Who has added a water garden next to their koi pond?

[leet13]

Hi everyone,

I want to add a smaller "pond" for just plants only and have it flow out to the koi pond. I want to be able to plant directly into the pond without containers. Not sure of size yet since I have not measured but I walked out there trying to visualize this. It has been raining all day.

I am hoping that with an addition of a plants only pond that it will help me keep string algae away and add biological filtering, plus it will add more aeration since its going to have a small drop into the pond (opposite of my waterfall). I wanted to have a water garden for just plants but do not have a location to put it in (cannot do it by the house like I want because of my doberman puppy- he destroyed all of my plants). So the next best idea was to put it next to the pond.

If anyone has any pics of a water garden next to their koi pond, i would love to see them.

I cant get my thoughts straight today. I hope its not confusing.

 

[sissy]

I added a stock tank 150 gallons for plants



and a concrete mixing tub i got at a house sale and love them double pic oh well

 

[capewind]

This isnt presently what it is supposed to be, but took a couple of pics to give you ideas. The top area (still under construction) is supposed to be a bog garden, but only got a bit of the gravel in, and it is presently holding comets and misc babies... and hubby and I put all the water hyacinths up there too while we were catching fish from the main pond LOL. The dimensions of the upper area is 8 x 18.

 

[leet13]

Oh wow. You two always help me out THANKS!!!!!!!

 

[addy1]

If you took away the pea gravel, my second area is one huge plant area waterfalling into the pond. With the pea gravel it is considered a bog sort of lol Depends on who you ask. I have no issues with green water or algae in the big pond.

 

[Waterbug]

Gravel fill pond above, most people call it a bog, adjacent to Koi pond (next pic) and flowed into the Koi pond. Originally this was kind was an 18" deep pond for potted plants without gravel. I thought the pots were pretty ugly and the string algae was a real problem in a highly planted pond. Adding the gravel to slightly above the water line eliminated the string algae problem. And I could walk thru the pond without getting wet to dead head and maintain.

Some plants were put directly in the gravel, some still in pots. The Canna is about 8' tall and never blew over when in gravel. Marginals do better a little above water rather than below the waterline.

This change also greatly reduced raccoon damage. They still came to the pond on a regular basis but no damage. They love to look under pots and tip them over.

I'm a huge fan of adjacent plant ponds. Without plants in the pond cleaning is a lot easier too.

The gravel pond is on the left. You can get a better idea of the layout here.

You can also add small pockets around the edge and even pots. The pot on the right is a foam pot with no drainage hole and Horsetail reed growing in standing water.

 

[capewind]

Lovely designs WB! I especially appreciated the link to the landscape design showing the layout of your ponds.

 

[capewind]

Addy... How deep is your water above the pea gravel? Hubby originally planned to have the top of the gravel above the water level, but I dont like the look of the dry gravel... with the gravel he managed to get in before I took over a temp area for fish, we compromised and the water is 2-3" above the gravel. With pvc discharge tubes under the gravel, and water discharge above the water to feed into the main pond, will we keep the benefits of a bog? or am I throwing too big of a wrench into hubby's plans?

 

[addy1]

I have anywhere from gravel above the water to gravel below the water by 2 inches or so. It depends on which part of the bog you look at. The back edge is above water the front is below water. It is working just fine. The only issue is, off and on, areas without plants but with shallow moving water has gotten some algae slimey stuff, not string algae. It comes and goes. I don't worry about it. When I mess in the bog some goes into the pond, the fish snack on it.

 

[capewind]

We have a little bit of a goopy algae that comes and goes on the gravel too, and not worried about that at all Heck, without all the water hyacinths on the main pond (FULL SUN), we have about a half inch of hair algae growing in the main pond. Put the plants back and it will be gone. I dont mind some algae, just another of life's cycles (and yes, you can remind me I said that if the hair algae gets out of control and I get pissy about it LOL).

 

[leet13]

Waterbug--- :blink: WOW! Thanks for replying. Reading now!!!