Posted by Tim Boettcher
Rain water harvesting is a ancient practice in many parts of the world. In India there is even a caste of people who have specialized in it since time immemorial. Their techniques have been passed down through generations and are still used. However, in other parts of the world it seems to be a new and innovative idea.
A process of urbanization has been in progress since the eighteenth century and cities are still growing around the world. State and government water supply systems tend to operate as essential but largely unnoticed utilities. The availability of potable liquid in taps is taken for granted.
However, practices of water collection and use are currently undergoing a dramatic reformulation. Global warming is under way and projections are that temperatures will rise by 4 degrees Fahrenheit by 2050. This will affect all aspects of supply, from inflows to run-off and evaporation from large liquid bodies. Thought has to be given to more efficient and sustainable use of what is in effect the world's most important and threatened natural resources.
Until recently it was widely assumed that it was so abundant that it had only to be redirected from dams and rivers into individual homes. The responsibility for doing this in cities was accorded to utilities that had the obligation to deliver potable refreshment through taps. Contemporary research has revealed, however, that it is often more economical for individual home owners to collect both precipitation and energy directly from the sun and the sky, as was the situation long before urbanization.
In at least one American state there are laws that forbid people to collect precipitation that falls from the skies onto the roofs of their houses. The argument is that what falls from the skies actually belongs to the state and not to individuals. Legislation has prevented people from gathering the precipitation that falls onto the roofs of their houses. In the light of recent research such legislation is changing. Now, people who have special permission to use wells may also collect rainfall and use it for gardening.
Products such as collection barrels, filters and pumps are now available in Colorado and those who wish to may install ponds and features fed naturally by H2O that falls on roofs as has been done for so many centuries in India. Modern pumps are an improvement on pure gravity since they can switch on and off automatically to maintain levels to ensure continuous gravitational flows.
Gardeners may choose between available options. A simple barrel may be used as a reservoir to feed a pond, or a larger underground system with a subterranean filtration plant may be installed. In both cases a small pump will be required to circulate the contents so that there is hardly any wastage. Conservation is in action, and also sustainable development, since moist micro-environments are created.
In all plumbing activities gravity plays an important part. In gardening it is useful to use gravity in order to create natural effects, with the natural gravitational flow of streams and rivers. This can only be achieved with the use of pumps, containers and filtration systems that help to recycle liquid so that it is used economically to create micro-climates within gardens. These tiny aquatic worlds within the world can be fed by rain water harvesting and in their own small ways help to counter global warming and water shortages.
In some parts of the world precipitation is sparse. It may occur in the form of mist or drizzle. In Oman, for example, the mountains in the southern parts of the country receive days of heavy mist. Some of this is collected from the leaves of trees and bushes as droplets fall onto plastic sheets. It is fed into containers and then pumped into homes. This seems to be be a satisfying way of harvesting rain water since technology and natural features are neatly synchronized.
True Pump carries the complete range of Aquascape's Rain Water Harvesting products including rain barrels and the RainXchange product. Call or email us now for a custom designed product to fit your specific requirements.
Tags: aquascape, aquatic garden, aquatics, Fountains, Garden, Gardening, irrigation, rain water, rain water harvesting, storm water, stormwater, water features, Water Supply, Waterfalls
Posted by Rob Stanley
Some property owners will consider adding a pond or some form of electric waterfall feature to increase the value of their property. Some keen fish lovers may also do this to extend their hobbies into the outside air.
Cost is a key consideration and you will find the cheapest alternative and most reliable are the pre-cast plastic, which can offer different levels as you may wish to give your fish some variety. Pond liners or concrete are alternative option but can be more costly, so do consult a landscape gardener for advice.
It does not matter if you are building a pond for your fish or to populate it with plants or even attract other local wildlife the most important decision is still the position you place the water feature in your garden.
As position in the opinion of many landscape gardeners is vitally important some easy choices can be made how much shade you need, but you do not want your pond easily covered by leaves so it is best not to put it directly under trees. Trellis fencing, which you can cover later with plant life can be used to create some shade and is often used, this will also serve as a useful windbreak.
Position can affect the level of algae so it is very important to keep your fish and plants healthy. That is why we cannot say enough times how useful the experience of a landscape gardener can be.
Choice of plants for a water feature is very important especially if you are combining different depths of plants and this is where a landscape gardener can be so valuable. As you will need to decide the type of feed required as they all come in varying sizes and reach their peak at different times of the season.
Once you have decided on the shape type and scheme for your pond you should find that most landscape gardeners are more than willing to help you decide the best place for your feature. One thing most people overlook once they have their pond up and running is algae control as the last thing you want is a green pond and dead fish.
Floating plants can be an attractive feature in ponds but you must consider where to place the water extraction area, as you don't want the plants to cause a blockage in your system.
You need to keep your water healthy so placing a UV sterilizer somewhere between the filter and the return system is normally the best place as well as making it accessible for changing.
We really suggest you get the best advice possible.
Enjoy your final creation.
Rob Stanley
Learn more about Water Features. Make the right decisions before you start
Tags: A water feature, Gardening, Gardening Articles, landscape gardeners, landscape gardening, tips on water features, water features
Posted by Julian Gray
Solar energy water garden ponds add a extremely opulent feature to our private back gardens. They have the ability to inject new life directly into even just about the most dull gardens and develop into a focal point that you are going to be pleased with. It's strange to consider the problems gardeners used to have when they were building a garden pond. They would seriously have several factors to consider including how to setup an electrical power supply directly from the house which was far from being easy. Hiding the wires and cables inside the property was a genuine difficulty and performing the same outside under the land surface would probably lead to major complications. All of this effort was just so you can to power a water pump in the pond.
You need to do this because it provides essential oxygen into the water which aids organisms to produce and filter the water allowing it to be habitable for fish and other small creatures. Failure to do this straightforward function it won't permit algae and weeds to cultivate and this can wipe out any life in the pond. But with a solar energy water water-feature pretty much everything is more efficient and you have a fantastic, efficient garden pond invention that eliminates the requirement for lengthy and complicated electrical power supply cabling and the complications that come with installment.
You'll be able to fit a solar powered water garden pond up in a few minutes. There aren't any complicated directions to follow. You locate the solar energy panel in a location in your back garden that receives the longest amount of sun, especially throughout the hottest part of the day. It is possible that this placement may not be where your garden pond is positioned. This is not a complication on the grounds that most solar powered water pond packages incorporate close to five meters of wire so you are able to position it as much as fifteen feet away.
There are numerous factors why you would require a solar powered pump in your garden pond. The very first reason for installing a water pump is for oxygenation but you may also utilize them for really attractive water features such as fountains and waterfalls. A good number of home owners believe that solar energy water features will primarily operate when the sun is directly pointing at the solar panel but that isn't true. The solar energy panels can continually generate energy even during gloomy conditions. Even throughout basic daylight then can recharge the batteries and this can enable them to work through the course of darkness for approximately three hours.
Solar power can also be used for lighting networks all around the garden pond. The electrical power could be charged up again in during daylight so when night takes place you can expect to have plenty of electrical power there to provide a spectacular lighting result which can keep working for many hours. Solar powered lighting is easy to install and is only a question of positioning the solar panel so that it attract the maximum amount of direct sunlight as possible. Wire from the panel is connected to the lighting equipment. An cost-effective lighting system such as this will really bring your garden pond area to life after sunset.
Learn more about Solar Garden Ponds. Visit Julian Gray's website where you can find out all about Solar Fish Ponds installation and information.
Tags: Garden, Garden ponds, Gardening, Gardening Articles, Ponds, water features
