Water Paradise on your Doorstep, Creating Garden Ponds and Planting

Why you want to create a garden pond? So, you love fish, especially goldfish, and since two meters but were still space between the house and garage. Honestly, that's not a good idea. Because your neighbor has one? Well, not wrong to start with, a little ambition can not hurt you. On the dear neighbors, we later come back yet. 

They love nature and water attracts you like a magnet, you could watch for hours as it crawls and flies? Then they really need a garden pond, unconditionally and immediately. 

Sun and suitable environment 

It is in principle very simple: hole in the ground, sealed, water pure, and then have a few plants to a patient. But before we start with the spade in hand, but you should take a critical look in your garden. The location for the future wetland will be considered. If possible, give the land should be there, definitely sunny, ideally every day with two to three shades hours. 

Marsh iris 

And the garden area should fit - or be made to fit. A rock garden right on the pond certainly has its charms, but please not around. The garden pond is half away when he abruptly stops at the water's edge. As in the great nature outside the garden fence provides in connection, for example a pond fed by rain caused overflow swamp zone, a small wet meadow with flowers and checkerboard in a large garden, a willow or alder bushes. 

The Frog is a year-round garden pond inhabitants

Also pond shape and depth are set in advance. For a high diversity of small habitats of the pond should have three different depth zones. In the center a depth of 60 centimeters, or even better a meter; thrive there water lilies and winter-when it should be because-the fish. The next area has a water depth of 20 to 50 centimeters, the third finally brings us to the shore. The slopes and transitions should be possible gently to a maximum of 1:2, ie 50 percent slope, otherwise will keep it there no earth. 

Pond to sample 

But what if you are the big pond not feel grown distrust your green thumb? The virtual pond "PondSim 6.0" with swirling seaweed Watten, ravenous yellow edge beetles and all the trimmings, there are not well. 

The wild almost extinct Lake Constance forget-me-not fits into small bucket ponds

But the garden pond to sample, there is: from a barrel or a tub can be with little effort make a wonderful mini pond. Here you can test the effect of plant combinations, the same place at several points leafy bird baths. Who says that you may only have a garden pond? 

Unfortunately, garden ponds are not prescribed on prescription; although their pleasure-giving, and thus the mind and health-promoting effect is beyond question. How big the pond is and what material, so also depends on own account balance. Choose from clay, concrete, hard plastic and different plastic films. 

Clay, concrete and prefabricated pond 

Obvious because natural material for pond sealing is sound. The ongoing boom pond Thank provide specialist company to specially preformed sound elements, the interlinked and layer by layer to be rammed. In order not to set or cracks penetrate roots, the clay layer should measure at least 30 centimeters. With concrete, however, already reaches a thickness of 20 centimeters. A good emphasized calibration keeps practically forever. A little exercise in the process and with the welded wire mesh necessary for stabilization should bring the weighted calibration homegrown however. 

Ready pond made of hard plastic

Comparatively easy is the installation of a prefabricated pond made of hard plastic. The pond pit must be adapted to the exact specifications of the plastic shell, side gaps are easily filled with earth and sand and slurried. Finished ponds come in many sizes, with a surface of 15 square meters and one meter depth with several thousand euros proposes to book. For small ponds but the finished shells are a good choice. 

Black and green foil diversity 

The most common are finally film ponds, in the early years exclusively in PVC, now also more environmentally friendly and free of plasticizer-resistant polyethylene and other plastics. For the film speaks the good formability and moderate price. Depending on the thickness - one millimeter minimum - cost the black or green PVC film from the roll four to ten euros per square meter. Pre-Welded Standard measurements are to have similar beneficial for Custom calculate the manufacturer to the two euro per square meter addition. 

New folders, foil pond

If you want to weld itself, does having a cold welding agent, and the tin to 15 euros is enough for about 40 meters seam. In addition at a slightly stony ground or threatened tree roots, a protective fleece to two euros per square meter. For those who miscalculate easy times, many vendors offer on the Internet "Pond Planner" to where you enter all size requirements and then spit out the material requirements and costs. 

Polyethylene films move about in the PVC price range, while under various trade names current, newly developed polyolefins are having to pay 15 to 20 euros per square meter. The manufacturers give it a 25 year warranty. A properly laid PVC film holds just as long, but it is after a few years by the leakage of plasticizers inflexible almost as a board and then arise when stressed slight bend cracks and holes. 

Duckweed and hornwort 

Is dug the new pond, laid the foil or sunk the finished pond, would like to help a little on the jumps and the most patient of pond owners of nature: pond plants are needed. Here at last the dear neighbor Old Pond owner comes into play again - if he has not already stood the whole time with help and advice on hand to help. 

Quick forms in the garden pond, a dense. Spread Joyful plants should therefore be possible in tubs or plant baskets. 

Plants have generally yes the surprising property for some people to grow and multiply. Animals of course, think of the many abandoned jewelry turtles. Pond plants are no exception, quite the contrary: most rampant like the plague. In nature, a body of water of pond size would grow and silt within a few years. 

The neighbor will be therefore excited about the interest in his pond - an inexhaustible topic of conversation - and the new pond owners hornwort, duckweed, Seekannen, rushes and cattails with full hands and range free over the garden fence. Who needs a garden center? If there is no pond friends in the neighborhood, you will find the way on the internet plant fairs, garden pond diaries and forums to exchange experiences. 

Algae: of course, but annoying 

Water lenses are an effective means against too much algae in the pond, but can also proliferate quite well. 

For conservationists, the use of native plant species is a matter of honor in the garden pond. On the other hand, fall not equal all dead blackbirds from the tree when thrives between the one or other exotic beauty. However, before the first Marsh Marigold flowers open their blooms on the shore, the pond is already inhabited by numerous native plants, which has almost approached with the wind. The pond water turns green, hooray, the algae are there. Algae love sun, nutrients and lime-water as possible. Ergo help against algae shading - by floating plants such as water lily or water lens -, nutrient removal by regular removal of overgrown pond plants by incorporation into plants and animals, for example in water snail shells. 

Darter 

Snails also feed actively from algae, as are the small moderlieschen algae eaters. If because of upturn to fish in the pond, then such local schooling fish. At least a dozen should already be there in a smaller pond, otherwise they would not feel comfortable. The algae are always present, so do not need to be fed, that would be bad for the pond. It is therefore essential hands off of goldfish, this nutrient entry does not hold in the long run the most powerful garden pond from.