photo credit: Martin Pettitt

First let’s define what is a wildlife pond. A wildlife pond is a natural environment hosting a self-sustaining ecosystem. A spot in your property backyard where nature has regained full control and you are merely an observer.

What are the steps to create wildlife backyard ponds?

1. Your pond must be located where wildlife has a free and undisturbed access. Best spots are the very edge of your property and close to nature.

2. Follow the building tips described below.

3. Borrow water from an existing wildlife pond, naturally occurring ones are best.

4. Let nature take control.

5. Eventually the environment will take care of the rest.

What can you expect? Well, if you take care of the details, you will have an autonomous ecosystem filled with a variety of living creatures and with little need for maintenance at all.

Building a wildlife pond.

A wild life pond is built using any informal outdoor pond plans, but your equipment list will be smaller as there is no need for filtration or aeration, nature will take care of this tasks. An important point to add is that fish will destroy your insect population, the basic food for other wildlife animals, so this kind of pond won’t host any kind of fish in it.

The best place to locate your wildlife pond is at an edge of your backyard, as close as possible to nature. But avoid problems, far from your house and neighbors property as the pond will attract insects, toads and other animals.

To create natural hiding places for the wildlife you want to attract, keep the vegetation around your pond as high and untidy as possible, but allow human access to enjoy and take care of it.

A secret ingredient that will make the difference. Find a naturally occurring wildlife pond, take some water from it and introduce it into your pond. The organisms you got from the natural pond will populate your newly created wildlife pond.

What kind of animals can you expect? The water borrowed from the natural pond will start an insect population. Your first visitors will probably be pond skaters and eventually dragonflies. With insects in place yo will start attracting their predators, toads and birds. If your site won’t let easy access to animals you can by some toads and introduce them to your backyard. But if your pond start growing mosquitoes or other undesirable insects you can add snails to keep the water clean.

Pond building have a large number of options, and wildlife ponds are not always the most popular, but if well planned and executed it can be a wonderful part of your backyard.

Looking for some ideas and inspiration for your outdoor pond, then visit pond-building-mastery.com to find essential tutorials, know-how and tips about pond building.

photo credit: annrkiszt

Below you will find 7 essential tips to make sure your outdoor pond project is successful.

1. Inspiration from books, magazines and the Internet. You can find inspiring pond photo books in your local library or bookstore; also websites like flickr.com and youtube.com can be researched for images, tutorials and tips.

2. Inspiration is all over the place. Once you start looking you will find ponds and water features everywhere; parks and public buildings just to name a few. Take pictures of things you like and dislike, so later on, when designing, you can easily refer to.

3. Choose your pond location. Remember that a pond is not a mobile feature in your garden. Think of how close you want it to your house or neighbors property. Keep it away from sources of debris like a tree that looses many leaves. Place it in a spot where you can enjoy it from a window or at a relaxing corner of your garden.

4. Choose your outdoor pond style. If you would like to match the architecture of your house then a formal pond is probably your choice. Formal pond examples can be found in palaces and monuments both old and new. If you are looking for something more natural that will blend with the environment and your garden, then informal ponds are your choice. Informal ponds will imitate nature’s rivers and lakes with sand shores and lots of vegetation. The most important issue here is to keep your pond in harmony with your backyard design.

5. Additional design tips. Waterfalls and other features can be added to your pond but take its style into consideration. What kind of fish will you introduce and what are their needs? Does your ground allow easy digging for a below the ground pond or maybe you need to build it above the ground with a nice brick or stone wall?

6. Keep a close eye on your budget. Make sure you have the skills and resources to complete you pond building project. Sum up the materials, construction and maintenance expenses, including professional help if needed. If you need to cut building costs or reduce your efforts take a look at pre-made pond kits in the web or local stores.

7. Keep your pond Safe. Safety is your number one priority when it comes to children and pets playing around your garden. Also keep the stable surfaces around the pond and your electric installations water proof. A good quality liner is a must to avoid holes in your ponds due to rocks and ground movement. Clean and uncontaminated ponds are not only a maintenance issue but a safety one, both for your family and your fish.

Pond building is a complex hobby that can become very enjoyable if you take your time to plan and maintain it. Get your family involved in it from the very beginning making it a project enjoyed by everyone in your household.

Want to find out more about Pond Building, then visit Michael W.’s site on how to build the best outdoor pond for your needs and dreams.

photo credit: Mr.Thomas

This stage is easy to miss when the rest of the backyard is also waking and crying out for attention. But spring maintenance is very important in the Koi pond. Just remember when the temperatures are around 50 degrees its time to clean the pond and set it up for another year.

Since the Koi have been in hibernation, this is a time when they will be more susceptible to attacks from organisms such as bacteria, fungi, parasites and viruses. By cleaning the pool and adding treatment solutions you will be able greatly reduce the amount of disease. You will want to add another treatment once the temperature warms up to ensure that your Koi will be well protected while they gain energy and redevelop their immune systems.

Once the weather has warmed up the Koi should be ready for another healthy season in the pond.

The Koi pond is at its peak in the summer when the temperatures are beautiful and inviting. You are able to enjoy your pond more then during the cold winter months. Watching their antics and hand feeding them will offer much enjoyment to the backyard oasis. But remember, there is still maintenance that needs to be done to the pool to ensure the Koi stays healthy and the pond thrives and is beautiful.
photo credit: HousemanStan

The oxygen level in your pond decreases in the summer months so precautions should be taken. This is particularly important if you live in an area where temperatures stay high for the majority of the year. One sure sign of a problem is if you notice your Koi hanging out at the top of the water, and they seem to be gasping for air. This may be an indication that your pond does not have a high enough concentration of Oxygen.

Heat also brings on potential parasite and illness, which are not noticeable to the naked eye. You will need to watch your Koi for signs of illness. These signs could be that your fish are rubbing against objects, scratching, shaking, or shivering. Each symptom could indicate a different type of illness, so it is important to watch them closely.

If you notice such changes, contact your local vet, pet store, or Koi dealer as soon as possible. Some parasites will cause little damage, but some Koi illnesses such as KHV or Koi Herpes Virus have a high mortality rate and need treatment as soon as possible.

With proper pond maintenance and healthy plants and your Koi pond will thrive and you fish should stay healthy and entertaining through all the seasons of the year. Koi add much color and enjoyment to the backyard oasis and can live for up to 30 years. So checking on their health and keeping the pond clean is essential.

As you plan your backyard design you can work with three basic design principles or really get into landscaping and choose up to twelve design ideas. The middle of the road design project could include five design ideas and this is where this you tube takes you.

The five principles of backyard design are:

Simplicity
Simplicity is the flow of bed lines and keeping the garden areas simple.

Rhythm and Line
The idea of rhythm and design is to have nice flow to your backyard garden areas. Keep the areas simple with smooth lines

Proportion
Pr0portion is the most difficult and challenging area in my opinion. You need to keep tall plants and trees in prop to people, buildings and trees. To often trees are bought and planted when they are small and cute and later when the tree in encroaching on the porch or electrical lines, you realize planning should have included how big the plant would grow later on.

Balance
Balance can be asymmetrical, symmetrical balanced or formal symmetrical. These stages of backyard garden design may take the most time in your planning and making decisions.

Focal Point
Focal point is something that brings your eye to one place and then leads your focus to other areas.  An example of this would be a pond, fountain or garden paths. A focal point ties all individual points together and brings harmony to the yard.

The end result of any backyard design is to make your backyard living area a backyard oasis where you can relax and escape from the rush of everyday life and enjoy quiet times and family activities.