By Mark Packard
June is water garden month and this year is going to be even busier than normal! There are many misconceptions about ponds so I figured I would clear some of them up.
Many people think that water gardens are a lot of maintenance. The truth is, a well-built pond will only take 10 hours of maintenance per year! If you have the proper equipment, the right amount of plants, and the right amount of fish, your pond will stay balanced and won’t need a lot of work at all. It is nothing like maintaining a swimming pool.
Another misconception is that ponds attract mosquitoes. The fact is mosquitoes don’t breed in moving water so as long as your pond is built correctly, you won’t have any stagnant water for mosquitoes to breed. The other thing is most people have fish in their ponds so if mosquitoes did get in the water the fish would eat them instantly.
Ponds create a learning experience where kids are encouraged to play in the pond catching frogs, watching and feeding the fish, or play in the waterfall on a hot day. If you want the sound of a waterfall without maintenance or an actual pond, you can build a pondless waterfall. The pondless waterfall doesn’t have any standing water and can be turned on and off.
I anticipate this year being a big year for ponds. If you are building your own pond, keep it close to the entertaining area and always face the waterfall towards the viewing area. Your pond should have shelves for water plants, a fish cave, and be at least two feet deep so your fish can survive the winter.
For more advice on backyard projects email Mark@sterlinggreenery.com

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