33
Discover Smith Mountain Lake
SUMMER 2015
32
Weeder’s
Digest
Of all the additions that you can add
to your yard, few can impact the local
wildlife like a water feature. The mere
presence of a bird bath brings untold
hours of enjoyment from visiting
outdoor denizens. Living near any
water source draws a multitude of both
indigenous birds and passersby, for rest,
refueling, and nesting. One thing that
sets a lake apart from a stream or the
ocean is the lack of ambient noise that
is created by moving water. If you’re
considering an upgrade from either bird
baths or a patio bubbler to get your water
fix, a back yard water feature should be
on your list of possibilities.
For several years, I worked with a
company that installed the most
elaborate stream and pond systems,
as well as the tremendously popular
pondless waterfall. Ask anyone with
experience with the older pond
technology about the dirty laborious
upkeep
necessary
for
optimum
performance. In those systems, the
pump lays at the bottom, filling with
debris that needs to be removed. While
I’ll tell you that a water feature is still
more work than a bird bath, today’s
systems offer a much more user friendly
experience. If you are as much of a fan
as I am of birds bathing, frogs croaking
and fish swimming at your feet, the little
additional upkeep will pay off ten fold.
A popular and budget-friendly starting
point involves the use of preformed
By Bob Siren
Ponder This...
hard plastic liners. If you are not afraid of some digging and
some fairly logical labor, you can be up and running after a
weekend’s worth of work. Do bear in mind though that these
preforms have a tendency to crack over time. More often
than not, the installations that I performed were renovations
of those very same starter ponds. Today’s soft rubber lining
materials have at least a twenty year life span if protected
from UV light damage from the sun. Once ledges are stacked
with stone and gravel is laid on flat surfaces, which also
provides hiding place for the building blocks of life, the
rubber is protected.
Some of the more common questions I get are:
Won’t a pond create more mosquitoes in my yard?
Not when stocked with gold fish and Koi, which are simply
mutated colorful carp. Their ravenous appetites make quick
work of their larvae.
What about algae growth?
Algae are a building block of life, and are necessary to the
balance of the pond. Koi act like vacuum cleaners, constantly
cleaning rocks. Some of the more aggressive algae can be
controlled with live bacteria that may be supplemented to
the pond.
Lastly, can I have plants and flowers?
With out a doubt, water plants are the basis of a healthy
pond. For instance, water lilies have roots that absorb fish
waste, which acts like a fertilizer. Their long stems have leaves
that rise to the surface, providing shade and protection for
your fish. There are numerous different water plants that are
available. Use them to create interest, contrast and unique
blooms. Choose your plants wisely though, because water
plants are aggressive by their nature.
If you are somewhat daunted by either the upkeep or
potential liability of a pond, you may want to consider the
aforementioned pondless waterfall as an alternative. This
fairly simple system recirculates water from an underground
reserve, to which the water disappears, while still providing
the relaxing and cooling effect of moving water. Those who
have taken the plunge into these yard changing features will
tell you: Once a ponder, always a ponder.
