We have just finished putting in another water garden. This one is in the butterfly garden, just outside the bay window in the living room.

Why there? Because, it will be safer for the fish and butterflies being closer to the house and we are able to better enjoy the small, beautiful world that was created from the window.

The water garden is quite simple to create, and will take a good afternoon of labor.

The basic shape of the pond can be determined by using a garden hose, it is flexible and can be moved easily until you are happy with the shape. Be sure that there are no sharp corners.

It is advisable to include shelves for plants. These shelves should be 10 to 12 inches deep, and a foot below the surface of the water and slope very slightly to the outside of the pond this prevents plants from sliding into the pond.

The pond should be 18 inches deep. If you are going to keep Koi, the pond should be at least 3 feet deep. The bottom of the pond should slope in one direction, so organic waste can be more easily removed, though the top of the pond should be level.

Next you will want to line the pond; EPDM rubber is durable and easy to work with. The liner easier to install if it is warm, so let the sun shine on it for a few minutes before unrolling it.

When sizing the liner the length of the liner is the length of the pond at longest part + 2 times the greatest depth + 3 ft. The width of the liner is the width of the pond at widest part + 2 times the greatest depth + 3 ft.

The liner should be cushioned by at least a 2 inch layer of sand or other soft, protective material after you have cleared rocks and roots from the hole.

Excess liner should not be cut off until it is well anchored all around the perimeter and the pond is filled with water.

Don't be in a hurry to add fish, until you have the pond stabilized and your plants in place. Do not add rocks to the water of your water garden, unless you know for a fact that the rocks that you are using will not leach chemicals into the water that will kill your plants or fish or effect the ph levels of your garden.

Check the pH and nitrite level, pH between 6.8-7.4 and nitrite 0. Check salt level if you are experiencing problems stabilizing the pH. Measure the pH and nitrite level every few days at first, every few weeks later in the season when the pond has stabilized. Do not disturb the biological filter material when cleaning your filter, so the bacterial colony can establish (use only de-chlorinated water to clean the filter).

Install the pump and filter, your home and garden store should be able to tell you how big of a pump you need. Be sure to take the dimensions of you pond with you shopping. We have a sump pump in our pond.

When cleaning debris from your water garden, consider a pool net as opposed to a pond vacuum, you really want to limit the amount of scraping on the rubber to increase the life of the rubber.

Your plant nursery will have water plants to add to your garden or if you live near a fresh water lake you may like to gather them yourself (law allowing). Plant your water plants in pots and set them on your plant shelves in your pond so that the pots are under water. You may have to hold the pot until the soil is saturate with water to keep the pot from floating up.

Add beneficial bacteria (such as MicrobeLift) to jump-start the biological cycle to help prevent water quality and algae problems.

Now you are ready for the fish. We use your basic 10 cent feeder gold fish. They can be purchased in a variety of colors and do very well in a water garden. In our last water garden we had the same fish for two years and they grew to be of some size.

You could also use Koi if your water garden is large enough. They are a larger investment and higher maintenance.

Be aware that your fish are prey to a number of things in the outdoors, birds and raccoons being at the top of the list.

The birds are relatively easy to deter by stringing monofilament from tree to tree or from the house to a tree. Birds don't understand what is reflecting the sun so oddly and won't fly under it.

Raccoons are another matter, they are attracted to the water to wash their food, finding the fish is a bonus.

Setting up a motion detector to a sprinkler head system is usually enough to startle the raccoon before he goes swimming in your water garden. Thea Swafford
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