Im Building a pond

Building a pond seems such an appealing option for your garden. Building a pond is an attractive alternative from grass, a variation from paving and a habitat for all kinds of interesting wildlife. Choosing the right place for your pond and the right equipment to keep your pond clean and fresh will ensure you haven't wasted your time. So many people cut corners in the design stage and end up filling in their pond with topsoil after a year or two.

A garden is there to be enjoyed by us, but there is no reason why we cannot share it with wildlife, which may need it as much as we do. Our wild animals and plants have been losing their natural homes over the years, as woodlands, hedgerows, fields, marshes and ponds have been destroyed to make way for roads, houses, factories etc. There are over a million acres of private gardens in Britain, not to mention the acres of land belonging to schools. Any garden, however small, and whether in the countryside or city, can be made into a nature reserve – land where wildlife finds a suitable home. We cannot expect to turn our gardens into homes for endangered animals such as otters and ospreys, but we can help a huge variety of plants and animals – remember that even common species could become rare some time in the future, especially if they have nowhere suitable to live.

Another important reason for having a garden full of wildlife is that it is so convenient. You can spend hours of fun with your children studying the natural world right outside our back door.

A pond should be as large as space allows, but even a small one is better than nothing. There are many useful books and leaflets available to help you make and look after a pond.Instead of, or as well as a pond, an area of marshy land could be created by sinking a pond liner a few inches down into the soil. Wild marsh-loving plants growing there will attract many species of animals.

It is important to keep your pond free from algae by using a pump. Pumps come in a confusing array of models and sizes.You will need a pump if you are planning on moving water in your pond, whether by a waterfall, stream, fountain, or spouting ornament. This article will help you determine what size of pump you will need for your pond or water feature.It will not matter whether the pond has a liner, or if it is a preformed pond.

To operate any electrical equipment near a water garden, use an outdoor outlet. Set this outlet at least 6 feet from the water and use only an outlet that is equipped with a ground fault interrupter (GFIC) for safety. These devices will cut off the power the moment water is detected in contact with the wiring. Your cable should be protected in a conduit, a plastic tube for electrical wires, so you won't dig into it accidentally. Extension cords with an integrated GFIC can be used for shorter distances. You can hide them under stones or mulch.

Pumps are available in both submersible and external (out-of-pond models). Reputable water garden suppliers have charts and other information available that can help you select the best model and connecting equipment for your purposes. For the smaller pond, a submersible pump is the most economical. The Titan range has been specifically designed for continuous running with minimum cleaning. Titans have the ability to pump solid particles up to 8mm without blocking (4mm with Titan 2000, 3000). They are suitable for filtration, waterfalls and watercourses.

To determine the pump required for your pond, estimate the vertical height from the top of your pump to the top of your waterfall or stream. Add another foot of height or lift for every 10 feet of hosing you will be using. This will allow for loss of volume from resistance within the hose. A general rule of thumb is to figure your stream/waterfall requirement as 150 gallons per hour per inch width of the spillway or channel. For example, if your stream or waterfall spillway will be 10 inches wide, you will need a pump that produces a flow of 1500 gallons per hour (at whatever combined height of the feature and another foot of height for every ten feet of hosing to get there). You can use a valve to adjust the pumps flow to what you want. You cannot increase the pumps capacity. ALWAYS PURCHASE A PUMP THAT WILL MORE THAN HANDLE YOUR NEEDS