The Koi garden needs to be well planed out in advance. There are many factors to consider whether you are building a Koi garden from scratch, planning one around an existing Koi pond or adding Koi to a garden that is already in place. Your planning will be well worth the effort as a Koi garden offers vast enjoyment to all who experience it!



The three primary elements that make up a Koi garden are:

- the pond

- the Koi

- the plant life

Unknown to many beginners is the fact that Koi fish and plants do not get along well together! When one thinks of a garden they most often think of plants...adding Koi to your garden can increase your enjoyment beyond measure. Mixing the elements properly can give you years and years of pleasure as well as creating a happy, healthy and thriving environment.

The Koi fish is known to enjoy giving their owner a difficult time! Unless your pond is prepared properly the Koi can "dig" into the plant soil and the larger Koi fish have even been known to knock plants over, creating a real mess in the pond, which can lead to real problems for you, the pond owner!

You can use pea gravel with larger stones or netting placed over them to easily eliminate "digging" by your Koi fish and anchoring your pots will prevent them from being tipped over. There's not a lot you can do, however, to keep your Koi from chewing on some of the foliage as they sometimes consider it as a tasty treat!

Lilies provide an excellent environment and are a quality choice as a plant to be used in your Koi garden. Some lilies thrive in a shallow pond and other varieties like deeper water. Lilies will not help oxygenate the water but the shade and shelter they provide will be enjoyed by the fish.

Beware: even a small amount of lawn chemicals can destroy your Koi fish. This is why placement of your garde is so vital!

The depth and size of the pond must be well thought out. Koi fish thrive in a pond that is at least 4 feet deep. In climates where there are cold winters they need to be able to have unfrozen water to hibernate in at the bottom of the pond.

They also need depth for protection from such predators as fox, racoons and cats. Additionally, if you make the pond large enough you can add more fish as you become more comfortable with your Koi-keeping skills. Koi also can reach a large size and require more room than they did when you first put in your pond so be sure to keep this in mind as well when you are still in the planning stages.

Placing your pond out of direct sunlight is ideal. Using a shade tree also keeps flying predators from eating all your beautiful koi. Not much is more appealing to some birds than a colorful and tasty fish! Netting should be used as protection from leaves, debris and predators.

A carefully thought out "Koi Pond Plan" will provide you with years of enjoyment in your Koi garden!