First of all don’t plant Norfolk reed. It can grow horizontally at 5m a year and one three acre lochan we know went from 30 plants to about 30 000 in ten years or so. Second, don’t use a cheap liner, because they often leak. Third, don’t...
With all the fantastic weather we have been having in July it is worth talking about how the heat and light can affect your pond. The first thing it does is increase the chances that the pond water goes bright green with a phytoplankton bloom. If...
Last Friday, Water Gems were privileged to be invited to the opening of the Huntercombe Hospital Garden that we built last Autumn. Author Ian Rankin carried out the honours to officially open the garden, which was designed by Carolyn Grohmann of Secret Gardens. Its aim...
This is part of a big wildlife pond Stuart has just finished near Linlithgow. The beach, large stones, timber and heavy planting with big native plants (marsh marigold, flag iris, water forget me not, water mint etc.) all provide different structures for invertebrates and amphibians...
Here are some photos of one of our recent habitat creation jobs for Froglife. These two pools have Bentomat liners under them, not our usual EPDM liner. Another unusual element for us is that they are not planted. In some ways this is the ideal...
These are my favourite ornamental fish, golden orfe - long lived and beautiful. Try not to feed your pond fish too much. The more you feed them the more nutrients end up in the water and the more likely you are to have problems with green...
Water Gems has won another Gardening Scotland gold medal for the garden they built for the charity ‘Freedom from Fistula Foundation’. The garden, designed by Carolyn Grohmann of Secret Gardens, was circular in shape, allowing visitors to view the garden from all angles and incorporated a curving boardwalk...
Everyone at Water Gems was delighted to learn we had won two more BALI awards at this year’s awards ceremony. Both gardens, designed by Carolyn Grohmann of Secret Gardens, were built in Edinburgh’s New Town. The BALI National Landscape Awards are awarded every year at...
Build ponds under big trees or in deep shade, they never warm up and become anaerobic as leaves decompose. Clean ponds out too thoroughly or often. An established pond has a balance that youwreck when you strip it. Use concrete blocks or slabs in...
April’s pond tips are about the various types of material you can use to make a pond with. The commonest means of retaining water for a pond is a flexible liner. This has lots of advantages – it is relatively cheap and will take pretty...