Now that fall is in full swing it will soon be time to get the pond ready for the coming winter. I am going to try to cover the basics without getting into great detail. My reasoning for this is simplicity. Most pond owners know the basics of readying their pond from having done so in past years. I’m gearing this for those who may not have a pond but are considering one. It will give you an idea of what to expect. If anyone has any specific questions, please feel free to ask.

One of the first things that may have to be done is cover the pond before the leaves begin to fall. Lightweight netting is available for this purpose. This keeps the leaves out of the pond. When leaves begin to break down in the pond, they can cause unhealthy conditions within. It is wise to install the netting so the leaves slide off rather than gather on top. Allowing for access to the pond is smart. This will allow you to do whatever may need to be done without removing the entire net.

Any plants in the pond will need to be prepared for the winter months ahead also. At this point in the season they will have had, or may just be receiving their final fertilization. As the hardy plants begin to show yellowing from the season’s end, they can be pruned off completely and placed in the deepest area of the pond for overwintering. This is providing your pond is of sufficient depth. Another option is to bury the pots in soil and mulch heavily.

Before the weather gets too cold, all tropical plants will have to be moved to a warmer area. Some methods include storing in garbage bags or cans where they can remain damp and store in a basement or heated garage. There are some tropicals are just considered annuals by most people. These are usually the floating plants like water hyacinth and water lettuce.

Fish will overwinter in a pond of sufficient depth. That is usually three feet or deeper in this area. If your pond will not allow for overwintering of fish, they must be moved into warmer confines for the winter. If you leave your fish in the pond it is advisable to use your pump to keep an area of water open in the pond. The fish do not need to be fed when out in temperatures below 40 degrees.

If your pond will be empty of fish for the winter the pump and all related items can be removed and stored inside. A pump that will remain in to keep open water for fish during winter months should be monitored closely for any possible problems during these cold temperatures. The pump will be moved to the deepest area of the pond for this purpose. Any other piping or other accessories for the pump should be removed and stored indoors. Filter systems that are outside of the pond should be drained and protected from the elements if possible.

If the pond will be left without fish no pump or aeration is required. It should be left full of water to protect the liner from any possible damage. Floating partially filled jugs of water in the pond will help absorb the movement during freeze and thaw cycles and help protect the pond liner. Floating balls in the pond will serve the same purpose. Floating items that are black in color absorb the heat of the sun and will help to keep an area open. This is also convenient when overwintering fish.

I’ll see you in the backyard!

I brought home quite a few plants today. I was given a large quantity of water irises. I certainly have plenty to complete my bog garden. And to think I was expecting to not finish it this season. These will be a wonderful addition. They have a lovely green foliage and produce an attractive blue flower. They can be planted in shallow water or in an area of consistently damp soil.

I have more plants than I will use this fall. I have spent this afternoon thinking of a way to store the additional plants until next spring. I think I have found my solution. I will bury an unused wading pool in an area of my vegetable garden. The plants are growing as a large mass. I will put the masses of irises in the small pool. I’ll add some garden soil or compost to fill in the rest of the pool area and add some water. A layer of mulch (leaves or straw) will be all that is needed to keep the hardy plants protected through the winter. In the spring I will move the plants out of the garden and find places for them.

I’ll post an update on the bog garden as soon as the irises are planted. I’m glad I waited on finishing it since I now have free plants to finish it with. I expect to add a few in and around my pond in the spring as well.

I’ll see you in the backyard!

As you may recall reading from a previous post, I wanted to replace the pump in my small pond.The only real problem was that it did not have a filter assembly with it. It had a screen to keep out any debris but nothing to really keep the water clean.

I didn’t like the idea of replacing a perfectly good unit but I needed a pump with a filter. It then occurred to me that there had to be a way I could make a filter for my existing pump. I began searching in some boxes in the garage to see what I had to start with. Having installed water features for a number of years left me with a variety of spare parts.

I found a small filter cage that I thought would work. The pump’s inlet is a small circular screened opening that sticks out from the pump body in a half sphere. The filter cage inlet fits over the water inlet reasonably well. I will make some type of band to secure the filter to the pump, but for now a large rubber band works fine.

My next problem was finding filter material. I did not have the filter for the cage. I searched a couple stores and couldn’t find the aquarium filter material I remember from my youth. It seems that has been replaced with filter cartridges. I then considered cheese cloth. Packing it in the filter cage will allow water to flow through but should screen out all the impurities. I ended up using a discarded knee high from my wife. I removed the thicker top and inserted the rest in the filter cage.

My filter is working well. The pond, which was getting a little murky, is clearing up nicely. When the filter begins to fill with “stuff”, I remove it and wash it out. It was a very simple fix.

Since I know everyone doesn’t have access to a box filled with spare parts I tried something else. I found a variety of plastic bottles that fit over the inlet. Using a drill I filled the bottles with holes. I put hole in the sides and the ends. After filling the bottles with nylon I secured them to the pump. These worked just as well.

I’ll see you in the backyard!

This weekend brought the addition of four new fish to our pond. They were given to us by a friend who had a surplus.

These new fish are huge compared to our pond’s other residents. It has caused me to work a few modifications to the pond. Originally I made a compartment out of stones where the pump sat in the pond. This seemed to keep the floating plants away from the pump. Most importantly it kept the roots of the plants away from the pump. It also gave the small fish a place to hide. Many of these stone had to be removed to allow more room for the larger fish. The plants were removed as well.

The floating plants still have not been put back in the pond. The small pump seems to clog easily. I may have to construct a different type of screen to allow the pump and plants to coexist. It may experiment with “root pruning” the plants so the trailing roots won’t interfere with the pump’s inlet. I’ll see what works best.

So far the larger new fish and our little ones are getting along swimmingly. ( Sorry. I couldn’t resist. ) I only wish I had room for a few more.

I’ll see you in the backyard!

I added some photos of the small pond I recently installed. It shows the work in progress through completion. I hope you enjoy them.

Just click on the photos tab at the top of the page.

I’ll see you in the backyard!

I ran into my own pond problem this morning. I was glad it was a quick fix but I had to scratch my head for a moment. I walked out to find the water level dropped in the pond and the pump hardly pumping. My first thought was there was a leak and the pump was out of water. I unplugged the pump and tried to search out the problem. I quickly realized the pump was fully submerged. I examined it and found the inlet was clogged and that slowed the pump’s ability to function. I cleaned it and it worked fine. A different style pump will be installed in the pond.

My other problem was the water level had dropped. My first reaction was that of alarm. Do I have a small hole in the pond? I then took a deep breath and tried a logical approach to my problem. It too was an easy answer. As the pump slowed down and the water flow was reduced the water pouring out of the rock slowed to a trickle. Instead of the water pouring off the rock as it should it slowly ran down the rock and out of the pond.

I want to take time now to give some tips and thoughts on keeping a water feature problem free. First, in my opinion, is to be certain your liner or insert is level. The water will always be level. It is very visible and not real attractive if you can see more liner or insert in one spot than another in your water feature.

Use caution when installing your liner or insert. Use sand or even newspapers as a cushion between the soil and your pond. This helps prevent any chance of punctures. I recommend filling your pond and leaving it for a day or so. This will give you a chance to check the water level for any possible water loss.

In my experience most water loss comes from waterfall installations. Some are as simple as what I described above. Others are more complex. I recommend using a second piece of liner to create a falls or stream feature. By having the second piece of liner, it makes repair easier. If the falls ever need repair it does not call for removal of the entire pond. The trick is to have enough overlap from the pond that the waterfall liner goes over. It creates a shingle effect. This will keep the water in check as long as it is shaped as a trough and has a natural fall.

Keeping a trough and keeping flow down to the pond is key in creating a waterfall/stream effect. If there is anywhere water can escape, it will. Another helpful tip is to use spray foam to help with your installation. There are products made especially for ponds, but I have found that expanding spray foam insulation works as well. It needs to be used sparingly, but works well to keep rocks in place and to seal cracks. It seems to work best with sandstone as the colors blend well.

Another tip can be used with fountains. Sometimes no matter how hard you try the water will not spill evenly. Using a thin layer of petroleum jelly will “balance” the flow and even it out. Just apply it where the flow is strongest. It creates a higher edge and allows the flow to spread out. This is not a permanent repair but works well if you’re expecting company, for example.

Flexible silicone caulk is another helpful tool. It will also seal out some water and keep rocks in place. I may use that to run a bead under the rock that is the water source for my pond. That should prevent any water loss from under the rock. The water should run into the caulk and drip into the pond.

When arranging your waterfall/stream try different placement of the rocks. Just a little movement can drastically change the sounds and volume of the water.

I’ll see you in the backyard!

last weekend I installed a small pond. This all happened much faster than I expected it would. I remembered that there was a small pump in my garage left over from the days when I did this for a living. I brought it inside to check if it still worked. The kids saw the pump and I knew there was no way I’d be able to wait very long.

The pond is small. The water surface is about as large as the top of a bushel basket. This size fits very well with the existing landscape. One spot in our yard has a small stone border. I used that existing border as part of the pond.

I began by digging a hole behind the rocks. I checked the hole’s size by using the insert that was purchased to be the pond. When the hole was the correct size I added a layer of sand under the container that serves as the pond. Quick tip- dig the hole larger and slightly deeper than the size of the insert. The sand cushions the insert, whether it is rigid or a flexible liner. I then began filling the container with water. This helps to keep it in place while backfilling the sides of the pond. Be sure to use a level to keep everything flat across the top of the pond.

When everything is backfilled and level the stones can be added to cap the top of the pond. This hides the pond’s shell as well as prevents anything from washing out of your pond during a heavy rain. Place the stones overhanging the pond also serves as a hiding place for fish. It may be what keeps them safe from any hungry animals.

The first stone I placed was the one that would serve as the source for the small waterfall. I used a hammer drill to drill a hole to run the pump’s water hose. When I was happy with the placement of that stone I began adding the rest. This is a good time to decide where the hose and power cord will come out of the pond. Adding the other stones will hide them. It is best to use larger stones for this task. That way they will overhang the edge but still be stable.

I was fortunate as I had most all of the supplies. I had all the stone in different parts of the yard. The boulders I used were just taken from a bed where they were lost among Tiger Lilies. The flat stones that served as most of the cap were taken from the front landscape bed. They were there as a bed divider and served no real purpose. A few leftover flat stones were placed in the water to give the fish more places to hide.

I then added ivy and other small plants to fill in any open spots between the rocks. Plants also work well to help hide hoses and cords. When I was happy with the end result I drained the pond and cleaned any dirt and other materials out. It was then refilled. After it sat for a couple of days I added some plants and then fish.

I was able to build this pond for about $25.00 out of pocket. Having a pump is what made that so low. But I am still looking into a different pump. The one I’m using is more of a statuary pump. It does not filter as well as a larger one would. I will do some research and report what I’ve found and what I replace my current pump with.

This is another project I’ll be adding pictures of as soon as I have the chance.

I’ll be adding more information in another post that will be more in depth on adding waterfalls and other things. I’ll try and share some experiences I have had that may make a project you tackle that much easier. Some pond problems can drive you crazy. The answer can be right in front of us, but we tend to miss it. With any luck I can help you avoid them from the start.

I’ll see you in the backyard!

Just a few days into our family vacation and one thing seemed to be a constant- water. Whether it was the farm ponds at the many beautiful homesteads in the area or the river and waterfalls among the sandstone ridges, water was everywhere.

This seems to be my inspiration for adding some kind of water feature to our yard. I don’t have room for anything large. But even a little water can go a long way.

It was not that many years ago I was building them for others and growing the plants as well.

I’ve been involved with projects ranging from large streams with waterfalls to small fountains in whiskey barrels. I think it is time I build one for myself.

Sometimes I take an unorthodox approach to my landscaping. I will find the perfect “whatever” and make it fit into the landscape. But with a water feature I will have to find the space before I plan a design. I think relocating a birdbath will give me the space. I’m still debating if a waterfall will be included.

Another question is the pump. Will I choose electric or solar powered? I’ll be researching and comparing costs. I know I’ll be adding plants, and I’m sure the kids will want fish.

Be on the lookout for updates on this project!

I’ll see you in the backyard!