Garden pond features in the Royal Botanic Gardens

February 20, 2009
Posted in Ponds — Written by Jake

Nothing can be compared to the beauty of garden ponds. These ponds are one of the best attractions to have in your garden, giving you peace and tranquility every time you are in it. As it may not always be possible to have a garden pond to adorn your garden, you can always visit some of the most famous garden ponds to witness their beauty. These well-known garden ponds are sometimes a major tourist attraction, which makes them even more appealing.

One of the most famous pond locations in the UK is the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew. The Royal Botanic Gardens, also known as Kew Gardens is a very large site that is the home to three of the UK’s most beautiful water features, including the Water Lily Pond, the Palm House Pond and the Lake.

The Palm House Pond was built between the years 1844 and 1848. This pond has been the home to the works of a number of artists and photographers over the years. The Palm House Pond is a part of the original lake in Kew. This lake was filled and then enlarged again creating a wonderful garden pond feature. The Lake, another garden pond feature was created at the Kew gardens earlier this century.

The Water Lily Pond is considered to be the most beautiful of the three, with waterlilies and irises surrounding its edges. The Royal Botanic Gardens is one of the best places to go in order to enjoy a peaceful day out and also get some ideas for your own garden pond.

Additions that can take your garden pond to another level

February 19, 2009
Posted in Ponds — Written by Mary

Garden ponds have become quite popular over the last few years. This is because these home additions are more than capable of making homes appear more attractive and can eventually increase the value of homes. Garden ponds are famous in European and Chinese history and are now showing people why. These ponds can add visual interest to homes to make them more appealing provided they have the right elements.

Ponds are usually man-made additions that are meant to increase the aesthetics of a home and usually combine a pool of ornamental fish and aquatic plants. The fish are the main feature of garden ponds but the plants are additions to make them look more beautiful. There are however other things that can be added to garden ponds to make them more appealing.

• Fixed items like rocks at the bottom or around the pond can give the pond a wonderful appearance, especially if the water is clear. This is because when you look into the pond, you will be able to see colourful and attractive fish with a background of rocks.

• You can also use waterfalls or fountains in your garden pond to increase its beauty. Depending on the size of your garden pond, you can be sure to get a waterfall or fountain to suit any pond.

You can even add a few lights to your garden pond to make it more attractive. Garden pond lights go well around the pond or even in it and can create the perfect atmosphere at night time when you hold celebrations in your garden.

The installation of a koi fish pond

February 18, 2009
Posted in Ponds — Written by admin

The first step when installing a koi fish pond is analysing the area available. The area needs to be at least 4 feet deep and capable of holding a large amount of water. The location should not be directly exposed to sunlight and must have ample shade.

The shape of the pond can be either circular or rectangular. A paint spray can be used to outline the area for the potential pond. The koi fish pond can also be divided into levels for a structured installation that provides different environments for the fish.

Make sure that the installation is done by experts. If you wish to do the job yourself then be thorough and get all the information pertaining to the koi fish pond before starting the job. The koi pond needs to be deep and wide so that the fish can swim without interference. Boisterous in personality, koi fish prefer colder regions to hot and humid regions therefore keep the temperature of the water controlled and avoid too many temperature fluctuations.

Pond pumps and filters, pond liners and UV filters are all accessories that can keep your fish pond safe and healthy for the koi fish.

Important things to consider for your water garden

February 17, 2009
Posted in Ponds — Written by Jake

Homes that have ample outdoor space have numerous options that allows them to be turned into different interesting things. If you are looking for something completely different and want to turn your garden into an attractive oasis of relaxation, a great way to do it is with a water garden. A water garden usually incorporates ponds and associated foliage.

You do not have to be a nature lover or outdoor enthusiast to have a garden. Water gardens are the ideal additions to any home to make them look beautiful. There are however a few things that should be considered before choosing a water garden.

Place
It is important to choose a location that has a balance of sunlight and shade for your pond. This way the water will remain a similar temperature throughout the day.

Size
This is another important aspect of your water garden. Most water gardens are usually built to keep fish so the ponds are around 4 feet deep. What you must ensure is that your fish have enough space to swim. Although the most common fish found in water gardens are Koi, you can have other fish like standard goldfish or sturgeon or any of your favourite cold water pond fish.

Filtration systems and plants
If your water garden has fish, ensure that you have a good filtration system to keep the water clean and fresh for them. There are some water plants that can add beauty to water garden and make it more appealing, however it is worth remembering that Koi are quite energetic and will usually uproot any vegetation in the pond, this is why most Koi ponds are clear of vegetation.

Simple tips for selecting koi fish

February 16, 2009
Posted in Ponds — Written by Jake

Before planning a koi fish pond, it is always advisable to get some information about koi fish. One can get information from the internet and print publications. Koi fish ponds are not the same as regular fish ponds therefore do not confuse one with the other.

Koi fish come in several colours and are boisterous in nature. They like to swim about freely, which is why the width and depth of the fish pond should be given due consideration. Ideally the depth of a koi fish pond is four feet plus and the width should be sufficient to allow for the fish growing.

While shopping for koi look for clear eyes, presence of body scales and erect fins. Healthy koi will make the pond look vibrant and alive. Koi can live for up to thirty years or more in some cases therefore they are perfect specimens for breeding.

Koi come in a variety of colours. This brings variety to the koi fish pond. Koi fish prefer a colder climate, however, avoid fluctuating temperatures. The location of the koi pond should ideally be under shade. Make sure to get plenty of fish food for the koi as they need to be fed twice a day.

Koi ponds need to be built with care

February 16, 2009
Posted in Ponds — Written by Jake

Koi are a certain kind of Japanese fish, which are well known for their unique features. Koi are often domesticated in garden ponds as a hobby by many people. These fish require special care. In fact koi need a separate pond for them in order to survive.

Koi are fish that tend to grow very large over a period of time. Therefore, when building a koi pond, you have to make sure that the pond is large enough to accommodate these fish even after they have grown. Besides this, it is always better to have a bigger pond as the larger your koi pond, the greater the beauty that it adds to your garden. When you have a large pond, you can also always add more fish without worrying about crowding the area.

An important thing that you need to remember while building your koi pond is that koi require shade. Therefore make sure that the pond is built in a shaded area. In case it is difficult to find a properly shaded area in your garden, you can always place a shade over your pond to protect it from direct sunlight.

Leaves are another thing that can create a mess in your pond. Therefore make sure that your koi pond is designed in a way that will prevent the leaves from falling into it.

Building a koi fish pond step by step

February 15, 2009
Posted in Ponds — Written by Mary

Building a koi fish pond can be quite interesting and challenging. The first step is to find out the type of pond you wish to have. Whether they are located in a garden or a back yard, koi fish ponds always look attractive. However, places are diverse and can influence the koi fish in different ways. Koi ponds are different because the amount of plant life is limited by the koi fish.

The quantity of water in koi fish ponds should not be less than 1000 gallons. In fact, the volume can be bigger. The depth of the koi fish pond needs to be more than four feet.

The location of the koi fish pond is the next step. Fish ponds attract a lot of wildlife like birds, insects and garden animals, which is why the depth of the pond should be rather deep. Build the pond in a place where direct daylight can be avoided as the koi prefer shade to sunshine.

Dig the pond in whatever shape your heart desires as long as it is deep enough. The koi fish pond will need pond pumps, pond liners and pond filters for keeping it clean and hygienic. This equipment also helps in avoiding excess formation of algae. Water lilies are ideal for koi fish ponds as they provide ample shade to the fish pond.

Tips on building and maintaining a koi fish pond

February 14, 2009
Posted in Ponds — Written by Steve

Koi are a beautiful and attractive species of fish and maintaining a koi fish pond is not as difficult as most people consider it to be. With proper care, a koi can grow up to a metre long and can also live for decades. Here are some simple tips on how you can build and maintain your own koi fish pond.

Depth of pond
The depth of a pond is the main factor to be considered. The pond needs to be deeper than four feet as deeper ponds prevent water from overheating during summer and also protect the fish from household cats and other animals.

Width of pond
Koi need a lot of room to swim. These fish require a great deal of water and bigger ponds would be even better for such fish.

Heat your pond water during winter
You should never allow your pond to freeze, so installation of a heater is important for the growth of your koi fish.

Shade and protection
Never build a fish pond where there is direct sunlight. You can always use water plants in your pond as they provide shade and shelter for your fish.

Koi fish pond accessories
For a healthy koi pond you would require a water pump, filtration system, pond water aerator, water heater and an ultraviolet steriliser.

A few tips about how to maintain your koi pond

February 14, 2009
Posted in Pond maintenance — Written by Steve

Koi ponds add great value to any property and make it look very desirable but it has to be taken proper care of. The first point about maintaining a koi pond is that the pond should be 4-8 feet deep and as large as possible. You can create the koi pond in any shape and make it cover a larger area and look more attractive.

Secondly, koi are very playful and energetic fish so you cannot plant every type of plant in your pond. However, it is advised that certain plants should be planted so that the fish have a place of shade and can hide from the predators who sometimes visit koi ponds.

Koi fish can grow very large over time hence it is very important to provide a good quantity of oxygen in the pond. Thus a pond filter and pond pump is a must for every koi pond. As you cannot put many water plants in the pond it becomes very important to install the pond pump and pond filter because this keeps the water clean and increases the oxygen content of the pond.

If you stay in a place where the temperature goes below freezing then it is essential to equip your pond with a water heater so that the koi can enjoy free flowing water and so that they do not freeze to death.

Follow these few points and you can easily be the proud owner of a koi pond.

Have fun building your koi fish pond

February 13, 2009
Posted in Ponds — Written by Mary

No one has ever regretted having a koi fish pond. This is because koi fish are fun to feed. If you too are planning to build a koi fish pond then these pointers can be quite beneficial for you.

Firstly, concentrate on the size of the pond as koi like to swim about freely. If the size of the pond is big then processes like filtration and aeration also become simple. Another thing to keep in mind is to avoid the mixing of koi with goldfish or any other type of fish.

There are many varieties of koi and each one of them looks absolutely stunning. Therefore, when building a koi fish pond stick to only koi fish. Keep the pond more than four feet deep as animals love to eat the koi. Deep fish ponds keep them safe.

The location of the koi fish pond should be in shade and well protected from direct sun rays. Water plants like water lilies can provide the koi with some relief. However, avoid too many water plants as they create obstruction.

Installation of pond pumps, pond filters, pond liners and ultra violet (UV) sterilisers are a must for every koi pond. This equipment keeps both the pond and the fish healthy and in good shape.

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