Are you still having some trouble deciding whether or not to add a garden pond to your yard? Well, I am going to try to convince you that you should most definitely have a garden pond.

Here are some of the many benefits and pros to having a garden pond:

Visual Beauty. There is something about the sight of water that is absolutely mesmerizing. Add a waterfall or water fountain to your garden pond, and you will be hypnotized for days.

Auditory Beauty. After a stressful day of work, there are few things more soothing than the sound of water gurgling, cascading, or even dripping. Again, a waterfall or water fountain will increase the auditory beauty, just as they will increase the visual beauty.

Pets. If you add koi to your pond, you are not simply adding a piece of garden decoration, you are adding a pet. It can be very fun and quite intriguing to take care of koi. And if you do get koi for your pond, expect that you will, indeed, have to take care of them as pets. You will need to make sure that they are fed and that the aquatic environment is optimal.

Gardening. Most garden ponds do not simply consist of a hole filled with water and fish. They also have many aquatic plants and plants surrounding the pond. You can really have fun with gardening and landscaping around the pond.

Easy installation. You can create a basic garden pond in a day. More complicated ones, with cascading waterfalls, etc. can take much longer. But a basic garden pond is very easy to install. You can just dig a hole and line it with pond liner, or get a set pond hard shell. With a little bit of digging and some water and a few plants you have got yourself a pond!

Easy to run. These days, you can get solar pond lights, solar filters, solar pumps, etc., making your pond very easy to run. And since solar power is free, you will have no running costs!

Interest. There are few things more boring than a backyard that is simply a huge expanse of grass. If you want a grassy field, go to a park! In your own backyard, you have the power to create any sort of environment that you want. Why not make your landscape interesting?

Getaway. Adding a garden pond to your yard is the first step to creating your own getaway. Once you beautify your yard, you are going to want to spend more and more time in it. It will become the perfect place to go when you want to escape from the rest of the world.

Guests. Although you should build a garden pond for yourself, it is nice to know that your guests are sure to love it, too. Your garden pond can be the center of many outdoor barbecues and get-togethers. Add a few floating candles to your pond, and you are set to go!

Plants can add interest and beauty to your fish pond but did you know that they also are vital for maintaining healthy water quality which will help keep your pond clear and your fish healthy?

There are five different types of plants that you want to think about planting in and around your pond – floating plants, oxygenating plants, marginal plants, bog plants and deep water plants. These plants not only give your pond and authentic look but can also help keep the water oxygenated, cut down on algae growth, give your fish a place to hide as well as a place to spawn and can also provide food.

When adding plants to your fish pond you want to think about how large they will get and how fast they will grow. You don’t want to add plants that will totally overwhelm your pond or that will make a full-time job of cutting back their growth. You also want to be sure that the plant can survive winters in your area. Plants don’t have to be planted directly in the soil of your pond, you can set them in mesh pots or fabric pond pots which will allow the air to pass through but will also prohibit the soil from getting into your pond and turning it muddy.

To make your pond look its best and be it’s healthiest you need to select plants for each pond layer. These different plants perform different functions as described below.

Deep water plants like Lotus, Water Lilies and Water Hawthorne grow in the deep waters of the pond. These plants will help remove the waste from the pond and act as sort of a natural filtration. They need oxygen and sunlight to grow their best. You might consider using an aquatic fertilizer that is safe for ponds. The Lotus and Water Lilies prefer water that is 2 feet deep but the Hawthorne can grow in as little as three to 24 Inches.

Oxygenating plants provide important oxygen to the pond as well as help to control the growth of algae by eating the same nutrients and carbon dioxide that algae needs to grow. Oxygenating plants also can provide food for your fish and act as shelters and spawning areas. Some good oxygenating plants include Hornwort, Water Violet, Water Buttercup and Water Milfoil.

Floating plants look great in the pond and they also provide shade and shelter for the fish and other creatures that live there. Be warned, however, that many of the floating plants will grow quickly and soon take over your pond. This can not only be an eyesore but can also be bad for the pond itself as it prevents photosynthesis which will decrease the waters oxygen level. Floating plants like Duckweed grow very quickly so you probably want to avoid that and stick to plants like Water Lettuce, Bladder Wart, Water Soldier, Water Hyacinths and Water Chestnut

Marginal plants like Sweet Flag, Golden Buttons, Marsh Marigolds, Japanese Arrowhead, and Lobelia grow in the shallows around the edge of your pond and depths of 2 inches to 1 foot. Cattails are also a marginal plant but they can be very invasive so you probably want to avoid those unless you plan to spend a lot of time weeding your pond.

Bog plants like Astilbe, Primula and Lysimachia grow at the very edge of the pond in the wet soil. they are important as they help siphon off surplus nutrients which allows control of algae growth thus keeping your pond clear.

Do you ever dream about what your yard could look like some day? As you look through garden catalogs filled with beautiful trees, shrubs, flowers and pictures of beautifully landscaped yards–complete with ponds and garden sculptures–the choices seem endless. Before ordering hundreds of plants or giving up because you cannot decide what you really want, here are a few things to consider.

A common issue in landscaping is creating a peaceful, private environment. While fencing can provide immediate privacy, consider a buffer strip of shrubbery between your yard and the one next door. Many shrubs will grow quickly–within a couple of years–and act as a screen while providing habitat for a variety of birds. Consider planting native shrubs because they are usually well adapted to local conditions and may provide the best habitat for local wildlife. Other considerations: whether the plants have special characteristics such as flowers or fruits, how large they will eventually become, and how much maintenance they require to remain healthy and in scale with your yard. Check with a local nursery or garden center for recommended species.

If you always thought it would be fun to have a pond, try it. With the variety of materials now on the market, anyone can have a garden pond, regardless of the size of the yard. If you have a lot of space, you can build one right in the ground. You can purchase a pre-formed mold or dig a hole and line it with a plastic pond liner. A simple type of pond consists of a plastic lined barrel or tub. Just add water, plants, a pump, and even fish–and you have a pond for your patio. Be sure to consider sources of electricity if you intend to add a pump. Also, make sure you use caution and take security measures if small children have access to your yard and the pond. Another factor to consider is maintenance. A pond can require a lot of effort to keep it clear of algae, leaves, and debris.

If you do not want to spend your weekends maintaining a yard, turn part of it into a wildflower garden. Depending on where you live, this could be a prairie, desert landscape, or alpine garden. Check on local zoning ordinances. Some communities have not yet recognized the value of native landscaping and may consider this a nuisance area. If you want a more maintained yard, consider ground covers instead of grass and use mulch to control weeds in foundation plantings and flower beds.

When selecting plants, make sure they are adapted to your area. Consider both the minimum and maximum temperatures, amount of moisture, amount of sunlight, and soil characteristics. Ask yourself: Do you want an annual that will need replanting every year or a perennial that comes up year after year? Do you want cut flowers for inside your home or to give to friends?

Consider native plants. They are usually better adapted to local conditions and need little maintenance. Be cautious about introducing exotic species such as purple loosestrife that will become invasive and is prohibited in many states.

Above all, choose what you like. There is an enormous variety of plants that will provide food and shelter to a wide variety of wildlife. With a little planning, you and the local wildlife can both enjoy the yard of your dreams.

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