How to Maintain a Water Feature
Materials for Water Features
The material will very depending on the type of water feature you decide on.
The design is in the final stages and you need to pick the material that you will be using for you feature.
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The pond kit materials.
The shell of the pond/water feature is easy to install if you read the instruction. The material that you need are the stone that will be needed to place around the shell and what type of fountain or water fall you would like to have. You usually do not have to cove the entire shell of the feature because the UV rays will not harm the shell. The kit should include all filters and pumps you will need and perhaps your choice of a fountain. The stone that you use for the area around the shell is you choice and it should be flat so it will rest easily of the edge of the shell. Do Not use shale or slates as they may flake in the water feature. These are the only real choice yo have to differentiate you feature from the next shell pond.
- To build a designer water feature you need to
start by choosing a liner that will be appropriate for the area that
you intend to construct the feature. Check your local retailer for the
proper liner. You will need to pick your own pumps and filters to install
for the feature. They could be different depending on the size and purpose
of the water feature. If the feature is to be a motionless pond, I still
suggest a small filter to keep the water clear and the algae down.
You will need to cover the entire liner with materials so that the sunlight does not hit it directly this will shorten the life of the liner. The use of flat stones on the ledges of the feature are recommended. Check your local dealer for available materials and get the stone approved by owner of site. The materials should match the landscape and architecture of the house. For the bottom of the feature you should use rounded stone and small boulders to make a contoured bottom for the feature.
(Note: Do not use angular stone for the bottom of the feature they may poke the liner. Use Common sense when picking materials pick materials that are readily available so if you need more the material is easy obtainable.)
- Plants for the water feature.
The water feature should match the surrounding landscape and may be the focal point of the site. It should not be the only feature that is seen it should blend in. The materials for around the feature should complement the plants that are already in the area. These plants should not be high maintenance plants. You do not want to be trimming and maintaining all around the feature all of the time. The trimmings and debris will clog pumps and filters and make the pond look unsightly for the site owner. Around the immediate edge of the pond there should be a ground cover of vegetation. This will help to stabilize the edges and it will filter out mulches and debris from entering the feature. Use plants that are controllable and easy to maintain and use flowers to reflect off of the water and will bring more attention to the feature.
(Note: test the soil around the feature and bring in topsoil as need you do not want to plant in the soil from the dig out it may not be very usable for planting.)