Mr Mason has had over 35 years experience in the fields of Horticulture, Recreation, Education and Journalism. He has extensive experience both as a public servant, and as a small business owner. John has held positions ranging from Director of Parks and Recreation (City of Essendon) to magazine editor.
John is a well respected member of many professional associations, and author of over thirty five books and of over two thousand magazine articles. Even today, John continues to write books for various publishers including Simon and Shuster, and Landlinks Press (CSIRO Publishing).
Excerpt from the book:
CONSTRUCTION
There are many ways of building a pond or stream, and your final choice normally depends on both the appearance you prefer as well as the cost and lifespan. Cheap water features usually have some disadvantages - either they don’t look as good, or they deteriorate and need reconstruction or expensive repairs after a relatively short time.
1) Concrete
This may be either a prefabricated construction (rarely used these days for anything but small constructions such as a bird bath), or constructed on site. On‑site construction is very solid and there is a great flexibility available to the designer in the way the pool is shaped. However, the cost can be high. Concrete must have a waterproofing additive (available from building or hardware supplies) mixed in to prevent water loss.
2) Brick or Stone
Raised pools or ponds can be constructed with brick or stone and lined with either concrete or a pool liner fabric.
3) Fibreglass and Plastics
Fibreglass ponds are usually prefabricated using standard shapes. The cost of constructing an original fibreglass mould is high, after which it is relatively cheap per unit to produce duplicates of that shape.
Some plastic or PVC materials can also be used, which have many of the same characteristics as fibreglass. They are not always as expensive, but nor are they as strong. Installation is easy and inexpensive but the design is limited to the shapes and sizes of pools which are commercially available.
4) Liners
A variety of tough, waterproof materials are available today which can be used to line a pond or stream. The basic shape may be formed from earth, timber or a range of other materials. As long as the final surface is relatively smooth so it won’t tear the liner, it is then only a simple matter of laying out the liner, fixing it around the edges, and filling it with water.
5) Earth Construction
On larger properties - lakes, dams and ponds can be constructed with an earth bottom in some soil types. The earth bottom may need to be treated prior to filling, to enable it to hold water.
WATER PUMPS
If you want water to move in the garden, there are only two ways to achieve this:
1) Naturally
2) By using a pump
Some people are lucky enough to have a natural spring or stream flowing through their garden, but that is rare. For most, the only real option is a pump.
There are excellent, small submersible pumps available starting at relatively cheap prices which are quite adequate for a small pool or fountain. For large features, such as a long stream, high fountain, or large waterfall - you need a much more powerful pump. These larger pumps may be submersible, or they might be housed in a separate chamber out of the water but protected from the weather.
EDGES OF WATER FEATURES
Pool, pond or stream edges can be created with stone, brick, tiles, rock, timber or even plants. Whatever you choose for an edge it must both stabilise the bank (preventing erosion) and create an acceptable visual affect. The edge may be raised above the level of the water, or it may actually merge into the water. The line of the water’s edge needs to fit with the style of garden it is found in. Regular, well defined lines are appropriate in more formal gardens, but in a more relaxed, natural style garden the edge should never be straight or sharply defined. Overhanging rocks and plants enhance a natural affect.
KEEPING THE WATER CLEAN
There’s nothing worse than stagnant, smelly water in the garden. To avoid this, you must either develop a healthy natural balance of plant and animal life or you must continually use chemicals which keep the water clean.
Using chemicals does pose a few problems. If they splash onto surrounding plants they can cause damage, and if you don’t continually test and adjust the chemical balance they will not accomplish the job. They can be a lot of work.
Sound advice on what water plants and animals to use may be provided by garden centres and aquarium suppliers. An appropriate choice is necessary if you are going to attempt to reproduce a natural environment. Many plants will oxygenate the water, as does moving water, keeping it healthy for fish and insect life.
Some plant varieties are frequently found near water but do not actually grow in the water. Other plants grow in the shallows on the edge of water where they are only slightly submerged, and yet others are deep-water plants and grow away from the edges. Achieving a good effect requires the use of a variety of types of plants.
OXYGENATING PLANTS
Plants which are completely (or almost completely) submerged, are essential to the health of fish and other water life. If you have too few of these plants, fish and snails will eat them faster than they can grow. If you have too many, they can take over, and clog up a pond. It is important to get advice about what and how much to use from a water garden expert when starting up.
Install oxygenating plants by burying the base in either compost or mud. Then place a rock and sprinkling of gravel on top to prevent fish from disturbing the material at their base. Eel Grass is one of the most commonly grown varieties. With ribbon-like, pale green foliage, it is well suited to temperate but not extremely cold areas.
Potamogeton crispus is another alternative with slender dark green leaves. It is suited to most climates.
If you like this you might also be interested in ACS Distance Education's correspondence courses:
http://www.acsedu.co.uk/Courses/Landscaping-Courses.aspx