|
 |
PONDS
Do you want to bring a little Zen into your life? Then do what the Japanese
have long done, construct a pond. To the Japanese, water is something to be
worshipped. It is symbolized with purity and tranquility. Imagine yourself
after a stressful day in your own oasis.
Ask yourself a few questions. What type of pond do I want; a koi or maybe a
lily pond. What size would coincide best with you landscaping?
When designing the shape of a pond use nature as a guiding principle. Ponds
should seem as if they have always been there.
First lets talk about koi ponds. Koi are Common Carp of Japan. Hundreds of
years ago these carp were presented into Japan as food, but were believed to
be omens of good luck, thus led to the koi becoming pets. Koi popularity
increased when the wealthiest Japanese had koi ponds built so they could
admire these colorful creatures.
A koi pond should be at least 3-4 feet deep, but not too deep because you
want to admire and observe your fish. Koi can reach up to 24 feet long, so make
sure there is plenty of room for the fish to grow in the pond. You can have
a pond that holds anywhere from 100+ gallons.
Materials used to construct a pond consist of concrete, butyl lining, and
fiberglass. The most durable and long lasting of materials used is concrete.
A small pond can be successfully constructed using 6 inches of concrete with mesh
reinforcement running through, but larger ponds have the highest success
rate with concrete. A newly built concrete pond should be cleaned several
times to rid of the lime content which can harm plants and fish. If you plan
to make a pond with an informal shape, butyl lining would be your best bet.
Fiberglass is also a good medium for those hiring a professional to build
your pond because of its complex application.
The preferred pond color is black. Concrete is the only medium which does
not already come in black, but it can be coated to achieve this color.
Having the clearest of water is of the utmost importance for viewing your
koi. This does not mean you can’t successfully raise koi in green water, it
is just more difficult to see them. To obtain such clear water a biological
filtration system is worth checking out.
How would you like to sit outside and feel as if you are inside a Monet
painting? For those of you intrigued with this picture, you might be
interested in a lily pond.
There are two types of water lilies-tropical and hardy. Mainly, tropicals
can not withstand the cold like hardies can. Tropical water lilies hold
superiority over the hardies because of their ability to produce numerous
colored blossoms. Also, the tropicals have the ability to bloom more readily
than hardies. And for all you night owls, you may want to consider the night
blooming lily. Yes, they do just that. These mysterious lilies bloom about
8pm and remain open until 11am. Make sure to have at least 24 square feet of
pond space for these, they are quite large. If you prefer an alluring
fragrance then hardy lilies are for you. The odorata is a type of hardy lily
that gives off a sensation sent.
|
|
Visit our sponsor at www.alliedmtgcapital.com
|
|
|