Have you included a pool or aviary in your garden plans?

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Do you have livestock of any kind within your garden paradise?
The sound of trickling water from a small unobtrusive fountain or the gentle tweeting or chirping of small aviary birds can add greatly to the sense of relaxation as you chill on your sun lounger after a hard day at work or that hard won week-end off.

There are so many options for water gardens, with or without fish, and avairies. They are not difficult to construct for the average DIY man and can be incorporated into almost any garden large or small, and designed and constructed to blend in with the theme of your garden.

Do you have any tips or disaster stories for others to use or be aware of?.
 
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My grandfather has a gorgeous water garden, with koi and water lilies. He went all out and added two small rock waterfalls, a fountain, a sundial, and a little bridge. I think his biggest problems are keeping it clean and maintaining the correct pH.
 
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Can understand your grandfather having problems with his pool. Unfortunately they will only get worse. Koi can grow to very large fish and if the pool is not pupose built the larger the fish the greater the waste.
I'm assuming the koi are still quite small. Many people have tried putting broken slabs around lilly roots and compost to stop the koi rooting about but all to no avail. As they grow they will start to shred the leaves and flowers of the lillies causing more pollution as they start to rot.

My advice would be to persuade your grandfather to exchange the koi for goldfish and shubunkins, or go to the added expense of providing adequate filtration for the pool.
Sorry for the bad news.
 
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I believe he's got at least two filters now, he keeps a very close eye on such things. The koi are somewhat large and numerous; he's president of the local water garden club and has been giving them away.
 
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I like the sound of a water fall, but I think it's more work than I could handle. Plus, we have such humidity here in FL, I don't think I would enjoy adding more water to the environment. I have an area on my property that partially floods out during the rainy season, anyway, lol! Water gardens are very lovely, though.
 
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We are all excited about having a little pool out in the yard . Our landlord had one he was not using, and he gave it to us this week. He is going to come down with the backhoe, and dig the hole for is to put it in, and then I will put some of the potted palms around the edges to shelter it for the heat of the summer. I have Cannas, Elephant Ears, and some lilies to put around the pond as well, and then we want to add some colorful goldfish, and solar lights.
 
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In the future of my garden I plan to have lots of attractions added to the beauty of my garden. I plan to have chickens probably one or three because they help turn the soil and they eat the bugs but you have to watch it because they will eat all your fruits and vegetables. I also want like a small pond or pool with or without fish but I can not decide.
 
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add those goldfish and you will have about 5000 in a matter of months, nope, sticking to Koi here.
 
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I'm fascinated with natural swimming pools. Being surrounded by your garden as you swim and it being watered before your eyes sounds like a calming and aesthetically pleasing experience. Also, instead of the eerie feeling of murky pond mud under foot, having a traditional hard-pool-floor sounds more appealing to me.
 
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We are all excited about having a little pool out in the yard . Our landlord had one he was not using, and he gave it to us this week. He is going to come down with the backhoe, and dig the hole for is to put it in, and then I will put some of the potted palms around the edges to shelter it for the heat of the summer. I have Cannas, Elephant Ears, and some lilies to put around the pond as well, and then we want to add some colorful goldfish, and solar lights.
That sounds lovely, HappyFlowerLady! Has it turned out the way you hoped it would?
 
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add those goldfish and you will have about 5000 in a matter of months, nope, sticking to Koi here.
not if you also add a Chinese fighting fish! I discovered that when I thought it would be nice to get the kids some fish. They certainly learned some life lessons! It looked so pretty, who knew it could be so violent! :oops:
 
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I adore water, I live near a big river and I'm used to its sound. It relaxes me. I don't have a pond yet, but I dream about adding one to my garden, it would be heavenly. I would plant water lilies in it:D
 
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Have several small ponds of various sizes. Only one still has goldfish. The others are maintained for mosquitos by dragonfly larva (naturally self planted). Because of city wildlife (raccoon, opossum and great blue herons) have had to string an intermittent electric line around the pond that still has gold fish. Love enjoying the birds that come to bath, wide variety of insects and the water lilies. I have no pumps, and only use the oat straw enzyme to keep the pond balanced and clean. The ponds have maintained themselves well with only a cleaning every 3-5 years to cull water lilies. The oldest 2 ponds are 30 yrs. and the newer ones are 12 yrs old. It is the easiest gardening ever, except when I have to pull the water lilies from the larger pond.
 
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i have a small pond set up that kind of runs through part of my seating area. i have a few plants and some goldfish. this has been my third summer with it in the configuration it's in now. i'd like to work out my plants some more, and i'm thinking/working on a bog idea, but overall i'm pretty happy with it.

edit for pic. this is from last year, but it's not much more filled out. like i said, i need to work on the plant/flower part

exteriors002.jpg
 
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We construct many ponds and often the owners want to go cheap on the pond lining. This is a big no no. Fork out the extra cash because one little hole can lead to a disaster !
 

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