Helping You Become a More Successful Gardener

Water Gardening

		Adding Fountains and Waterspouts (the Sound of Garden Beauty) Inviting the gentle sounds of water into your yard is an easy – and peaceful – way to enhance your outdoor living experience. Learn a few points to keep in mind when selecting a fountain or waterspout for your yard or garden pond.
		Aquatic Environments: Selecting Healthy Aquatic Plants As with picking any garden plant, it’s crucial that the aquatics you pick for your water garden are healthy from the very start. Learn the considerations in growing in an aquatic environment, as well as what to look for when choosing healthy water plants.
		Aquatics and the Four Basic Plant Groups Creating a water garden opens up a new and fascinating range of plants suited for aquatic and moisture-rich environments. Learn more about the different types of aquatic plants, as well as what basic garden pond plants might work well in your pending water feature.
		Enhancing Your Garden Pond With Water Features Be it simple fountain or multi-waterfall, adding a water feature to your garden pond enhances the overall look and feel to your aquatic paradise. Enhance your outdoor living experience with the sights, sounds and wonder that only flowing water can provide.
		Garden Pond Planning: From Site to Scope There’s a lot to consider when choosing the site for building a pond – from regional location to existing elements in the landscape. Learn some tips to good garden pond planning, starting with picking a location and determining the scale and scope of your project.
		Garden Ponds and Fountains: Pools of Thought Water features in the garden come in various sizes and types – from water garden fountains, ponds and pools to freestanding fountains, containers and birdbaths. Learn more about the different types of water features available to home gardeners, and consider if one might be a good fit in your yard.
		Healing Sick Aquatic Plants A healthy garden environment – aquatic or otherwise – is better able to resist pests and diseases. Keep your water garden healthy and free of sickness by routinely monitoring your plants and pond water. Should your aquatics fall ill, here are the steps to take to nurse them back to health.
		How to Clean a Water Garden Even water gardens need a good wash. While pond equipment requires routine maintenance to keep it performing well, the entire pond needs to be drained and cleaned on occasion. Learn a few seasonal tips to maintaining a garden pond, as well as the steps to properly cleaning it.
		How to Design a Water Garden You don’t need to be a landscape professional to design a backyard water garden, but good planning is essential to reaping the full rewards. Learn how to design a garden pond of your very own – then get your feet wet in a whole new way of gardening!
		Lining up Your Options (How to Select a Pond Liner) The primary purpose of a waterproof liner is to enclose and retain water in a garden pond or feature. (It also helps maintain the water’s quality.) Learn what different pond liners have to offer, then select the best one for you and your water garden plan.
		Make a Splash With Pondless Water Features Think your small garden has sunk your dreams of having a water feature? Keep hope afloat! While traditional ponds may be out of the question, a pondless water feature may be just what you’re looking for, bringing beauty and relaxing sound – but without the large size and fuss.
		Out With the Lawn and in With the Water (the “Greener” Side of Garden Ponds) The “green” benefits of owning a garden pond have nothing to do with algae. By replacing lawn with water garden, you can conserve energy, save money and support the environment. Learn a few tips on how improving the environment can begin at home – with a beautiful pond.
		Planting Your Water Garden: Preparing Containers and Baskets Planting aquatics in specialized baskets and containers makes pond maintenance and plant care easier, as well as allows constant water circulation and helps prevent erosion. Learn the easy steps to properly preparing these containers for planting.
		Planting Marginal Aquatics Filling your water garden? Don’t forget to plant marginal aquatics! These submerged growers rest on lined pond shelves in the water to offer height to an aquatic feature and soften the edges. Learn the easy steps to planting marginals in a lined garden pond.
		Planting Shoreline Aquatics Also called bog plants or boggy marginals, shoreline plants grow in the soil outside the watertight liner that forms a garden pond. Planting shoreline aquatics is easy and makes your water feature look more natural. Learn how to plant around a garden pond by following these simple steps.
		Planting Submerged Aquatics in Your Garden Pond Water gardens bring unique interest to the landscape, whether the plants are lining a pond shore, floating atop the calm water or swaying partially submerged from their depths. Learn more about planting water garden plants, as well as the steps to properly planting submerged aquatics – then float toward success.
		Pond-during Winter You’ve enjoyed a beautiful spring and summer by the water garden – and now it’s time to close the pond for the season. Learn how to properly prep your pond, plants and aquatic pets to help ensure a healthy ecosystem come spring.
		Pond Pumps: Helping Your Water Garden Come Full-Circle Big or small, a water feature is only as good as the pump that keeps it going. Taking the time to understand the purpose of the pump you need, as well as how to properly install it, is critical for a healthy, balanced and beautiful ecosystem.
		Pond Pumps and Liners 101 Jump into water gardening with the right equipment! Understanding garden pond basics with regard to pumps and liners is an important step before you dig. After all, a water feature is only as good as the pump that keeps it going and the liner that holds it all together.
		Preparing the Soil for Your Aquatic Plants It’s no secret that water gardens are beautiful, but under the surface lies all the “dirt” behind the beauty: soil. Learn two quick step-by-step demonstrations for properly preparing the soil that shoreline, marginal and submerged aquatic plants prefer in order to thrive.
		Queen of the Pond Pretty, popular and helpful in controlling algae, water lilies prove their royal worth in any water gardening endeavor.
		Ready for a Pond? Water gardens bring peace and intrigue to outdoor living spaces, help conserve water and energy and create a haven for wildlife. But before diving into this popular gardening trend, take the time to understand three important aspects of creating a healthy, balanced garden pond: design, equipment and water.
		Repairing Liner Leaks A healthy water garden relies on strong liner. But even the thickest forms can suffer from puncture wounds or tears after a few years of service. Learn the steps to repairing minor liner leaks in your aquatic garden.
		Spring Care for Garden Pond Fish For home gardeners, spring marks the start of outdoor living at its fullest, but for pond fish, this change in season is a delicate transition. Take the time to help your underwater friends properly come out of hibernation. (Your fish – and water garden – will thank you for it.)
		Spring-Cleaning Your Garden Pond Three cheers for spring! You’re not the only one coming out of hibernation – it’s been a long winter for your pond and fish, too! Proper cleanup, equipment inspection and a little water and fish TLC are the first steps toward another healthy – and successful – water gardening season.
		Testing and Treating Garden Pond Water Balanced water quality is essential to maintaining a healthy water garden. Don’t let your pond water cloud your plants – or good judgment. Learn the common symptoms of water-quality distress and the simple steps to testing your pond’s water to make sure your ecosystem thrives…without all the algae!
		Watercourses and Streams: (Water)Falling Into the Drama Watercourses, waterfalls and streams in the garden, combined with unique plants, lighting and other accessories, bring mesmerizing sights and sounds to any outdoor living space. Learn some tips on how to add drama to a water garden – and your overall landscape.
		Water Gardening: Prepare to Plant Now that you’ve installed your water feature, it’s time for the real fun to begin: adding your plants. While most aspects of planting aquatics are similar to planting other gardens, there are just enough differences to add a little extra interest and discovery.
		Water Garden Plants What’s a water garden without water plants? Here are a few aquatic recommendations to look for when stocking your water garden.
		Water Gardens and the Elements of Supplies Think you’re ready for water garden? While it’s easy to want to jump right in, planning a garden pond or other water feature carefully will get you the results you’re dreaming of. Learn what it takes to install a water garden – from materials and skills to tools and equipment.
		Winterizing Ponds in Cold Climates As winter arrives in cold-winter climates, your water feature requires protection from cold temperatures and ice. Learn how to prepare a garden pond for winter using these pond winterizing tips.