Create Your Own Small Pond This Weekend
Ponds and water gardens are great assets to the landscape and provide much interest for the homeowner. Small ponds are not expensive; you can purchase a pre-formed hard-plastic variety and dig a hole to fit its contours, or, a flexible pond liner that will lay down and follow the shape of the hole you've already dug. Yes, digging the hole for the pond might cause a slight backache-it's all in how you handle the shovel-but if you remember to bend your knees and spread your hands apart on the shovel handle, your back will survive with little or no discomfort.
Find a spot in your yard that needs some interest. Plan to place your pond where it can be observed from a window inside the house for greater enjoyment. You'll enjoy watching your pond plants grow, birds coming over for a drink and frogs just hanging out.
Dig the hole to a depth of 26 inches, smooth it out as much as possible, making sure to remove any rocks, then add two inches of sand (children's play sand will do). Now you're ready to put in your liner or insert your pre-formed pond. Add a small water fountain for the delight of the sounds it will make and the pleasure of seeing falling water. Set the small submersible pump that you purchased from the garden center into the pond (they'll tell you what size to buy, depending upon the size of your pond). Plug it into an outdoor electrical outlet and listen to the music of the cascading water.
Now, add plants. There are four types of water-garden plants: floating plants, submerged plants, marginal plants and deep-water plants. Small ponds that are unfiltered will stay cleaner with a mix of submerged, deep-water and floating plants. All pond plants except floaters will need to be potted up, using a good potting soil without fertilizer, which would be harmful to fish or other pond creatures. There are, however, aquatic fertilizers available that are beneficial to pond plants and are not harmful to wildlife. Spread a layer of gravel or small rocks on top of the pot to keep the soil from spilling into the water.
Frequently Asked Questions
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QUESTION:
how do landscapers and garden designers design gardens these days ?
ive always wondered how do landscapers and garden designers actually design gardens ? I mean is it all done on computer software or do they all pretty much draw it all up ?-
ANSWER:
Yes a combination expertise for a certain area size and customers wants all go into it. Here is a link to my friends business website check their FAQ section and you will see more about it. http://www.artworkslandscaping.com/Home/tabid/375/Default.aspx
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QUESTION:
what is the best free garden design programme for a computer?
what is the best free garden design programme for a computer
Many Thanks x
am a horticultral foundation degree student and still dont know what i want to do after i finsh my course. so i thought i would get a free garden design softwear for my computer.-
ANSWER:
The basic security software pack good, less bad websites, so on basic be okay
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QUESTION:
Do you use a computer for garden layout? What garden design software do you use?
I'm especially interested in cheap or free garden design software, or a good online garden design site.
I actually prefer to design on paper, but I get a lot of questions from people asking about design software, which I know nothing about. Yet another good reason to be part of Yahoo Answers!
Thanks for your thoughtful responses!-
ANSWER:
Landscape design is merely an avocation for me and I haven't designed a garden for anyone but myself in a couple years. When I do I've always used bubble sketches and water colors.
This Christmas however I was given this software.
http://landscaping-software-review.toptenreviews.com/landscape-deck-patio-designer-review.html
I've been playing with it using my old plans and photos to compare my original plantings and what the computer thinks they should look like at maturity.
Evidently the computer is a little more optimistic about my Z4 growing conditions than the plants are.
I think in your line of work it could be helpful but I'll stick to my sketches.RScott
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QUESTION:
What is a good name for a garden design company?
I am starting a company to help people design and refresh their gardens and landscapes. My services will include planning out their garden, helping them select plants at the nursery, and then helping them keep their yard green and healthy. I'm thinking of a name with
"-- Scenes" or "-- Scapes" in it, but I'm open to any ideas. I am near the coast and specialize in plants that do well there. I love the name Gardenscapes but it is already taken. Thanks much!-
ANSWER:
Hi:
I am a landscaper and designer. I have had a business for over eight years. When you create the name of your business, think of your own personality and how it can reflect on your clients. You live near the coast and are in a sub - tropical or tropical setting. Coastal Gardening may be a thought as well of Garden Scences By The Sea, Tropical Paradise Through Gardening, Gardening With Tropical Plants, Creating Coastal Gardens, or Coastal Gardenscapes.These are just a few that come to mind. Take some words that reflect your area and spend some time playing with the different words. Put some good thought about what your clients would like. This is what I did with my off line business as well as my on line business. I will link you to the tropics section of my website. Browse through as you may find something that may help you. Good luck to you and if I can be of any other help, let me know! Have a great day!
Kimberlyhttp://www.landscape-solutions-for-you.com/Tropics.html
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QUESTION:
can you give some website or forum about lanscape garden design?
thanks.
the website or forum about how to design lanscape garden will be great.-
ANSWER:
Better homes & garden has a free interactive landscape planing website. You'll have register to log on to their website (You don't need to buy anything or subscribe to their magazine).
"Plan-a-Garden lets you design anything from a patio-side container garden to your whole yard. Use your mouse to "drag-and-drop" more than 150 trees, shrubs, and flowers. Add dozens of structures like buildings, sheds, fences, decks -- even a pond."
P.S. You may also have to close their magazine ad. by clicking on the x
http://www.bhg.com/bhg/story.jsp?storyid=/templatedata/bhg/story/data/planagardenhome_03022002.xml
Garden Plans from Better Homes & Garden:
http://www.bhg.com/gardening/plans/
Garden styles & Plans:
http://www.bhg.com/gardening/design/styles/Landscaping Plans from HGTV:
http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/gl_landscaping_design/Lowe's Landscape & Garden planner
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=pg&p=Down_to_Earth/GardenPlanner/gardenplansplash.html&rn=none3D Garden planner
http://www.gardencomposer.com/demo-planner-1.html (demo)
http://www.gardencomposer.com/demo-planner-15.htmlBBC Gardening- Virtual Design
http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/design/virtualgarden_index.shtmlDIY Planner
http://www.curbly.com/DIY-Maven/posts/1496-FREE-On-Line-Garden-PlannerLandscaping design:
http://justgardeners.com/hrsc/articles/art_landscape-design.htmlThis site contains a gallery of forum users's own pics too:
http://justgardeners.com/hrsc/ourgardens/ourgarden_pages/ourgardens_cornus.html
http://justgardeners.com/hrsc/ourgardens/ourgarden_pages/ourgardens_donnalockman.html
http://justgardeners.com/hrsc/ourgardens/ourgarden_pages/ourgardens_jill.htmlGarden Web's Landscape-design forum:
http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/design/Top 10 Tips for Do-It-Yourself Landscaping:
http://landscaping.about.com/od/designexamples1/tp/do_it_yourself.htmGood luck! Hope this helps.
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