Water Garden | Out And About With Rich Wood: Back Yard H2Ohhhh
By Rich Wood
Connection Writer
About ten years ago, we installed a small backyard pond that included a pump that re-circulates the water up to a gently, tumbling waterfall. This peaceful water garden with its bubbling harmony of sounds has been one of the best additions to our home. Yes, it still requires some attention and effort to keep it looking and running smooth, but not any more than any other type of garden. If you ask my wife I’m constantly tweaking it week after week, season after season, moving rocks from side to the other, but I like to think that I’m simply “improving” it- helping it to evolve with its natural surroundings. Over the years, the trees, shrubs and flowers we’ve planted around the pond, along with the plants we’ve added into the water itself, have transformed our little, “pond project”, into a small, but very attractive aquatic environment. This mini water habitat comes with the added bonus of appealing to a good number of local wildlife for our viewing pleasure, up close and personal!
Water is a natural magnet. All living things on our planet need it to survive. It’s no different in our own neighborhoods and backyards. The key is the sound of moving water! The same pleasant sound of falling water that we enjoy listening to also attracts wildlife, especially birds. Since we added the small pond and waterfall to our backyard, our regular visitor list includes: robins, cardinals, doves, catbirds, blue jays, chickadees, grackles, house finches, goldfinches, song sparrows, and an occasional squirrel or chipmunk, and yes, two floppy-eared beagles! With this summer’s extreme hot weather, our little water garden has become an important oasis for many of these critters, which we see using to drink or take a quick bath every day. Another cool surprise has been the discovery of a frog or two (Green Frogs) that somehow find their way to take up residence in our backyard pond. We’re not sure how they get here since there isn’t a natural water source within a 1/2 mile of our house, but we really don’t care as long
Click here to view rest of article from original site
|
|
|
