About Water Gardening
Why is property value for a condo on the beach or home on a lake so much higher than an ordinary home? It's simple. Water. Not only is water the key to life, it is the key to tranquility. Water's liquidity, its ability to conform to any shape has fascinated man for eons.
Where there is water, perhaps a lake or river, there is also lush greenery, vivid flowers that permeate the air with perfume, birds rippling the air with their melodic chimes, cool water bubbling over polished rocks.
At a beach, the rhythmic shuffling of waves breaking upon the sand, pelicans gliding above the foaming surface and the sea oats' gentle whisper.
Not everyone can live beside such natural beauty. If you can't get to it, then bring it to you with a water garden. Water gardens recreate natural environments in perhaps unnatural locations so that people can enjoy the relaxing properties of water anywhere. These gardens offer the opportunity to escape the stressful, often-draining modern world and enter a place of peace.
A professionally installed water garden can provide years of relaxing entertainment with a low investment in maintenance.
For the proper eco-system of a water garden to remain in balance it needs at least these nine major components.
Skimmer - We use a low maintenance skimmer with overflow design and optional accurate pond level fill valve. This allows for exact water level control eliminating pond edge erosion. These skimmers are designed to hide the ponds mechanics and reduce maintenance.
Plant Pockets - Aesthetically plant pockets are more desirable than potted plants in your water garden but they also promote healthy root development. Potted plants can quickly become root bound, with plant pockets roots can spread through the surrounding gravel.
Liners - A thick strong rubber liner is the best choice for pond installations. It is less expensive and easier to install than concrete and when installed properly can have a 40-year life span. A rubber liner is also easily patched in the unlikely event of a leak.
Underlayments - A soft, woven underlayment padding is easy to install covering all vertical areas and providing a more professional appearance. This type of underlayment also allows developing gasses to escape.
Rocks and Gravel - Adding rocks and gravel to your liner will reduce maintenance and the need for many chemicals as well as creating a more natural look. Naturally occurring bacteria will form on the surface areas of the rocks and will break down the fish waste and other organic material. The rocks also protect the liner from the suns harmful rays extending the life of the liner.
BioFalls - A revolutionary biological filter that when installed becomes a waterfall. This camouflaged unit with various filtration units including three pads, bags of lava rocks and an area for floating marginal plants is very effective at filtering the water. This leak proof unit will never crack like some fiberglass units.
Fish - Koi and Goldfish can thrive and even breed in water gardens as shallow as only two feet. The fish serve as a natural mosquito defense as they eat the larvae before they have a chance to develop and fly away.
Bacteria - Bacteria is essential as it keeps the environment in balance by naturally breaking down algae that develops in the water.
Plants - Marginal plants rooted directly into the gravel of the pond will also help clean the water by using the pond nutrients to grow and release oxygen into the water for the fish which completes the natural eco-system.
