The Rural Voice, 1998-07, Page 43l
Gardening
small birdhouse on the post. A tree
swallow immediately moved in.
We have a submersible pump that
sends up a lovely three tiered
fountain effect. We had to adjust that
quickly when we discovered that
water lilies need still water. The
pump and fountain was adjusted and
now the lilies are happily blooming.
The next major step is of course
filling the pond. We used well water
which has a high iron content and
therefore leaves an unsightly brown
residue on the liner. It isn't too bad.
Which would you rather have . .. a
blue liner showing or a natural pond
brown colour?
This spring the water became quite
cloudy and we discovered what algae
bloom is all about. The pond
becomes very dark greenish brown
— most unattractive. It is a natural
process and can be overcome or
entirely avoided if you have an eco -
balance of plants, nutrients, and light
It is a very delicate balance. My
friend has a small stone -lined pond.
This spring she didn't suffer from
algae bloom. She has a nice balance
in her pond. This spring, when our
pond was icky and brown, we
admired her pond with its black tide
of tadpoles and shimmering goldfish,
which she wintered in the house. But
when she started feeding the fish it
seemed to trigger an overload button
and her pond began to bloom like
ours. Obviously the balance in her
pond was upset and it will take some
time to get balanced again.
Next to the quality of the water
your second concern is stocking the
pond with plants. You need to start
with a good base of submerged
aquatics like elodea, cabomba,
sagittaria, hornwort, and eleocharis.
Generally one bunch per foot of pool
surface is recommended. You can
clear up the water by increasing the
number of plants but it will take as
long as six weeks.
By now you will have discovered
there is more to creating a pond that
meets the eye. Next month I'll write
to you of the joys of water lilies and
the agony of routing goldfish.°
Rhea Hamilton -Seeger and her
husband raise two children at their
home near Auburn. She is a skilled
cook and gardener.
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JULY 1998 39