A garden pond might seem to be the last place that calls out for water wise gardening. After all, the pond itself is made out of water. However, it is possible to create a pond that is part of a water wise garden landscape.
Choosing a Good Pond Filter and Pump to Minimize Water Changes
Creating a healthy and contained pond system is the first step to water wise pond gardening. A pond in which the water is recycled with only minimal top ups is ideal. Use high quality pond filters to maintain clean water with a successful balance of good bacteria. A durable pond pump will recirculate the water around the pond, adding oxygen for the fish and other pond animals.
Creating Shade, Swales, and Contoured Pond Landscaping
Make a garden that is friendly to moisture. If there is a natural damp spot in the garden, use this for the pond or wetland garden. When landscaping, change the contours of the garden to create swales, artificial contours that direct the water to plants that need it. Create shade too, by adding trees and shrubs that provide cover in the summer heat and conserve moisture.
Xeriscaping Using Native and Water Wise Plants
Local plants and drought-resistant landscaping will pay off. Native plants are suited to the local climate and will tolerate a summer drought or generally low levels of rainfall. Xeriscape the garden using native or drought-resistant plants to landscape around the pond, especially in sunny locations. If there is a summer drought in the local climate, plant native wetland species near the pond because they will be adapted to seasonal drying of wet areas.
Conserving Water by Changing the Watering Regime
In the surrounding garden, water deeply and less frequently. This helps plants develop deep root systems. When plants have just a sprinkle of water, they develop shallow roots to catch the water. When they are watered thoroughly, they develop deep roots to draw up the water from under the ground.
Watering in the morning is also prudent, if possible. In the early morning, the ground is not hot and the water soaks in instead of evaporating. Plants are beginning to make food, and to do this they need water. Watering in the early morning helps them grow.
Creating a summer pond garden that loves the hot weather is not impossibility. Using water wise gardening and xeriscaping and a good pond filter and pump, it is possible to have both a pond and a garden that are healthy and growing during a summer drought, all while conserving water.
Tricia Edgar - Tricia Edgar is a gardener, environmental educator, and science writer from the Pacific Northwest.
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