Vought Water Gardens Blog
Spring is in the Air!
Winter is almost behind us and spring is here. The temperatures are starting to warm up and we are itching to get outside and enjoy our yards and water gardens. Springtime in Alabama can be unpredictable, warm one day and freezing cold the next. So, you should delay planting your tender vegetation (annual flowers) until after you pay taxes. The 100-year freeze date is April 1st and there are no recorded freezes after April 15th. We know you’re excited about the warm days but it is best to wait. Remember the late freezes we had last spring?
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Posted March 21st, 2008 in Articles
Spring Cleanouts 2008!
Spring…. Get it while it’s hot! Or at least unseasonably mild that is. I can hardly believe we are entering springtime this early. The weather predictions call for an early warm up so we are beginning our cleanouts now. The way we determine when it is most appropriate to perform this essential duty is that we look at the long range forecast and measure the water temperature in the pond. When the temperature in the pond is within ten degrees of the water supply, you know it’s less stressful for the fish.
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Posted January 17th, 2008 in Care & Maintenance
Why Not Give a Pond for Christmas?
Having trouble picking out that perfect gift for your family or friends? Are you one of the lucky ones who already knows the joy associated with the water garden lifestyle? You are in the unique position to share that feeling with those closest to you. Why not give them a pond for Christmas? A low-maintenance and ecologically friendly pond will give them enjoyment for years to come. What better way to surprise your family and friends than by giving them an investment in their landscaping that in turn increases the value of their home. For a limited number of people, we could even arrange a “while you were out” type of surprise for a small feature. Imagine their delight, coming home, schlepping gifts, able to enjoy a brand new waterfall! Continue reading »
Posted November 18th, 2007 in Articles
Fall Maintenance on Your Pond
We’ve recently experienced a record breaking hot and dry summer but fall is quickly on its way. We are already experiencing crisp cool nights followed by cobalt-blue skies during the day. This also means that you may need to do some fall maintenance on your pond to get it ready for winter. A little maintenance now will go a long way and keep your pond healthy and ready for spring.
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Posted October 31st, 2007 in Seasonal Care
Tortoise Pond at the Birmingham Zoo
Considering a late summer trip to the Birmingham Zoo? If so, then make sure to stop by and see one of their newest additions. It is a Tortoise Pond and it was donated by Vought Water Gardens. Continue reading »
Posted October 7th, 2007 in News
Austinville Ponds for Kids
Our most recent Ponds for Kids project took place on Tuesday, August 28th, at Austinville Elementary School in Decatur, AL. This is the second Ponds for Kids (PFK) project Vought Water Gardens has completed in Decatur with the first being at Eastwood Elementary School. Continue reading »
Posted October 7th, 2007 in News
Orange Beach Ponds for Kids
As a follow up to our Ponds for Kids event at Orange Beach Elementary on May 8th, photos of the event were featured in the Orange Beach Community Newsletter. View the Ponds for Kids feature here.
Posted June 2nd, 2007 in News
Birmingham Area Parade of Ponds
We are busy preparing for our Fourth Annual Birmingham Area Parade of Ponds. Each year these pond tours go on across the country and give pond owners the opportunity to invite fellow enthusiasts into their own private paradises. Continue reading »
Posted May 17th, 2007 in News
Randolph School Outdoor Classroom Dedication
The folks at Vought Water Gardens have been busy this month with Education. We are wrapping up the school year with a frenzy of Ponds for Kids events. In April, we were participants in the Randolph School Outdoor Classroom Dedication Ceremony.
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Posted May 2nd, 2007 in News
Conservation Education Article
This article was published by the Alabama Wildlife Federation this Fall. It details the Ponds for Kids program at West Morgan Elementary in June 2006. Part of the Alabama Outdoor Classroom program, Vought Water Gardens with help from the West Morgan Elementary students and community volunteers, constructed a 180 square foot pond with a stream and waterfall.
Read the entire article in PDF format!
Posted October 19th, 2006 in Articles
Pond Project to Appear on Junk’d TV
In September, 2006 approximately a dozen contractors from around the country converged on Greenville, SC to build a pond for musician Edwin McCain’s assistant. Continue reading »
Posted September 29th, 2006 in News
Clean Your Filter Components
The filter components in the ponds we install are as low maintenance as possible. If your pond is equipped with a skimmer, you should empty the debris basket as often as needed to maintain good water flow.
The filter pads and brushes in the skimmers and biofalls are designed to be cleaned out no more than once a year. The sensitive bacteria populations can be damaged if disturbed more often than that.
The bog systems that we install are truly the best filters available. They need very little care and have no pads to replace. They work just like Mother Nature!
Posted September 25th, 2006 in Care & Maintenance
Keep Your Bacteria Healthy
Keep your bacteria healthy and well-populated by inocculating your pond regularly with Aquaclearer Bacteria. I can always tell when I go to someone’s house whether they have been using the bacteria. It’s like being a dentist and knowing whether the patient has been flossing. You don’t even have to ask.
You also can keep the bacteria more healthy if you always run your waterfall. Aeration is critical to keeping your pond healthy.
Posted September 25th, 2006 in Care & Maintenance
Add Fish Gradually
When adding fish to your pond, add no more than two or three at a time about every six weeks. This will allow your ecosystem to adjust to the change.
Choose only fish that are healthy. Also, make sure that your fish can live together. That means, don’t add bass to your goldfish pond…gamefish will eat your koi and goldfish!
Posted September 25th, 2006 in Care & Maintenance
Balance Your Ecosystem
The key to working with Mother Nature is to develop the right balance of plants, fish, and bacteria. Keeping it simple, the more plants you have, the better. But, don’t over do it. You will want to be able to see your fish.
Too many plants in the pond may crowd the stream and divert water over the sides of the liner, causing a leak. Too many plants may also compete with each other for the available nutrients in the pond. If this happens, the blooms may not be as plentiful.
Too few plants can cause algae blooms.
Posted September 25th, 2006 in Care & Maintenance
Beautification Award
Vought Water Gardens was awarded the President’s Trophy by the City of Hoover Beautification Board at its annual luncheon in September, 2006. Continue reading »
Posted September 15th, 2006 in News
Is Your Pond Ready for Winter?
Our ponds experience a change of seasons just like the rest of our landscaping does. What we do to our water gardens as they adjust will affect the health and enjoyment of our pond.
But you’ll be happy to know that a little preparation now will pay big dividends in the coming seasons. We are not talking about vast lists of time consuming chores that will disrupt your already busy autumn. The job of winterizing your pond is shortened even further if your water garden takes advantage of the new technology available such as flexible EPDM rubber liners, biological waterfall filters and skimmers. Continue reading »
Posted August 5th, 2006 in Seasonal Care
Understanding Your Ecosystem
An ecosystem is plants and animals living in a community and interacting with one another and sharing available resources. An ecosystem encompasses all aspects and elements of this environment including the living or biotic such as plants and animals, and the abiotic or nonliving components such as the air and the water and the sun’s energy.
Ponds are ecosystems, in that they play host to a total interrelationship of all organisms in the environment such as: birds, fish, frogs, plants, and many microscopic organisms. Thus, ponds not only create a natural ecosystem in their defined environment, but they also fit into the community or life cycle of not just one homeowner’s back yard, but of the entire ecological region. Continue reading »
Posted August 5th, 2006 in Articles
Common Questions about Water Features
What size is best?
Location and size are the two most important decisions to make about your new water feature. By some estimates, 90 percent of original water features sold are replaced later with larger ones. We never hear “I wish I had built a smaller one.” Generally speaking, a water feature that is at least 180 square feet will give you plenty of space to enjoy lots of different plants and fish. You should locate your new water feature as near the house as necessary to be able to view it from several places within the house and your favorite outdoor sitting area. Usually this means next to the patio with the waterfalls facing the family room window or kitchen window. Continue reading »
Posted August 5th, 2006 in Articles
Why Install a Pond Today?
- Getting on our schedule now means enjoying your pond sooner.
- Resolve to start spending time with your family looking at something other than the television. Caution, conversations could erupt.
- Carpe Diem! There is no time like the present and you aren’t getting any younger.
- Migrating birds and wild life will need a place to visit and rest on their trip.
- You are a trendsetter in your neighborhood.
- A conservationist once said that the best time to plant a tree is five years ago. The same holds true for a pond.
- It’ll get you off the hook for giving your wife that weather alert radio for Mother’s Day.
Posted August 5th, 2006 in Articles
