A water garden is a great way to add a dynamic element to your backyard. Moving water adds both a visual and audible rhythm that soothes you after a bad day. It is also a great way to attract birds, butterflies, and other wildlife to your backyard oasis.
If you want to add a pond or water garden to your back yard, you may be wondering if your yard is big enough.
The reality is that you can create a water garden or pond in just about any backyard space. You can find a design to fit your space. You can choose from designs that range from a simple water garden in a barrel to a multi-layered pond complete with Koi and waterfalls.
Now some water garden features do require a bit more space than others. Here are a few things to consider:
- If you plan on having fish, you need to have a pond big enough to give room for the fish to live and exercise. The pool depth needs to be at least two feet to give the fish enough room to dive a bit. Most fish experts recommend going down a couple more feet for larger fish like koi. The width of the pool needs to offer enough swimming room that the pool is not overcrowded for the fish you plan on having.
- Be sure to give easy access room for maintenance. That means that shoving the pond pump and other equipment into a corner where it is not easy to get to will cause more problems than it will solve. Allow enough space for a fully grown man to stoop at the access port to the equipment.
- Don’t place your pond in a place that gets in the way of normal backyard activities. Keep the gate and pathways clear. Keep the area around the HVAC unit available for maintenance.
If you want a water garden in your backyard, you can have it. It just takes sizing and correct placement to make it happen.