Water Gardening F.A.Q.

1. Does Water Gardening mean high maintenance?
Not if it's done right! One hour of maintenance per month is a reasonable expectation. "The only thing truly expensive about water gardening is doing it wrong!"

2. Will a Water Garden attract mosquitoes?
NO! A healthy water garden is not attractive to mosquitoes but rather will attract the birds, frogs, toads etc. that will actually consume insects.

3. Do I have to drain my pond and scrub it?
Only if you enjoy fighting against Mother Nature! Gravity and external ice or fluid can quickly destroy the shape of your pond if you lose the internal pressure of the water. You would lose the billions of beneficial micro-organisms that help to maintain the ecological balance of your pond water.

4. Should I cover the pond liner with soil or stone?
Absolutely Not! Stone should never cover the entire bottom of the pond - it will impede the flow of debris to your filter. The addition of any volume of soil (or the buildup of organic debris between the rocks) will serve only to foster unwanted weeds in your pond. An open area of pond liner in the deeper portion of your pond will maximize the effectiveness of your filtration system.

5. Will a skimmer keep my pond clean?
Skimmers work well in the generally sterile conditions of a spa or swimming pool. A bottom drain or a good "solids handling" submersible pump located on the bottom of the pool will remove the organic debris as it accumulates.

6. Do I need a running water source to keep the pond filled or to have a waterfall?
No! Waterfalls and streams are set up with appropriate pumps to re-circulate the pond water. Some occasional refilling of the pond with your garden hose may be necessary - see #10 below.

7. Should I drain the pond for the winter?
No, you need to maintain the internal pressure to preserve the pond liner and its shape. See # 3 above.

8. Will I have to bring in all the plants and fish?
Not all of them; hardy plants should be repositioned to the bottom of the pond and fish should survive if there is an airhole through the ice. Tropical plants should be brought inside for the winter.

9. Flexible liner is cheaper or easier than a rigid pool.
For a large pool this would be true but if it is being built above grade or the pool will be under 10 to 12' a good quality rigid pool may actually be cheaper. These rigid pools need only rough excavation, and no additional support

10. Do Water Gardens waste water?
No, a typical water garden (not including a fountain or waterfall) loses only an average of 3/8" water per week versus 1" per week for a bluegrass lawn. Fountains and waterfalls do increase evaporative loss.