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edu/extension/
1
Nuts and Bolts
of
Water Gardening
Prepared by:
Tony Johnson
Horticulturist, UGA Research & Education Garden
Griffin Campus
With thanks and appreciation to Steven Patrick, CEA
Learning objectives
Site evaluation
Pool design - overall landscape design
Basics of water garden installation
Basic pond maintenance
Plant materials for water gardening
Water garden problem troubleshooting
The First Three Rules Of Water
Garden Installation Are???
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1. Location !
2. Location !
3. Location !
Site Selection
Things to consider
when selecting a water
garden site.
Sunlight
Elevation and grade
Power and water source
Proximity to outside activity
areas
Style
Safety
Sunlight
6 to 8 hrs
Tree considerations
Full Sun = 8-12 hours direct sun
Part Sun/Part Shade = 4-8 hours direct sun
Shaded = Less than 4 hours direct sun
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Elevation & Grade
Avoid low-lying areas
Avoid areas where water from the lawn
and landscape collect
Power & Water Source
Circuit Breaker Receptacle
Power source with
ground fault circuit
interrupter (GFCI)
Convenient water
source
Proximity
Locate in areas where you spend time
Consider views
4
Style
Personal taste
Style of house &
garden
Formal/Informal
Informal
Style
Formal
Style
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Safety
Check local ordinances
Check homeowners Insurance
Call before you dig ( Better yet, before you
select a site)
Selecting Materials & Supplies
Liners
Cost not only consideration
Several options
Fish Safe
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Flexible Liners
PVC (poly vinyl chloride)
EPDM (Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer)
Permalon
Underlayment
Recommended for all water garden liners.
Geotextile liner
Builder’s sand
Sizing Liner & Underlayment
Length + 2 times Depth + 2’ overlap =
Liner Length
Width + 2 times Depth + 2’ overlap = Liner
Width
EXAMPLE Water Garden - 14’ (L) X 9’ (W)
X 2’ (Depth)
14’ + (2x2’) + 2 = 20’ (length)
9’ + (2x2’) = 15’ (width)
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Pre-formed liners
Pumps
Low Efficiency
Lower initial cost
Uses more electricity
Shorter life expectancy
Pumps
High efficiency
Higher initial cost
Uses less electricity
Longer life expectancy
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Skimmers
Filters
Filters
Mechanical Filtration
Biological Filtration
Ultra-Violet Clarification
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Waterfall Filtration Box
Layout and Installation
Layout
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Excavation
Leveling the Edges
The water will be level.
Make sure the water garden edges are too!
Plant Shelves
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Installing Underlayment & Liner
Edging Treatments
Installing Stone
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Ready For Fish & Plants
The Well-Planted
Water Garden
Aquatic Plants
Selection and Care
Aquatic Plant Types
Floating
Surface
Submerged
Marginal
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Floating Plants
Water Hyacinth
Water Lettuce
Duckweed
Water Hyacinth
Eichhoria crassipes
Water Lettuce
Pistia stratiotes
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Surface Plants
Water Lilies
Lotus
Floating Heart
Water Clover
Water Hawthorne
Water Lilies
Water Lilies
Hardy
Tropical
Tropicals
Day Bloomers
Night Bloomers
Hardy Water Lily
Nymphaea
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Hardy Lily
Flowers Growth Habit
B
A
Pads Propagation
C D
Tropical Water Lily
Nymphaea
Tropical Lily
Flowers Growth Habit
A B
Pads Propagation
C D
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Lotus
Nelumbo
Parrot’s Feather
Myriophyllum aquatica
Floating Heart
Nymphoides peltata
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Water Clover
Marsilea
Water Hawthorne
Aponogeton distachyus
Submerged Plants
Anacharis
Cabomba
Hornwort
Vallisneria
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Anacharis
Elodea canadensis
Cabomba
Cabomba caroliniana
Hornwort (Marestail)
Ceratophylum demersum
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Tape Grass
Vallisneria species
Marginal/Bog Plants
Umbrella Palm
Star Sedge Taro
Iris
Sweet Flag Cattail
Lizard’s Tail
Pickerel Weed Arrowhead
Forget-Me-Not
Ruellia Horsetail
Golden Club Water Bamboo Cardinal Flower
Chinese Water
Rushes Bacopa
Chestnut
Water Irises
I. laevigatae
I. pseudacorus
I. versicolor
I. virginica
I. fulva
I. brevicaulis
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Iris laevigata
Iris pseudacorus
Iris versicolor
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Iris virginica
Iris fulva
Iris brevicaulis
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Star Sedge
Dichromena colorata
Taro
Colocasia esculenta ‘Black Magic’
Umbrella Palm
Cyperus alternifolius
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Cattail
Typha species
Sweet Flag
Acorus calamus ‘Variegated’
Grassy-leaved sweet flag
Acorus gramineus variegatus
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Rush
Juncus effusus
Water Bamboo
Dulichium arundinaceum
Horsetail Rush
Equisetum hyemale
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Golden Club
Orontium aquaticum
Water Forget-Me-Not
Myosotis palustris
Bacopa
Bacopa lenagera variegata
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Cardinal Flower
Lobelia cardinalis
Bluebell
Ruellia brittoniana
Pickerel Weed
Pontederia cordata
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Lizard’s Tail
Saururus cernuus
Dividing hardy
water lilies
The older portion of the tuber has
been removed
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Fill the pot with heavy garden soil
and add 2 aquatic plant food tablets
Now you are ready to gently lower
the pot into the pond
Pond Plants vs. Expensive Weeds
Weed = Plant in the wrong place
Garden pond owners MUST be
responsible with seeds and
clippings
RESPECT YOUR NEIGHBORS!!
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Fish
Koi
Comets
Shubunkins
Sarassa
Koi
Variety of colors and
sizes
Select
A – Grade
B – Grade
Can be pricey
Comets, Fantails, Sarasas, and
Shubunkins
Inexpensive
Some with long flowing fins
Full grown at 12”
More tolerant of WQ
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Gambusia – Mosquito Fish
All fish eat mosquitoes and larvae
Small
Inexpensive
Can take over
How Many Fish?
Depends on the pond
and filtration
Generally 1” of fish
per 5-10 gallons with
filtration, about half
without
Larger fish need
more room
Length X Width X Depth in feet X 7.5=
volume in gallons
Selecting Top Quality Fish
Active and energetic
Alert
Full fins
Good color
Clean tanks
Knowledgeable staff
No nicks or
scratches
Eats readily
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Feeding Your Fish Properly
Feed only what is
consumed in 3-5 minutes
Limit feeding to once per
day or less
More feeding requires
additional filtration
Stop feeding at temps
under 55 F
Store food in cool dry place
Nitrogen Cycle
Algae
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Dealing with Algae
Algae
multiply
quickly!
Water
change
doesn’t
work
Water Quality
Keep rain run-off out of the pond.
Full sun - shade 50 - 70% of the pond
surface.
Use one bunch of Anacharis per sq. ft.
No more than one inch of fish per sq. ft. of
surface area
Add biological filtration and ultraviolet
sterilizer.
Remove dead organic matter
MOSQUITOES
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