Mount Venus Nursery – Bench

One of the best nurseries in Dublin! 

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Leaky Pond Solutions

Pond water levels fluctuate regularly, especially in warmer weather, due to evaporation.  However, if you are topping up the water in your pond on a regular basis then the problem could be a leak….

The solution to a leaky pond depends on what materials your pond is constructed from.  If you have a PVC liner there are various products that can patch up a tear or hole. Look for pvc pond repair kits in any large hardware/DIY store.  Of course, empty the pond first then patch it up!

If you have a concrete pond then the solution is a concrete sealant.  The best seems to be G4 Sealant.  I have used this at work and it works a treat.  NJ Power in Dublin can supply this.

Swimming Pond – Chelsea Medal Winner

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Ellen Landscape Designs’ swimming pond was a first for Chelsea Flower Show in 2005, winning us a Silver Medal in the process.  The swimming pond is bordered by plants that filter the water naturally, allowing us to swim close to nature without the need for harmfull chemicals.

See www.ellenlandscapedesigns.com for more details.

Small Water Features

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A selection of really different bespoke small water features for the smaller garden space.

Ellen Landscape Designs can help you design a water feature just for you – give us a call.

www.ellenlandscapedesigns.com

Bloom 2011 – Water in the Show Gardens

The show gardens at Bloom 2011 show just how varied and different water can be in the garden.

The overall show winner from Mount Venus Nurseries gave us a very modern and playful take on a pond.  A sunken circular area constructed from concrete was the centrepiece surrounded by  calm, still water.  The water ran down into the seating area and was recirculated back to the pond. 

Jane McCorkell gave us a minimal calm oasis with elegant water features and a cool blue pond. The water was crisp and clean and complemented perfectly the modern layout of the design.

Raised Pond Materials

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A Raised pond can be a beautiful focal point in a garden.  But what can you build it from? 

Obvious materials include natural stone, brick and rendered blockwork with a coping to set off the pond and provide a place to sit close to the water.  But why not try something else?

Woven willow is a very natural looking alternative cladding to a pool, as is low box hedging. Both need a rigid inner frame of blockwork or brick and a waterproof lining (EPDM). A durable timber coping on the top finishes it off.

Zinc, copper or lead cladding can provide a sculptural architecture look.  A patina develops over time on the copper, turning it from a shiny metal into a deep brown then a green verdigris colour.  Corten steel has been used a lot in recent times and can add a modern ‘rusty’ feeling.  Polished concrete also adds a crisp modern feeling.

With all of these materials, you have to choose the right one to match your overall garden feeling and look.  A more natural and wild garden might look good with a stone walled pond, however a touch of modern formality, such as a zinc-clad pond within a wild area can lift your garden onto another level.

Please see www.ellenlandscapedesigns.com for more water features.

Rainwater Harvesting

 

There are many clever ideas for using water to animate the garden by collecting stormwater from the house.

Many people have water butts, but you can go further and create stormwater channels to take the run off when they overflow. These channels (perhaps taking the form of a mini rill) can direct the water into a pool or “swale”.

A swale is a planted channel, or depression, around 150mm deep. The channel may be grass or pebbles with the odd plant or it may be filled with plants.

Depending on how much rain you have, you can select your plant palette accordingly. Try plants such as Eupatorium purpureum (Joe Pye Weed) and Caltha palustris (Marsh marigold) for wetter parts of the country and Fragaria virginiana (wild strawberry) and Arundo donax (Giant Reed) for dryer areas. If you are very dry, you could put a waterproof liner under a section of it to retain the water. You could, of course, direct the downpipe straight into your rill or channel, or create a planter under the down pipe.

Planted Swale

Pebbles in the planter dissipate the energy from the torrents of rain and an overflow from the planter can redirect the water into a channel, rill or the standard drainage network (with a filter). The planter allows you to grow plants that tolerate periodic wet conditions.

Rain Gardens and Sustainability

This video from the American Society of Landscape Architects simply explains the benefits of  thinking about water in the design of landscapes…

http://www.asla.org/sustainablelandscapes/Vid_WaterManagement.html

Water Features

There are so many types of water feature available for todays garden – modern, traditional, calm and open, secret and private. 

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Ellen Landscape Designs can help you find the best for your own outdoor space – we can even design a bespoke solution for you – just give us a call!

Or see our website www.ellenlandscapedesigns.com for more information.