Water gardens may be considered a new trend but the fact is water gardens are the oldest form of gardening and have been followed by ages, e.g., the well-known Mughal Gardens, Persian gardens, Chinese gardens, Japanese gardens, etc. Water brings vitality to all gardens, regardless of their size, and it also lends a sense of calm and serenity to them, making them more welcoming, romantic, and attractive.
What is a water garden?
A water garden, also known as an aquatic garden, is a phrase for gardens or sections of gardens in which any form of water feature is a prominent factor. Water gardening is the process of simulating a natural environment with a water body via careful design and the use of various plants. Since many aquatic plants are sensitive to depth, most water gardens are shallow. You can create a water garden in a variety of shapes and sizes, from small pots to in-ground reservoirs. These gardens can also be used as fish ponds or garden ponds, but the aquatic plants are what distinguishes them as water gardens.
Benefits of acquiring a water garden:
There are numerous numbers of benefits of assembling a water garden in your yard:
- Water gardens come in a limitless range of styles, patterns, and planting possibilities, making them distinctive in appearance.
- Water gardens provide a relaxing aesthetic effect and link people to the natural aquatic environment.
- The mere presence of a water garden improves the ambiance of your yard and they are easy to build and maintain.
- Different beautiful wildlife species like birds, butterflies, squirrels, frogs, salamanders, etc. are drawn to your water garden plants. Moreover, by building a water garden in your yard, you are creating a water source for these birds and animals.
- Water gardens provide immense climate benefits as on hot days, water helps keep the air cool, while on cold days, it helps keep the chill away.
- The moving water helps to add oxygen to the ecosystem and prevent stagnation.
- Moving water also provides a piece of soothing natural music that can improve your stressful day.
Where can you design a water garden?
Location plays an important role in designing a water garden. The water garden can be developed in either a naturally occurring water resource or a man-made water resource. You can build a water garden in your backyard or any available landscape around your home by just keeping the sunlight factor in your mind. Water gardening plants require an ample amount of sunlight like for 6 hours for their growth, so you should avoid the extra shady place. Also, a place with excessive sunlight is unwanted as it can boost the growth of algae underwater. Choose the location for your water garden keeping all these factors in mind.
How can you build a water garden?
You can take the help of professionals for building a water garden in your yard. And installing a DIY pond is also possible with some tools and basic knowledge. Here is the list of some water garden supplies you will probably need:
- Containers
- Pond liners
- Pumps
- Filters
- Fountains
- Waterfalls
- Bubblers
- Rocks and gravels
- Lightings
- Fishes
Plants for your water garden:
Your water garden can be home to various types of aquatic plants. You can add a combination of mainly three types of plants to your water garden:
- Rooted plants like Lilies, Lotus, etc.
- Floating plants like Duckweed, Mosquito fern, Water lettuce, Water hyacinth, etc.
- Submerged plants or oxygenating plants like Hydrilla, Seagrasses, Hornwort, Cabomba, etc.
Other than this, you can add different plants such as,
Marginal or Shelf plants
- Water plantain
- Arrowhead
- Cattails
- Horsetail
- Aquatic mint
Bog plants
- Water iris
- Pitcher plants
- Daylilies
- Canna
- Egyptian papyrus
Garden plants
- Chameleon plant
- Bee balm
- Moneywort
- Forget me not
You can choose any plants of your choice keeping the climate condition of your area in mind.
How can you effectively maintain your water garden?
To keep the water garden fresh for a long time, thorough maintenance and care are required, ignorance of which can result in an ugly-looking, dirty and smelly pond. Besides, regular maintenance also promotes a balanced and healthy ecosystem. Below are some of the basic maintenance tips for your water garden:
- Encourage plant growth and remove dead plants: Remove the dead plants in the water to avoid water contamination. Fresh plants keep the water clean and add oxygen, hence improving your plant growth by adding new plants regularly.
- Manage debris: With the help of a skimmer net, remove small organic waste around your water garden like leaves, grass, etc.
- Winterize the water garden: Various aquatic plants do not survive in cold weather. You can remove those types of plants and store them safely. Furthermore, prevent your pond from freezing with the help of heaters.
- Use fertilizers: Aquatic plants require a special type of fertilizers. Add the right kind of fertilizers as and when required by the plants.
- Inspect leaks: Many times, the area surrounding your water garden becomes unexpectedly wet or the water level lowers down. This may occur because of any leaks in your water garden. Inspect them on a regular basis and make the necessary repair.
Closing words:
One of the most gratifying elements you can add to your landscape is a water garden. A water garden is a fantastic opportunity to appreciate the natural beauty of aquatic plants and animals while also learning more about aquatic ecosystems. Water gardens take less upkeep and are no more difficult to manage than a typical flower garden; all that is required is a basic understanding of the care and maintenance of water gardens and aquatic plants.
Enjoy the sounds of running water, leaping frogs, and splashing waterfalls in your own backyard. You can hang some wind bells and listen to the rustling grasses to feel cheerful.