Water features like fountains and ponds are great ways of adding life to an otherwise dull and empty yard. Such features can either become the focal point of the whole yard, or become wonderful additions that can complement any existing fixtures there. However, in order to truly enjoy the aesthetics of your yard’s water features, regular and proper maintenance is a must.
Quick Debris Removal
Removing any organic matter that fall into your pond or fountain basins is one that you should make a habit of doing regularly. If you have trees and plants in your yard, chances are that dried leaves, twigs and bugs often fall into your water features. You can easily remove these things using a net or a skimming basket, which shouldn’t take more than a few minutes to complete.
Algae Growth
One of the biggest challenges of owning water features like ponds, fountains or mechanical waterfalls is algae growth, the over growth of which can render your water features dirty and unsightly. Your first line of defense against this problem is to limit the amount of direct sunlight that hits your water features. For example, if you are still building your pond or waterfall, try to select an area in your lawn which is shaded by trees. In addition, you should scrape the algae off manually as soon as you notice them, or you can use an algaecide. However, be careful about using algaecides, especially if you have fish on your water features since algaecides may contain some harmful chemicals that can harm them.
Water Cleaning and Changing
Cleaning and changing the water in your ponds is essential not only to make it look clean and fresh, but more importantly if you have any fish that live in it. You can clean the water with the use of water cleaning and treatment agents, but make sure to follow the instructions well, as too much chemical can kill the fish, or the birds that drink from your bird bath or fountain. In addition, you should make it a habit to change the water once you see them turn green and feel slimy.
These are just some of the many things that you can do in order to keep your yard’s water features structurally functional and beautiful, and be the envy or your friends and neighbors.
