Garden Pond Fish

When and if you do decide to purchase pond fish there are several things that you should know about keeping fish. Understanding the requirements of fish is the first and most important step in keeping them.

Small garden ponds will not support very many fish and once they begin to grow, you will have a problem keeping them healthy. For this reason, it is vital that you decide what type and how many fish you want before building your pond.
Fish are cold blooded creatures and are affected by water temperatures, most active in the spring, thru the summer and into September.
The young ones will double in size in a typical summer and may even eat from your hand, but make sure that they have a lot of room.
Knowing how to keep your pond clean, because fish will pollute it and will take no time at all to create their own distress, will ease a lot of your worries about keeping pond fish. Installing bio-filters and a pump rated for the gallons your pond holds, will go a long way in keeping your fish healthy. Refer to our pond calculator page for information on this.

Stock the pond a bit at a time over several weeks giving the filter time to mature with the beneficial bacteria needed to keep up with the waste produced. Replacing the pond's water with a one third change every month should help freshen the pond and dilute the pollutants.
Live plants are an absolute must because they help keep algae in check and with plants you are making a "natural statement". Keeping the pond as close to nature as possible without using a lot of harmful chemicals, is the ultimate goal.
Feeding your fish is a science in itself. All of it depends on weather and water temperature. In winter, when it is colder, fish will not eat much so over feeding them will lead to pollution of your pond. To put this simply, fish feed more often when the weather is hot and very little when it is cold. Over time you will learn how much to feed them and when to feed.
With all of this in mind, have fun adding a few fish to your pond knowing that you can enjoy them from year to year.

Small Garden Ponds

Total cost for the filter was under $150.00. Adding several rocks found in farmers' fields, and a few choice aquatic plants rounded out the space.
The ease of small garden ponds comes with lower maintenance, coupled with lower electric consumption.
The wow factor comes with the landscaping around the small water garden and the plants within.

People marvel at not only the sound that the cascading water makes, but the beautiful plants that grow in water and on the edge of the pond.

Several considerations should be taken into account before the first shovel of ground is begun.

Positioning of the small water garden feature should be obviously where you will be able to enjoy it taking into consideration the amount of shade, crucial if you plan to keep fish.
In addition to this, the elevation of the ground and condition of the soil should factor into location of the pond because you want to be able to dig it, but also see it from your house or deck. Obviously, if your terrain is hilly or rocky, there could be some modifications necessary before the digging begins. If there are no trees to shade the area, then you will need to place plants in and around the pond.
Plants are covered in detail on our aquatic plants pages, but for our purposes here, we will talk about floating plants such as water hyacinths and waterlilies which also provide shade with it's leaves. These species not only shade the water surface, but help control algae growth, act as natural filters, and discourage a common small garden ponds pest from propagating: mosquitoes.
The plants are readily available at any garden store for a reasonable price. Now that we have our location and shade determined, we will look at supplies needed to build that little pond.

Building garden ponds

Building garden ponds

If you so desire, you can purchase small garden ponds kits online or in your local store.
These come complete, making it easy to install in a weekend, after you dig the hole. If you wish to purchase separate components, you will need a liner, or a preformed pond, a filter, a pump, tubing and fittings. Your local garden store should have all of these parts in stock and will be all to happy to advise you on pump and filter sizes. Or, you can check on the sizes needed by just simply referring to our calculator pages.
Regardless of which type of pond you choose, you will need to cover the liner rim or the pre-formed rim with some kind of natural material. You want it to look as natural as is possible. We simply used large rocks as mentioned above, and a lot of mulch around not only the rocks but the small garden ponds plants that set at the edge of the pond.
If you have just a small space, whether it is a yard, or even a patio, consider adding your very own small water garden feature and watch it grow.

Build a Pond

How to build a pond and have it look like nature's own work 

 Use large stones embedded into the edge of the liner.

This example shows the use of large stones around the waterline.
This works quite well with a planting bed behind as a backdrop or leading up to your backyard waterfall.

But if you were to use large stones all the way around your garden pond it may give the impression of a ring around your pond.
Large stones may also hide the edge of the pond making you look over the edge of the stone work to see the pond.
Large stones will also hinder your access to the edge of the pond making it harder to maintain.
If you use this type of edge treatment use smaller stones to fill in the gaps around the larger stones. This will help to hide the liner and give a more natural look.

Use flat stones around the garden ponds edge

In this example flat stones are used with a planting bed as the backdrop.

This works quite well also and will allow you to keep a lower profile of the surrounding earth.
In this picture the surrounding earth does rise above the ponds elevation but I am sure that you can envision how it would look if the surrounding landscape sloped downward or was level.
Flat stone work will also allow for better access to the ponds edge.
If you use several layers of flat stone all overlapping each other there is no need to use smaller stones to hide the liner.

Use pea gravel along with larger stones to retain the pea gravel

This is a stunning example of how to incorporate a garden pond into your patio.

How to build a pond using pea gravel that ties the pavers into the ponds edge quite well and the larger stones retain the smaller sized stones.
Access is also easily obtained at the waters edge allowing for easy pond care and feeding of fish.
Not shown in this photo is the fact that it has a stream originating at the front door and going through a series of small waterfalls before entering this pond.
Also in this pond there were some very large Koi fish adding to the enjoyment of this garden pond.
This in fact is a place of business and this garden pond is intended to create a relaxing environment to all workers and prospective clients who enter the front door.

 

Highest Waterfall

Highest Waterfall

Powerscourt Waterfall is Ireland's highest at 121m (398ft.) and is 5km from the Main Estate. It is set in one of Irelands most beautiful parklands at the foothills of the Wicklow Mountains.

As you drive from the gatelodge towards the Waterfall you are surrounded by Beech, Oak, Larch and Pine trees some of which were planted over 200 years ago. Look out for the Giant Redwoods, which are native to Northern California where they may grow up to 80m high and live for 4,000 years so they are still youngsters!

The Waterfall is an ideal location for Summer picnics and bbqs. There is a vast amount of space to keep children entertained. There is also a playground for younger children. But be mindful of the other inhabitants of the parkland! It is a haven for wildlife and children can have fun trying to spot some of the locals – the Chaffinch, Cuckoo, Raven and the Willow Warbler. Some other inhabitants are the Sika Deer which were introduced to Ireland in 1858 and there may be a red squirrel or two.

Don't fret if you forget your picnic as there is a kiosk on site that serves everything from Coffee, Tea, Hotdogs, Sandwiches and of course ice cream. The kiosk is open everyday from the 1^st June to the end of August and year round at weekends – weather permitting. There is ample car parking and toilet facilities at the waterfall. Dogs are welcome but they must be on a leash.

Take time to explore the pathways that meander through the flora and fauna and most of all walk on the grass, hug the trees and listen to the birdsong.

Read about Early Tourists to Powerscourt Waterfall

Special Promotion! Kids Under 12 will get a FREE POPCORN every Wednesday until the end of August at the refreshment kiosk at Powerscourt Waterfall. Simply show your ticket to get some scrumptious popcorn to enjoy alongside the great views at the waterfall.

Opening Times

• Jan/Feb/Nov/Dec 10.30am - 4.00pm
• Mar/Apr/Sept/Oct 10.30am - 5.30pm
• May/Jun/July/Aug 9.30am - 7.00pm
• Closed 2 weeks prior to Christmas

Entrance Fees

• Adults €5.50, Student/OAP €5.00
• Child (U12) €3.50, Children (U2) Free
• Family Ticket €16.00 (2 adults & up to 3 children)

Annual Membership

• Annual passes allow unlimited entry to Powerscourt Estate, Gardens and Waterfall during normal opening hours.
• Members can also enjoy exclusive access to Powerscourt River Walk featuring 3 km of tranquil pathways and secret woodland trails.The River Walk's main pathway was laid in 1868 by the Viscount of Powerscourt so that his family could enjoy the serenity of the River Dargle. Click here to read more about Powerscourt River Walk
• Individual membership costs €95.00 and family membership costs €160.00 for two adults and up to four children. To purchase your annual pass please call into the reception at Powerscourt House or at the Gatelodge at the Waterfall entrance.