Aquatic landscaping

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Aquatic landscaping

• Aquatic landscaping

• Creating artificial ponds, cascades and waterfalls

• Adds serenity or motion

• Adds visual or auditory impact

• Acts as mirror in landscape

• Provides habitat for wildlife

• Effective for dividing units of landscape

• Blue or green lighting makes dramatic effects at
  night

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Aquatic landscaping

• Designing water features in landscape

• Designs range from formal to natural

• Even-radius curves and straight lines more formal
  than uneven-radius curves

• Cut-stone edges more formal than irregular stone
  edge

• Usually a point of emphasis in landscape

• Position in low area of landscape where easily
  viewed

• Or conceal in landscape to create sense of
  discovery (remainder of landscape must lead
  viewer to water)

• Water gardens need 4-6 hours of light (too much
  light will encourage growth of algae)

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Aquatic landscaping

• Selecting pool type

• Masonary (cement)

• Costly and difficult to build

• Custom-made to fit into landscape

• Preformed plastic or fiberglass pools

• Easily built and inexpensive

• Limited in size and shape

• Pools made with flexible liners

• Somewhat difficult to construct but least
  expensive

• Custom-made to fit into landscape

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Aquatic landscaping

• Construction of flexible liner pool

• Size, shape and depth determined by hole

• Remove rocks and other objects that might
  puncture lining

• Add layer of sand or clay to protect liner

• Liner will snug up against sides of hole when
  filled

• Depth should vary

• If including fish, deepest part must gt30 or else
  youll make fishsicles in winter

• Make 9-12 soil benches on perimeter for
  submerged plants

• Cut rocks at edge should also be placed on shelf

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Aquatic landscaping

• Construction of flexible liner pool

• Side view of design

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Aquatic landscaping

• Construction of flexible liner pool

• Top view of actual design

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Aquatic landscaping

• Construction of flexible liner pool

• Size and placement of liner

• Size formula 2DepthLength x 2DepthWidth

• Liner stretched over hole, keeping taut along
  bottom

• Hold liner in place with rocks along edge

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Aquatic landscaping

• Types of aquatic plants

• Emergent

• Rooted in bottom but produce leaves at or above
  the water surface

• Examples Arrowhead, cattail, water lily

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Aquatic landscaping

• Types of aquatic plants

• Submergent

• Rooted in bottom leaves remain below the surface
  of the water

• Examples Elodea, Parrots feather (invasive)

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Aquatic landscaping

• Types of aquatic plants

• Floating plants

• Freely float on surface of water

• Examples Duckweed, Azolla (fairy moss)

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Aquatic landscaping

• Types of aquatic plants

• Marginal plants

• Grow well in very moist soil (e.g. margins of
  ponds)

• Examples Iris, marsh marigold, ferns

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Aquatic landscaping

• Soil for aquatic plants

• Aquatic plants grow in nutrient-rich soils high
  in organic matter

• Decomposition of organic matter produce
  methane-rich substrate (smelly!)

• Suggest use of chemical fertilizers

• Plants can be rooted into bottom of pond or (more
  often) in pots or crates

• Use 50-50 mix of garden soil and sand

• Plants can be over wintered in cool place inside

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Aquatic landscaping

• Maintaining water quality

• Largest problem with artificial ponds is
  preventing algal growth

• Incorporate floating plants to shade water surface

• Select fish that feed on algae (e.g. grass carp)
  dont add too many fish

• Use a submerged pump and filter

• Mechanical filters trap debris in mats

• Biological filters use bacteria to breakdown
  ammonia and organic waste

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Aquatic landscaping

• Maintaining water quality

• UV sterilizer used to kill algae pond

• Incorporate bacteria and enzyme clarifiers

• Chemicals such as algaecides

• Maintain oxygen levels with running water

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Aquatic landscaping