How to Create a Beautiful Pond Garden

Build a Garden Pond Paradise

The above-ground pond included with our greenhouse kits creates an optimal opportunity for growth. It aids the growth of your plants in your raised beds, acting as the greenhouse’s primary source of thermal mass, but it can also foster the growth of aquatic plants and fish. It can even promote the growth of a peaceful environment with soothing sounds and art.

“Creating a beautiful garden pond doesn’t have to be complicated. It can be as extravagant or as simple as you like. I have toured so many Growing Domes in my two years with Growing Spaces, and I never seem to see it all. Every year someone is doing something new and unique. From pond plants to murals, the water tank really adds a little something extra to the space.” – Kenzie Jackson.

Water plants for your Garden Pond

Like a backyard pond, one of the most important steps in creating a thriving ecosystem is keeping it clean! You can help prevent algae growth in your pond garden by covering 65 – 80% of the pond’s surface. Our favorite way to do that is with aquatic plants.

There is an array of different plants that grow in the water and that suit different environments – floating plants, marginal plants, submerged plants, and oxygenating plants.

Common floating water plants include Duckweed, Azolla, Water Lettuce, Water Hyacinth, Parrot Feather, Water Lily, and Frogbit. Marginal plants such as Papyrus and Taro can also be grown in floating planters. You can get more ideas and care recommendations in our aquatic plant information guide. Our favorite resource for purchasing pond plants and floating planters is the Pond guy!

Fish

If you have pond plants in your garden, we highly recommend getting freshwater fish. The fish will create a supply of nutrients that is vital to your floating water plants.

The most common fish we see are Goldfish, Koi, Yellow Perch, and freshwater sunfish, such as Bluegill, Catfish, and Bass. You might also see the occasional Japanese Trapdoor Snail, an omnivore that loves to chomp on pond algae. It is also very common for Dome Owners to use the water tank as a central fish tank in aquaponic systems or as a place to breed edible fish like Tilapia.

“When I interview Featured Dome owners, I often find that they get attached to their new fishy friends giving them names and visiting often.” – Kenzie Jackson.

Pond Garden Ideas from Growing Dome Owners (Waterfalls & Spillways)

If you aren’t interested in pond plants or fish and want to keep things really low maintenance, you can still create a magical pond space with a solar-powered water feature. The water spillway that we offer here at Growing Spaces can be customized with decorative rocks, bowls, or anything else you can think up.

One other way to add a little more aesthetic to your greenhouse is to turn the pond into a mural. Keep in mind the pond still needs to be painted a dark color to absorb heat effectively, but it is a great place to get creative.

If you decide to keep it simple and forgo plants and fish, it is still vital to keep your pond water partially covered. Alternatives to floating pond plants can be as fancy or as simple as you like, ranging from a full-blown custom deck to a simple tarp or pool floats. You can even use large plants in your raised beds to create coverage over your pond or use the crossbar for potted plants.

Examples of Fully Custom Garden Ponds In Growing Dome Owners

Over the years, Growing Spaces has had new Growing Dome owners go above and beyond the standard pond, hiring contractors to create custom wetland areas or ponds big enough to swim in.

It is important to note that every above-ground pond that comes standard with our greenhouse kits are mathematically engineered to be the perfect size and depth for your specific Growing Dome and strategically placed under the Reflectix on the north wall for maximum heat absorption. Changing the original design can affect the performance of your Growing Dome.

Pond Care & Maintenance

Retired Growing Spaces employee and long-time Growing Dome gardener, Claudia Stover, who has long been considered an expert in all things related to creating and maintaining beautiful pond gardens, was kind enough to record one of her famous pond gardening classes.

Claudia reviews the best practices to maintain a beautiful and clean water tank in your Growing Dome Greenhouse in the video. She also reviews types of plants that grow in water, floating islands for your water tank, fish care, algae control, natural products, and cleaning your pond.

We recommend the 365 PondCare Kit.

From small ponds in the 15′-26′ categories to larger round ponds in the 33′-42′ range, we help you create a pond paradise.

If you are a Dome Owner that needs help installing or replacing the pond liner, give us a call. We also recommend using our Growing Dome Owners group on Facebook. It’s an excellent resource for those after-hour questions.

Growing Spaces

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