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Wildlife Gardener

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Splashing Out During Drought

Drought and water restrictions have raised the level of concern regarding creating water features in home gardens. Many people are under the mistaken assumption that water features are a contradiction to water conscious gardening.
While there is truth in the fact that large, cascading waterfalls and far spraying fountains are not particularly water efficient. The carefully planned water feature can save water!

Creating a water feature in your garden can be beneficial not only to the overall look of your garden but to the environment! A properly designed, installed & maintained water feature can not only save water but create a haven for wildlife already struggling to find water in the drought.

Water Gardening Myths Debunked!

Water features use to much water

Consider how much water is required to keep plants, lawn or even pot plants alive. Apart from the initial fill of your water feature, a properly designed and constructed water feature will require just the occasional top up. It is a common belief that water features are connected to water mains and are constantly using water. A water feature should always have a pump and a sump or reservoir that recycles the water.

The bigger the feature the better!

There is no need to create the Trevi Fountain in your garden; with water a little goes a long way. Often a smaller feature such as a millstone, patio feature or container water feature strategically placed is more then enough to satisfy the desire for the look and sound of water in a garden.

Designing a water friendly water feature

The first step here is to check with local authorities before designing your feature. Local council often imposes regulations that must be heeded. Container gardens are unlikely to require approval or be regulated by councils.

Things to consider!

1. Placement - it is best to site your feature away from wind and sun (unless using aquatic plants) to reduce water evaporation. Also consider the location of underground utilities eg. Electricity, Phone line, Gas etc.
2. Size - when designing wildlife ponds a larger body of water is easier to maintain than a smaller one. Container features containing no wildlife or plants require only
   minimum amounts of water and can be kept clean with water treatments.
3. Containers: Container water features tend to have no wildlife or plants and therefore only require minimal amounts of water and can be kept clean with simple water treatments.
4. Water depth - exposed shallow water heats up and evaporates quickly. For wildlife ponds (aquatic and plant life) a minimum depth of 45cm is required.
5. Splash - Splash causes water waste of criminal proportions. Consider features less likely to cause splashing eg. Trickling waterfalls rather than Niagara Falls!
6. Shape - although the overall shape is a matter of taste, consideration should be given to the vertical aspects of your feature. Sloping sides (eg. beach effect) produces shallow, warm water that evaporates quickly. If creating a wildlife pond rocks can be used as platforms to allow wildlife access to the water.
7. Fountains / Water Jets - although fountain jets look great, a bubbler or spout can be just as effective and loses little or no water from your feature.
8. Creeks and streams - can be wasteful. As the sun heats rocks and pebbles it warms the water resulting in evaporation. If you must have a creek, consider locating it in a shaded part of the garden and making it deep enough to reduce splash.
9. Council regulations: Don’t forget to check with local authorities before designing your water feature, as some councils have regulations that must be headed.
   
   

Saving Water

It is imperative that your water feature is constructed properly and with water conservation in mind. Whether you feature is a small natural wildlife pond or a designer contemporary water feature mistakes can be made that will waste vast amounts of water, even without your knowledge. It is often wiser and less frustrating to call in the professionals at this stage to ensure proper construction!

Top Water Saving Tips

1. Plants - if you must site a pond in a full sun position it would be wise to use aquatic plants that float on the water surface (such as lilies) to minimize evaporation by stopping the sun’s heat.
2. Fountains - if you must have a fountain ensure that the pond/reservoir is large enough to catch the splash. It is best to avoid fountains that spray in the air altogether. 
3. Pumps - use a submersible pond pump appropriate for the size and desired effect of your feature. Speak with a water garden specialist to size your pump correctly.
4. Eco Systems - create a balanced eco system in wildlife ponds with the aid of bio-logical filters etc to keep water clarity and eliminate the need to empty or partially empty the pond for cleaning.
5. Pets & Children - everyone loves water and this is especially true of pets and children. Children and pets love to play in water features, wasting the water or worse still, causing leakage.
6. Leaks - proper construction should mean you have a leak proof water feature. Keep an eye on your water level for significant drops that indicate leaks that need attending to.
7. Timers - can save water and energy by running the feature only at times when you are present.
8. Wind Breaks - hedging or planting can be placed around your water feature as a wind break. This prevents unnecessary evaporation. Be careful to choose no-toxic and non-invasive plants.
9. Still Water - the soothing qualities of still water in a reflection pond can be just as effective as moving water. If keeping fish or plants use an oxygenator (air pump) as well as a pump to keep live giving oxygen in the water. 
10. Topping Up - a catchment container for rainwater can be used to top up your water feature.
11. Pipes and Connections - make sure all pipes and connections are securely fixed to eliminate dripping pipes 
12. Frog Ponds - are not only water efficient but help to protect declining frog populations. Frog ponds also attract other wildlife such as lizards, skinks and birds.
    
    Some Great Ideas
    
    Decorate around your water feature creatively with interesting objects that need no water at all, such as rocks, bricks, gravel and deck areas.
    
    Check your water feature regularly for crack, leaks and maintenance problems that may lead to water loss.
    
    Consider using xeriscape (drought tolerant) plants such as Liriope around your water feature.
    
    Install a pond rather than a bird bath - bird baths evaporate quickly and need constant re-filling. Ponds are beneficial to more wildlife than just birds.
    
    Artificial waterfalls will splash less than rock waterfalls as they have been manufactured to direct water flow.
    
    Use preformed ponds in small ponds to reduce the risk of liner pierce or concrete cracking.
    
    Remember, aquatic plants don’t need to be watered!
    
    Add some life and soul to your garden!
    
    Water features, rather than wasting water, generally use less water than any other part of the garden. A well planned and managed pond can be a haven for troubled wildlife in times of drought.
    
    One of the nicest, not-to-be-ignored benefits of water gardening is purely psychological. Just when everything else seems dried-out and arid, your water garden can be a quiet haven of relaxation, your own backyard oasis.
    
    
    Author
    
    Danielle Dickinson is an avid water feature enthusiast. She is a regular contributor to Gardening Magazines. Visit her website http://www.waterfeaturesonline.com.au for more information on Buidling and Maintaining any type of Water Feature as well as a huge range of water gardening products.

'Guerilla Gardening' Digs L.A.
LAist - 0 KB- Found: 5 hours ago
Guerilla gardening is largely thought to have its roots in England, where folks have long planted unexpected gardens in neglected public spaces as a sort of call to action that highlights the misuse of land and repurposes it into something beautiful. They often work in crews or teams and go on carefully-planned gardening missions. Recently a local team of guerilla gardeners transformed a ...

Central Texas gardening workshops, seminars offer tips, advice
Austin American-Statesman - 0 KB- Found: 11 hours ago
Round Rock Community Garden Club 9:15 a.m. Monday . Judy Barrett lectures on 'Ecological Gardening Rain Barrels, Compost Bins, Potting Soil and More.' Baca Center, 301 W. Bagdad Ave., Building 2, Round Rock. Free. 218-5499.

Gardening Gift Guide
Carteret County News-Times - 0 KB- Found: 15 hours ago
(ARA) - Whether you have a few plants at your desk, a container garden on your deck, or a full-fledged garden in your backyard, gardening is enjoyed on many different levels.

Free UT event is a buffet of summer gardening activities
Memphis Commercial Appeal - 0 KB- Found: 20 hours ago
If you want to see plants thriving in the summer sun and learn about gardening throughout the seasons, you can join hundreds of like-minded people on July 10 at the 19th annual Summer Celebration at the University of Tennessee's West Tennessee Research & Education Center in Jackson.

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Vegetable gardening, though not for everyone, can be a very therapeutic endeavour. Planting the seeds, harvesting, and then being able to enjoy the resulting food on your plate is rewarding in itself. Then there is the physical health benefit of the exercise and fresh air.

Event marks 25 years of master gardening
Corvallis Gazette-Times - 0 KB- Found: 22 hours ago
The Oregon Master Gardener Association and OSU Extension Service have organized the 25th annual Gardeners Mini-College, scheduled for July 24 through 26. This years event agenda includes featured talks on rain gardens, gardening with native plants, backyard bees and alternatives to pesticides. Forums on spiders in the garden, winter vegetable gardening and the worldwide legacy of Clematis also ...

Gardening: Reader offers and competitons
Daily Telegraph - 0 KB- Found: 2008-07-04, 00:12 GMT
Gardening offers for Telegraph readers.

Free gardening classes
The Sacramento Bee - 0 KB- Found: 2008-07-03, 08:35 GMT
The UC Cooperative Extension master gardeners of El Dorado County offer a class on organic gardening methods from 9 a.m. to noon July 12 at the Agricultural Extension Building, 311 Fair Lane, Placerville. A class on summer pruning will be held from 9 a.m. to noon July 26. An additional class, "In Love with Lavender," will be held from 9 a.m. to noon July 19 at the El Dorado County Main Library, ...

Green gardening has its advantages
The West Frankfort Daily American - 0 KB- Found: 6 hours ago
Going green. Its a motto and way of life thats gained quite a bit of popularity lately, expanding beyond its original base of environmentalists and spilling over into the everyday lives of many Americans.

Local Gardening Events
The Lakeland Ledger - 0 KB- Found: 14 hours ago
GARDEN LECTURE SERIES LakelandSponsored by Lakeland Beautification Board and the city of Lakeland Parks & Recreation Department. John King will speak on "Butterflies & Birds."WHEN: 6:30-7:30 p.m. MondayLOCATION: Lakeland Public Library, 100 Lake Morton DriveconservationWORKSHOP ChampionsGate

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