Setting up Water Gardens - By: Alitsa Neuyo

Water Gardening is the latest fad catching up in the area of gardening. It can take up the form of a waterfall, fountain, or a pond. Combining it with lighting effects, plants, fish or adding rock boulders could create mesmerizing effects. It is not at all necessary that you set up a water garden in a natural environment such as a pond. It can be very aesthetically set up in any vessel or a plastic tub that can hold water.

You should be very careful in choosing the spot for your water garden. It should preferably be in the open area under the direct sunshine. This is the very basic requirement because both the fish and the plants need lots of sunlight. It will also prevent dead leaves from falling in the water

It is very important to decide on the area and size you want for your garden. It will ultimately depend on the budget you have allocated for it. In case you go ahead without considering the budgetery aspects, the costs could go out of hand, and it could get too expensive for you to handle. The size of the garden too should be in proportion to the overall area you have for this purpose.

For the proper growth of aquatic plants, and for their roots to spread properly, they should cover only half of the total water surface. They can be of any type, free floating, marginally submerged or fully submerged. Every plant has its own characteristic. Some are known for their sweet aroma. While there are others which give off more oxygen to keep the water body healthy. Then there are some which are simply beautiful to look at. Apart from being nice looking creatures, the fish in the pond also keep a control on larvae, insects and other parasites.

In ponds or water gardens one of the biggest headaches is to keep it clear of algae. Algae is usually formed if there is an excess of nutrients in water. It can also form if you over fertilize the plants or feed your fish too often. If you keep these points in mind the algae problem in your water garden will be kept in control to minimum.

Irrespective of their size, the water gardens need constant maintenance all year around. The algae problem can be overcome by cutting down on feeding the fish, and reducing the addition of fertilizers.

You can also install filters, or replace the water in the water body occasionally. The use of copper compounds such as copper sulphate is quite effective in controlling the algae growth. But do not use it in excess. It could be fatal for your plants and fish.

Water gardening does not involve any other extra efforts as compared to the normal gardening. Even if you have never grown a flower in your lifetime, you could still try out water gardening for its simplicity to set up and maintain.

About the Author

Article written by : Alitsa Neuyo. She is the professional freelance writer. To read more articles about Household Appliances, please visit HomeZaab.com

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