunei 'Picta'.

Shorter plants for the front row: GERANIUM grandiflorum; POTENTILLA 'Firedance'; HUECHERA Pink; ASTER Dwarf Blue; SEDUM Dragons Blood; ACHILLEA 'Moonshine'; and ERIGERON 'Prosperity'.

Obviously, these plants won't be the best choice for every climate. A worthwhile book to help you choose plants native to your climate zone is The Comfortable Lazy Garden. It's also an excellent reference for beginning gardeners.

Island Bed

An island bed, as the name implies, is planted in the middle of the yard surrounded by a sea of grass. It can vary in shape and size according to your imagination and available space. Scale the plants from tallest in the center to shortest at the edges.

Preplanned Gardens

I understand all of this Latin mumbo jumbo can be daunting for first time gardeners, it was for me. If you would like a ready made solution, Direct Gardening offers a wide selection of preplanned gardens designed to take all the guess work out of plant selection and placement.

Water Feature

Imagine the reflective beauty of a pond or the gentle splashing of a man made waterfall. How about a 100 foot high waterslide? Maybe next year.

Do Your Yard a Favor

Before you buy any vegetation, visit a real garden center for advice on drainage and soil preparation. Also, bring a copy of your plan; a soil sample and an extra credit card just in case you can't wait years to make your backyard landscaping ideas come true.


About the Author

Visit Backyard Landscaping Ideas at http://www.alternative-heating-info.com for a free copy of "How To Build Your Own Natural Waterfall".

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Sunday, October 22, 2006

Want To Build a Cement Pond?

Looking to build a cement pond? You can find excellent information from the links listed below.


Building a fish pond

by the Cement & Concrete Institute

http://www.cnci.org.za/inf/publications_pdf/fishpond.pdf


Pond Building

from the Van Ness Water Gardens.

http://www.vnwg.com/building_tips02.jsp



I'm sure you'll find all the information you'll need from these links. If you have further questions/comments feel free to post/email them.


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Wednesday, October 18, 2006

Close Your Ponds for the Winter

Although its a Michigan article it's great info for all ponds. A great read if you're in any area with cold winters. - check it out below!

Time to close up those backyard ponds

Sunday, October 15,2006
By John Hogan
The Grand Rapids Press

There is more to putting a backyard pond to bed thanunplugging an extension cord.

The next few weeks will find aquatic aficionados closingponds before the snow really sticks around, which meanscutting back plants, removing submerged pumps and shieldingwater from windblown leaves.

This annual rite of fall isn't limited to tonyneighborhoods with power ZIP codes like 90210. Even workingclass 49503 neighborhoods love their ponds. And they'renot afraid to do the work themselves. more.....

Monday, October 09, 2006

Backyard Mini-Ponds.

Small Backyard Mini-Ponds are Low on Maintenance and Easy to Install


Do you have a space in your backyard you would like to fill with awater feature? Most home-owners would like a large pond, but don't wantit so big that a child or dog could fall into. You also probably don'twant to dig a 3-foot hole either- recently, you may have discoveredthat your "backyard dirt" can actually substitute as modelling clay,and it has a similar composition as concrete. Maintenance is alsoanother issue- do you have the time to nurture your pond, to keep thewater clean, keep debris from falling into it, and to periodicallyclean the filters and pumps? Or would a 800 gallon pond quickly turninto a cesspool and attract nasty glares from your neighbours?

Ifyou're like most home-owners, you would prefer a small maintenance-freeand easy-to-install pond. A small pre-formed pond is probably the idealsolution for you. Unlike liner ponds, preformed ponds already come in apre-defined shape. Mini preformed ponds are typically 2-3 feetwide/long, and 1 foot deep. They are especially low-maintenance sincethe volume of water is only in the 30 gallon range, it is quite easy toperiodically empty the water and to refill your pond.

Mini-preformedpond kits, such as Algreen's 30 gallon kit, sometimes include a smallwatercourse to add the trickling sound of water to your backyard. Theytypically also the pump and pre-filter that is required to circulatethe water, and to pump the water to your watercourse. The pump is anessential part of any water garden, because, without proper watercirculation, your pond will rapidly transform into a breeding groundfor mosquito larvae.

In addition to the pond, the watercourse, the pump, and the equipment included in a mini-pond kit, all you will need is:

  1. A carpenter's level.
  2. Sand, to backfill your pond. In addition to backfill, the sand willalso provide adjustable flooring for your pond shell, which will comein handy when you are trying to level your pond.
  3. A shovel, to dig your hole.
  4. A garden hose, to fill your pond with water.
  5. A space in your backyard that is relatively close to your house, tomaximize its impact. Be sure to consider the slope of the land and toensure that the pond avoids rainwater runoff.

Optional backyard water gardening supplies include landscaping rocks, aquatic plants, fish, and a fountain and/or spitter.

As you can see, water gardening can be made relatively straightforward with a mini-pond kit! For further information and tips about water gardening, please go to GardenSM.com.

More information about the 30 gallon mini-pond kit can be obtained at http://www.gardensupermart.com/buypond/c229211p16771003.2.html

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gerry_Fung

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Sunday, September 17, 2006

Gators in the Pond ?

Check out this gator toy for your backyard pond....it's interesting..more entertaining then anything...check it out and decide for yourself!


Stylish Stuff - Bradenton Herald


Stylish Stuff
Bradenton Herald, United States - Sep 15, 2006
... Island (778-3782). Spook guests and friends with this concrete gator, which will "spit" water into your backyard pond. This guy's ...

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Friday, September 08, 2006

Pond Winter Preparation ....

Hi Alice, Thanks for your great questions.


"I have a couple questions about winter care....I have a healthy, active school of about 15 goldfish and a frog! I have a de-icer that I am planning to use. .... I live in Massachusettes. "


Q:

Do I need to continue to run the pump/filter during the winter?

A:

Depending on the climate in your area you may or may not want to operate your pump/filters during the winter. If the temperatures stay mostly above freezing then it will be beneficial to keep your pump/filters running through the winter. Pond bacteria are not active due to the low water temperatures; however, it will stay alive as your pump continues to oxygenate the water. Operate your pump at a minimized flow rate. You can help accomplish this by turning off bottom drains, turning the flow rate down on your pump, and if possible, placing the intakes to your pump/filter at mid-water level. Note, intense circulation in the winter will mix the cold surface water with the warmer bottom water which can potentially harm any aquatic life during the over wintering.


Q:

Should I remove plants? water lily, bamboo? cat tails? the pond is 9' x 5' with an aprox 2' deep floor that has an aprox 3' deep 2' x 2' center. The cat tails are in the center deep section. The other two plants are in the 2' section.

A:

Pond plants will need to be cared for based on type. Any oxygenating/submerged plants should be left completely submerged at the bottom of the pond below the ice line. Floating plants (such as water hyacinth or water lettuce) should be removed from the pond as they will die during the winter months. Make sure you don't leave any dead plants in the pond as they will decompose and rob the water of oxygen required for any over wintering aquatic life.

Because your pond is at least 2' deep, any Hardy Lilies and marginals should be cut back and placed in the deepest part of the pond. This should be done after the first frost.

Other hardy water plants such as Iris, Sweet Flag, grasses, Cattails, etc. should be left in place to over winter regardless of pond depth. I recommend cutting back the foliage on these plants in the spring rather than in the fall.

As for all tropical plants, they all must be removed and placed in water that will remain above 65 degrees. I recommend doing this well before the first frost.

You can find additional information on Winter Care for Garden Ponds here: http://www.bestfish.com/wntrpond.html



It's great to hear that you have and intend to use a de-icer during the winter months. Your fish will thank you greatly for it.

Pond Filter Media?

Thanks Chris for your questions.

Q:
I am in the process of re doing my pond......... It is a fair size. Approx 15 x 10 and 4' 6" deep. I will have a skimmer and a waterfall. Should I have different filter media in each or can I use the same in both? What media would you recommend

A:
It's not necessary to have different media for different filters. Saying that, you may benefit from doing so depending on your pond display and aquatic life. For example, if your pond is divided into sections of shallow and deep you may find that different media work best for different situations.

Because I am unsure of the type of aquatic life you currently have I am hard pressed to recommend a specific media for you. The good news is that most filters work. And the larger your pond the larger the filters should be.

It's great to hear that you're going to have a skimmer and a waterfall based filter, however you may want to consider looking into a biological filter as well to cover all points of pond filtration. Remember filtration not only helps clean your pond ,but just as important, it creates a haven for pond bacteria (a healthy economical level any balanced pond must have). Keeping this in mind, my best recommendation for you would be - Any material that bacteria can attach to is suitable for a filter media.