Breeder's Award Program Article

Landscaping and Gardening in the Wet

by Lyle Marshall,
SouthWestern Michigan Aquarium Society. From SWAM, May/June 1984 Issue
Aquarticles

Humanity's use of ponds and pools for beauty and utility can be traced back as far as ancient Egypt and China. Apparently, as soon as mankind developed enough civilization to produce individuals with leisure time, they began to appreciate the esthetic and emotional benefits of water gardens.

The history of pisciculture probably went hand-in-hand with the history of garden pools in general, but it can be traced with certainty only in China and the monastic gardens of Europe and the Middle East. The appeal of water gardens seems to be universal, and the notion to include fish for practical purposes such as mosquito control and a convenient food supply is only common sense. However, only in the Orient did the idea of ornamental fishes develop to any extent. In Europe, even after the carp in various garden pools had ceased to be regarded as an adjunct to the kitchen, they were kept as a matter of habit and tradition rather than ornaments. It was not until after a rather extensive system of trade with the far East had been developed that the idea of raising fish for strictly decorative purposes occurred to Europeans. To this day, the really advanced and extensive development of ornamental fishes for outdoor ponds is an oriental forte.

One of the best reasons for putting in a pond is often overlooked by people who are not into fish. If you wish to landscape your property to increase the beauty of your surroundings, to impress the neighbors, or for whatever reason, there comes the problem of growing grass, shrubs, trees, or flowers. Now, in many places, our yards simply are not suitable. There may be too much direct sun, or maybe the soil is all hard clay or nothing but fill sand thrown in by the contractor who built the place. In many places one can't even grow grass without shipping in yard after yard of expensive topsoil. Then, when you've spent a bundle getting the lawn in, you get to spend the rest of your life mowing, fertilizing, trimming, and general maintenance.

Now, if you have some nasty sun-baked area where grass won't hardly make it, you've got the perfect area for a pool. You make a decision as to how elaborate you want to get and how much you want to put into the original installation, do it, perform a little maintenance in Spring and Fall, and enjoy. By the way, for a pool 18 to 24 inches at maximum depth, you'll use less water to fill it than you would normally use to water a similar area of good grass in a summer's time.

There are so many advantages to putting in a pool, whether or not one is really concerned about fish, that there seems to be no good reason why we don't see more garden pools. There are two that I can think of. One is that until recent years, it was quite difficult and expensive to put in any sort of pool. About the only choice one had for any kind of worthwhile installation was to put in concrete, which is expensive and requires considerable skill and a constant danger of frost ruining the whole thing. Another problem is that any small body of water is almost irresistible to small children. They head for it like iron filings to a magnet. This attraction is not too serious for school-age kids, but for toddlers the pool, even a very shallow one, is an active danger. You must provide the same sort of protection for a pool of any size that you provide for a ground level swimming pool.

There are many, many ways to put in a pool these days. Garden pools can range anyplace from Sutter's monster (beats mowing that 1/4 acre) to a tub sunk in the ground with a miniature water lily. They can be constructed from anything from concrete, to various kinds of plastic and fiber glass. It all depends on your imagination and resources. My own preference is for black builders' polyethylene film because of cost, simplicity, and versatility.

When you decide to put in a pool, the first step is, of course, to look over your property, and decide where it should be put and what shape. You want an area that provides the maximum of full sun for as much of the day as possible. Ornamental plants such as water lilies like all the sun they can get. Trees should also be avoided when possible, because it can get to be a real pain digging through tough roots, and too many leaves in the water can cause unnecessary problems. Don't forget to allow enough room on all sides for some sort of edging and space enough that you can work from any point around the circumference. If you plant something with thorns right up against any point, that's right where you'll have to get to for some sort of necessary maintenance.

The tools needed are simple enough. A shovel, or as many shovels as you can draft hands for, a good level, and a board or 2x4 long enough to span the longest dimension of your pool. Start by laying out the outline of the pool with a garden hose, chalk, or whatever you choose, and cut out the sod within the outline. Dispose of the sod and start digging. If your soil is firm enough to hold its shape, it's a good idea to leave a ledge about eight to ten inches under the water line and ten to twelve inches wide. This is to hold potted plants such as marsh marigold and papyrus etc. The depth of the pool should be at least 18 inches to provide thermal stability. Neither plants nor fish appreciate temperatures that change too fast, and for some reason, shallow water seems to encourage some fish to jump out. There is no real need to go much deeper than this, unless you are planning to leave your fish out during the winter. If you are, it may be necessary to go as deep as four feet to leave the fish enough room to live below the ice. Michigan is not known for its mild winters.

One reason for not going too deep is that it takes a lot of water. Remember, sooner or later, you are going to want to drain the pool for any of a number of reasons. If you don't have a ditch or sewer close at hand, and you have more water than you can spread out across the lawn, it can get to be a problem.

When you reach the depth you have chosen, make sure that the earth is clear of all stones, roots, tools, and what have you. If the soil condition is such that you can't be sure there's nothing there that could punch through the plastic film, you can get a little insurance by lining the hole with a few layers of newspaper. The thing to remember at this point is that if it is possible for the plastic to get punctured, it will. You will be walking on it, and water is heavy stuff. You must be very sure there are no sharp points anyplace.

The next step is to prepare the outside rim of the pool. It is a good idea to construct a small rim of earth around the pool-about two-inches higher than the surrounding lawn. This is to prevent ground water from running into the pool, carrying with it any fertilizer, insecticides, and all such good stuff that you and the neighbors have been using in order to grow a crop of grass.

Next, take the long board and the level, and make sure that the rim of the pool is reasonably level all around the circumference. It is amazing how many humps and hollows there actually are in an apparently level stretch of ground, and every one will show up very clearly as soon as there is water in the pool.

The next step is to install the liner. Spread the plastic film across the hole, smoothing it across the bottom and shaping it to the sides rather loosely, with a generous overlap around the upper rim. As the pool is filling, smooth out such wrinkles and creases as many be possible without tearing the film. It will not be possible to eliminate them all, but they won't show much, so don't get too concerned at this point.

As the water level reaches the top, you will probably spot some spots that are not properly leveled. Simply raise the flap of plastic film and add or remove enough earth to smooth it out. At this point, stop to consider the fact that it is going to rain, and there will be times when the pool will overflow. Bog gardens can be nice, but not in the middle of the lawn. Simply decide where you want excess water to go, and make a low spot in the rim, and some sort of channel to lead the water away.

To finish off the edge of the pool, you can use patio tiles, flagstones, or whatever appeals to you. Just place the edging, and tuck any protruding plastic out of sight. Let is set for a couple of days so the temperature stabilizes, and you are ready to start adding plants and fish.

Goldfish and Koi are the obvious choices, and certainly the most ornamental, but there are some other possibilities. Silver and Golden Orfe are often used in Europe, but they are not usually available here. You might consider such things as Paradise Fish, Blue Gouramis, and White Clouds, among others. Many of our aquarium specimens enjoy a summer out, and what pool life does for their color is an astonishing thing. You'll find that almost anything you put in the pool will breed, and a well planted pool will provide enough protection, so that some of the fry will survive.

Plants in the pool are not just for the looks. You will find that the ornamental plants also serve to prevent the pond from becoming a mess of green soup, provide security for eggs and fry, and protection from predators. A visit from a coon or a heron can be a real disaster!

The hardy water lilies are usually the first choice. Most of the available varieties are large, fast growing plants that provide magnificent blooms in a number of colors and shades. Their large, flat leaves cover a great area of the water, providing shade and cover for the fish. In my experience, the only maintenance they require is to split up, fertilized, and repotted in the Spring. I plant them in tubs with the top of the tub two or three inches under the surface. I would let them stay there throughout the winter, and by Spring the tub would be completely clogged with roots. I would use a machete or hatchet to chop the clump in half, replant the best half, and that was that for the rest of the year. Some authorities recommend stuffing a bag of dehydrated manure down in the tub the last of July or so to encourage more blossoming, but I never found it necessary.

Tropical water lilies provide a greater range of colors and interesting habits, such as night blooming and viviparous leaves, but they take a little more care and are not, of course, winter hardy. Most varieties are quite difficult to keep alive over the winter, and it's usually considered wisest to just restock each Spring.

There are a number of other plants that add to the interest and attraction of your pool. There are a number of Arrowheads, Cardinal Flower, Calamas, Taro, Papyrus, Water Lettuce, and many more. Water Lettuce and Water Hyacinth are floating plants that provide huge masses of hanging roots to protect small fishes and fry. Most of the rest are plants that should be potted at one depth or another, and you are limited only by what you want to put into the project. About the only pest you are likely to have trouble with is black aphids on the water lily leaves. They don't seem to do much harm, but if they bother you, you can easily weight down the infested leaves for a day or two and simply drown them off.

It is not usually a good idea to stock your pool with plants, snails, or other critters from the local waters. You can be almost certain that you will also introduce a number of pests and parasites. Stock acquired from a reputable nursery may not seem as adventurous, but it will be clean and save a lot of trouble. Ask Bob Sutter how much fun he's had with fish louse and anchor worms. Remember, the small the pool, the more intense the infestation is likely to be.

If you want a fountain or waterfall, they are easy to accomplish with a small pump, a length of tubing, and a little imagination. A fountain using fresh water is not a good idea for several reasons, among them being the fact that such an arrangement keeps the water too cool for the lilies. One other thing to remember is to place the pump off the bottom of the pool. If the pump sits flat on the bottom it will clog up with every bit of leaf and sediment that manages to find its way into the pool.

Black is the color to use for your liner for several reasons. For one thing, black lasts much longer in either polyethylene or PVC. For another, most colors really don't look good when the pool is set up. Believe it or not, the wimpy blue that most fiber glass shells come in really looks nasty.

During the first couple of weeks the pool is set up, the water will probably turn green and will not be too attractive. As the water ages and the plants take hold, the water should start to look "black" and transparent, which works very well to show off goldfish, koi, and plants. If possible, avoid using any medications or algaecide, as they will not be all that effective, and will inhibit the development of the desirable plants to some extent.

Usually, the best tactic is to develop patience and practice a policy of benign neglect. This is a low to no maintenance project. In almost every case, nature will do the job for you if you give her a chance.