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Koi ponds are built so that it can offer the most favorable living conditions for koi fishes. You will find them in backyards in most cases, however, they can also be placed in front yards if there is a lot of available space there. In the process of building koi ponds, the water and oxygen aeration are the biggest consideration. This will of course depend upon the size of the fishes.
Landscaping plays a major role in your Koi ponds. Fortunately, there are plenty of koi pond designs out there for you to choose from. While you may already have some preconceived ideas on how it will be designed, you have to ensure that it fits the whole water garden surrounding perfectly.
Below are some tips on how to build koi ponds based on the kind of landscape that you have.
1. Location.
While you may be tempted to put your Koi pond at the far end of your yard, its important to remember that you will have to continuously monitor its condition. You will have to check the fishes regularly. In addition, you also have to see if the plants are still thriving or if the fish have already feasted on them.
The location of the pond should be suitable for the changing weather conditions. It should not be too exposed during the hot and cold seasons. You can always add some extra protection for the pond in case you are not certain about how it will thrive in that location. Knowing your yard will help you determine where yo can place your koi pond.
2. Space.
Trying to determine the size of your koi pond is not like figuring out any ordinary ponds. This is because of the fishes will get bigger over time. You will be surprised at how much they can grow especially if you are taking good care of them.
The length of the pond is important and will of course depend on the size of your yard, slopes in your yard and overhanging trees, which will decrease the amount of available space.
3. Budget.
You need to have a budget set aside for building a pond for your koi. Take note that some of the fishes and other ornaments for it do not come cheap.
You may want to limit your expenses and make sure you are not overspending for it. Other not-so-important parts and materials can be added later on when you have additional resources. Remember, Rome wasnt built in a day, and neither should your pond.
4. Design.
There are various designs of koi ponds available to be seen over the internet. There will be a wide selection of styles, fishes, and plants, with most of them varying from the traditional to the incredibly unique, depending on the preference of the owner.
The great thing about designing a koi pond is that you can design it so that it compliments not only the rest of your yard, but your home. You can have it curving, square or round; and as a part of the whole landscape scene or let it stand on its own in a particular place.
When you have considered these things, it will be the time to build your koi pond. You have your choice of doing it all by yourself if you have the capability for it. If not, there are specialists out there that could surely build the pond according to your personal tastes and preferences.
Experts suggest that koi ponds should be installed first before the rest of the landscape. That way, problems will be prevented especially if the pond needs or be expanded or extended.
Once you are finished, you will realize that the planning, building and expenses is definitely worth it all. Your koi fish will agree!
A River Oaks couple contracted Exterior Worlds to design a contemporary garden behind the gym in their two-story home. The original garden was very traditional in both style and function, and was used exclusively as an area to plant foliage and various species of flowers. Its only ornamentation was a three-tiered fountain, which looked outdated and made noise throughout the night due to failing pumps. Our clients asked us to convert a portion of this space into something more functional, and to create a more contemporary garden design throughout the remainder of the property. They also requested we replace the fountain with a more contemporary water feature.
Because the garden had previously been designed in the shape of a near-perfect rectangle, we already had the basic geometry necessary for the development of a new, more contemporary style. We developed our landscaping plan by breaking this area up into proportional quadrilateral sections of varying size. Some of these would later be used as patio space, others as garden space, and the last and largest section would be converted into a far more sophisticated water feature and fountain.
We began the project by building a red brick patio over the first section just outside the window of the home gym. Rather than placing the bricks in a standard, linear fashion, we took a more eclectic approach. We laid the bricks in alternating diagonal rows that created a sense of immediate movement the moment you stepped onto the patio. This had the effect of drawing both the feet and the eyes toward the center of the property, and it also served to immediately establish the garden's new, contemporary design.
In the large central section of the property, we created a rectangular koi pond the size of a small swimming pool. We deliberately built it to be the central, dominating feature of the landscape that would anchor all other garden elements. We built a two-inch coping around the pond, stocked it with koi, and installed lighting in the fountain's corners at the end closest to the home. Our clients particularly liked this new water feature when it was finished. Neither of them were swimmers, but they had always enjoyed sitting by pools at the homes of friends. Now, they could sit by their own pond, and watch the koi fish swim around the lighted fountain.
To further develop the contemporary design of the garden, we added several more important landscaping features and physical structures. We built another patio, identical to the first, at the opposite end of the pond. This framed the water, bringing a sense of balance and refined containment to the landscape. We also built a sculpture garden near one side of the pond to add an artistic element to the water, masonry, and surrounding greenery. To do all this, of course, we had to significantly narrow the perimeters of the garden itself, so by the time we finished our construction, there was no room left to install a walkway. Working with what we had, as opposed to what we did not have, we built the walkway across the water. Large pedestals were placed in the pond, capped by large limestone pads that mimicked the effect of floating on water. These pads were large enough to support the weight of an adult, and provided both a means of transit across the pond, and varying points of observation from within the pond itself.
Contemporary garden designs like the one in this case study are typically a blend of geometry, natural features, and creative use of sculpture, masonry, or other man-made forms. The exact dimensions and layout of such a garden varies widely on a case-by-case basis. This is partly due to the fact that “contemporary” can refer to any number of progressive or eclectic concepts, rather than something definitive that can be identified as a specific artistic style or history period. Gardens designed in this manner often prove to be the most effective means of unifying a home with Nature itself, because forms that are both organic and inorganic are combined in new, innovative ways that blur the assumed boundaries between the natural and man-made, and create a new aesthetic based on natural tranquility combined with a passion for the eclectic and the progressive.