Anyone have a water garden or waterfall in their garden?

[Beekissed]

I am going to construct one this year but I can't find much info at the local library. Mine will be small and incorporate a rock base and falls with two holding basins (old galvanized tubs) set down in the rocks. I plan to form stairstep areas on either side, using rock, in which to plant herbs and flowers. One basin will spill over onto the falls and down into the next basin.

Questions:

What size pump would one need for this size of water feature and how much electricity would you say it would use?

I may just make them still pools and have a floating sprinkler for aeration. We plan to put goldfish in the basins. Will the sprinkler be more cost effective in regards to electricity usage?

Tell me about your water features?

 

[Tutter]

I don't have a pet one here, (We have some "wild ones" behind the house.) though it's on my "to do" list, but we were involved in making a very nice one for a tropical garden down south.

Depending upon the rise, to move the water up (you will be circulating it over and over?), is how large a pump you'll need, but it should still be quite small, and not use a lot of electricity. They have solar ones, too, but I'd have to wait until morning to find out what they run.

One thought is keeping your bottom pool from evaporating. You could use a small float which pipe/hose could be hooked to, which will let water in when the water gets below a certain, pre-set level. It should turn off when it's back to level. That way you won't have to worry about it, and the fish will be safe.

Do you have predators? Raccoons have a taste for goldfish in such situations, and could present a problem, unless you can talk one of your dogs into guarding it!

Anyway, I love the idea, and hope it works perfectly for you!

 

[SewingDiva]

I don't know anything myself about this topic, but my brother in law has a Koi pond, and his has a plastic liner.

I'll also echo Tuttter's comments about predators - that's a big issue for my BIL. He lives in suburban VA (Fairfax) and he has netting over the water to deter racoons.

One thing I also remember is that Koi, which are carp, will keep growing as large as their environment will allow. So some of his fish are pretty big now; easily 4-5 lbs with no end in sight! They're trout size.

One feature he has, which I think is a good idea, is a small "nursery pond" off to the side, though connected to the main pond. He usese it to quarantine fish who are injured or sick. I think he also uses it to observe new fish before he releases them into the main pond.

~Phyllis

 

[Beekissed]

I don't know about the coons, as this will be beside the front porch and the dogs boundary doesn't come down that far.....and the cat is a big sweetheart, can't imagine him fighting a coon! I don't have much of a predator problem as I am surrounded on 3 sides by fields and on one side by the road and another field. If they come in the back yard they die and the front yard holds no appeal for animals....well, until I get some gold fish. Actually, the fish are just for eating any mosquito larva that may start.

Thanks for all the info guys! We started it today and have the bottom level of rocks done....we are going to need WAY more rocks! Fortunately, we have an abundance in this area. I can't wait to be sitting on the porch in the evening and hear the trickling, splashing water and smell the herbs and flowers that will be planted in the niches beside the falls! :happy_flower

 

[patandchickens]

If it matters to you, a waterfall feature will use a bunch more water than a pond. (Both require periodic topping-up, because of evaporation in the case of the pond and because of evaporation plus splash loss - which can be considerable, even with a pretty gentle waterfall - in the case of the waterfall feature. Also if you will ever turn the waterfall off (and chances are you will, if only for maintenence) you have to make real sure to build in reserve storage capacity so you don't overflow the pond

Waterfalls, especially if they fall onto a streambed-type area instead of more directly into a pond, are also more difficult to manage over time because of problems with algal 'slime' and hard-water deposit buildup.

A fountain sprinkler in a pond would use much less electricity; however unless you are planning a giant waterfall, the actual amount of $ will not be huge. For pump sizing, I *highly* recommend talking to someone from a pond supplies store (not a general garden center).

If you do decide to do the waterfall thing, btw, prepare to spend HUGE amounts of time getting the rocks set EXACTLY right -- a half bubble off level, at the lip where the water spills over, can make a very very large difference in the behavior of the waterfall, e.g. whether the water actually stays within the liner area

Have fun,

Pat

 

[Beekissed]

Thank you, that is very helpful! I kind of want the waterfall for the beauty, and it would be just tiny, like water spilling over from one galvanized tub into another. On the other hand, it is more the sound of the water that I will be enjoying the most, as it won't be readily visible to me. I live in an old farm house with the traditional front porch and I am placing the water feature down and in front, on the side where my swing is located. I needed a place to plant my herbs so that I could smell them and I wanted to create a watering place for the bees I want to get next year. They can always visit the stream across the road, but I have heard that the farther they have to go for water, the less honey they can make. But mostly, I like the sound of the water dropping! :watering

The floating fountain sounds like the way to go, with frequent checks on water levels. Thanks, folks!