If handled incorrectly, water gardening can contain many pitfalls for the unwary gardener. Handled correctly however, water gardening is a worthwhile and rewarding project, and will enable anyone hours of contented relaxation.

Whether you’ve got a small garden, or a large garden capable of handling an extensive water garden, you’ll still have to plan down to every last detail, otherwise you might just be left with something you didn’t bargain for.

If you already have a small lake or pond in your garden, or even a little winding stream, your water gardening efforts just became that much easier. Unfortunately, for the vast majority of homeowners, such a bonus is just not on the cards, so you’ll have to build your water garden from scratch.

If you’ve thought about water gardening then you’ve probably already thought about the how’s and where’s of how to obtain water for your water garden, and equally, how to dispose of it with ease. This being the case, we can now concentrate on the actual water gardening.

There are plenty of DIY books in the market these days on building your own pond, so I won’t go into too extensively. The basics you’ll need to know about are simple really. Your pond will need to be designed in a way that will fit within your garden confines, and budget confines. Once that’s done, mark out the edges and start digging to the required depth. Line with pond liner when finished, and weight down with stones and plant pots, as required.

If you want your pond to include fish you’ll need to decide early on in order to make the pond a livable habitat for the fish. Hardier fish that can survive winter are a must if you want them to live for some time. Koi, and Goldfish are the most popular varieties, but your local aquarium can provide you with more information. Also keep in mind that Koi tend to grow to about 2 feet in length when fully mature, so it’s desirable to leave them some swimming room for later on.

Next we can see about populating your pond and its surroundings with the plants that are so essential to water gardening. As an obvious choice, Lotus is very popular and easy to grow. You also get many varieties and shades in the Lotus family to choose from, so it does make your life slightly easier. Be careful not to overpopulate your pond with plants as this will detract from the beauty of your garden, and make it seem cluttered instead.

Place the rest of your chosen plants artistically, in and around your pond area, and you’re good to go! Your efforts at water gardening will be much appreciated by all and sundry, and once you’ve finally gotten over all the hard work this labor of love entailed, you too, will appreciate the pleasures this bountiful water garden has to offer you.