Ironing out the Wrinkles of Garden Water Features
Vložit
- čas přidán 5. 09. 2024
- Garden water features are notorious for being mercurial - they can look supreme or they can cause problems. Pump blocking, green water, loosing water, are probably 3 of the main concerns but there are more. Bunny talks to expert Mike Tillett of Tills Innovations (www.WaterFeatureSpecialists.co.uk) and the Oase Helpline (oase.com) to discover how to design and keep your water features looking their best.
#water #gardenwater
I buy barley straw which helps clarify the water. I live in Houston, Texas which requires vigilance to keep the water clear.
Hello!! How are you doing? Hope am not being rude for writing you first??
The garden looks lovely would love to see a video tour of your garden please?
I don't agree. I think the main decision is whether you want a wildlife-friendly water feature or not. If you just want a pretty pool of water, not for creatures, then there are bleaching agents you can buy for ponds. Most water will go green in sun, even with a pump or plants. If you want to help creatures, just live with the greenness. You can try and cover most of surface with oxygenating plants, but the water can still go green. I find my mini-ponds lose about five litres a week. I recommend Hozelocks mini pumps. Small pumps are good for reducing splash outside the pond so you don't need to top it up so much. I have found some deep window boxes that work very well for mini ponds. Window boxes (without drainage holes) are ideal as they will be protected from UV damage and are cheap. Concrete planters can work well too. Don't have lighting or fish if you want to encourage wildlife.
Good points
It depends on what wildlife you want to encourage. Small containers with standing water are perfect for breeding mosquitoes. 😁
Tree frogs have made themselves at home since adding a very modest pond Thanks again
I bet there are a lot more things too, it’s fascinating seeing the speed which they find water 🐇
Thanks so much for all your very helpful info....you are a star Bunny
Great video, Bunny. A lot to consider when adding the element of water to your landscape.
Why British never talks about mosquitoes problem with water feature?
I often wonder this same thing!!
And doesn't it seem like everyone over there has one of those big carved out stones full of water to dip their watering can in!
I believe they called them water butts, or something...
But the thing that gets me is those water holding whatevers are never COVERED!!
So YES!
As a person living in mosquito country, (I mean, Texas)
I'm ALWAYS wondering,
"What about MOSQUITOS!????
Do they just PRETEND the mosquitos don't exist???
Stiff upper lip & all that!!
For the longest time I thought the Brits simply must not have any mosquitos!
But now I've learned more about their weather, and it DOES get hot over there, so no mosquitos CAN'T be right!!!
Only a small proportion of people are allergic too mozi salvia. Everyone gets bitten but only a few know it and want to do anything about it. Mozi dunks or bits work very effectively. You only need a teaspoon for a small pond. Larva are killed off within 24 hours and the effect last for around six months. I could not run my small pionds without them.
@@gardengatesopen I couldn’t agree more. Lol, I thought I lived in mosquito country (northern Italy, south of Venice) but recently I have come to realize that mosquitoes are ubiquitous and to thrive they need just a little bit of standing water and some warmth. I have seen footage of wildlife in Siberia (snow foxes or wolves, can’t remember exactly) that were covered in clouds of mosquitoes. And it’s not all that hot at that latitude even in summer.
Definitely it’s hard to understand why Brits seem to ignore the problem. I have seen a video of a guy who installs ponds in England and the close up of a very small pond he was working on clearly showed the water teeming with mosquito larvae. The comments were full of questions about that. Apparently if the water is continually moving and the surface is never still, mosquitoes can’t drop their eggs (or something like that). Idk but not everyone is cavalier about that. Not long ago Alexandra of the Middle Sized Garden channel posted a video about her friend installing a water feature. Despite the assurances about “finding a balance” she was adamant in adding a few small fish to take care of mosquitoes larvae. So there! Some Brits do mind getting bitten. 😃
@pansepot1490
Ha! Excellent for Alexandria!
I don't know how I missed that on her channel, I watch her too!
And- OH My Gosh
Mosquitos IN SIBERIA???!!!!!! 🤦🏼♀️
Ugh.
Just when you THOUGHT there was a place to run to...
Well, THAT does it then!!
I'm crossing Siberia OFF the places to move!!!
No really, we're definitely meticulous about mosquito control over here!
I'm becoming convinced that mosquitos can hatch in just moist soil...
There are times I wonder where the heck they're coming from!
My property has the lowest elevation over here in my neighborhood, so all the mosquitos gravitate to my house!
I even make regular checks to my neighbor's yards for standing water!
Of coarse, they are ok with me doing that! You definitely have to have a good friendly relationship with your neighbors!
And we all hate mosquitos with a passion!!
I found one trick that seems to help a little bit...
Altho, it does involve leaving a bucket of standing water outside ON PURPOSE!!
Which, btw, was very difficult for me to get used to doing!
The trick is to add the product Mosquito Dunks to that bucket of water once a month.
Mosquito Dunks have a natural chemical BT in it. (don't make me try and remember exactly what BT stands for!)
But BT doesn't let Mosquito eggs hatch.
And it doesn't hurt any wildlife if they drink the water. Which is important.
So the thing is, the water in the bucket attracts the egg laying mosquitos, and they do come lay eggs in that water, despite the BT being in there.
And then the eggs never hatch.
So the idea is this trap will hopefully decrease the mosquito population.
Of coarse, this trap only works if you DON'T have ANY standing water ANY where else as far as the eye can see!
But since starting it, the swarms of biters HAVE decreased immensely around here!
With Britain having such hot Summers now, I keep wondering if there's soon going to be a nationwide revolt on mosquitos!!!
Or will it continue to be a silent war?!!
Great discussion Bunny and very helpful.
I have a birdbath that I place river rocks in. The stones go green, and I have to scrub them in order to keep the birdbath clean. Is there anything that won’t hurt the birds.
I have to add that I have a tiny garden in comparison to yours it’s more like postage stamp size.
To my knowledge there isn't. If anyone else knows would be very interested!🐇
Interesting topic. However the sound disappeared during your conversation with your guest. Had to go to CC.
Hello!! How are you doing? Hope am not being rude for writing you first???
I have a 3tier fountain from a well known brand and no matter what I’ve done it splashes absolutely dry within hours. Is the answer a truly weak pump?! What’s the fun in that? Is there some other fix? Im so frustrated & angry, I’d like to resell it but I would feel bad passing it on. How could Campania sell this in the 1st place?? I lusted for it for years and now it sits there making me miserable
sounds like a dodgy design.
❤❤❤❤❤ I ❤ Bunny 😊
My husband and I put in a beautiful three-tiered water fountain a couple of years ago in our yard in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California. We haven't run it after the first month or so because large crows used the fountain as a bathroom. The only solution we have thought of is to eventually build some sort of fruit cage around the fountain, which would enable insects to access the water in the fountain, but not the large crows. Any other ideas/alternatives would be much appreciated.
Awe I love my crows.. very intelligent birds.
The fountain became a toilet for the crows. Quite ugly.
@@user-qm8xi1ri6r oh.. 🤢I thought you meant bathroom like they were bathing.. not the other bathroom activity.