Calgary Ponds

The summers are beautiful in Calgary, especially, with the tricking sound of a pond or waterfall. Ponds and Waterfalls seem to be the biggest trend in Calgary these days. With the Calgary boom as of the last few years, it seems that everyone and their dog want a waterfall or a pond to enjoy for themselves.

This, my fellow friends of Calgary, is a good thing. A pond or waterfall can add huge value to your home.

Most ponds in Calgary require cleaning about once a year. The bigger the pond, the less maintenance as natural processes will be able to do a better job of maintaining things. The clean out of your pond typically takes a couple of hours.

This is a big decision and there are a few things you must take into consideration when going ahead with a pond or waterfall for your home.

The first thing you should think about is your what you want. Personality and lifestyle are two important things. Do you have kids? Pets? This can be important in determining if a pond less waterfall or a pond is right for you in Calgary.

Maintenance is also a big one. There are not many companies that maintain ponds or waterfalls in Calgary, so it is best to figure out what you want to do. Both ponds and pond less waterfalls can be low maintenance if built properly.

Most people in Calgary pump the water out (to a safe spot that won't become too saturated with old pond water) and then pressure wash the pond bottom. Rinse and repeat a few time to get things a clean as possible.

In the winter, most people in Calgary leave their fish in their pond and get a small heater to keep a hole in the ice. It isn't the cold Calgary winters (even though we are blessed with Chinooks) that kill fish, it is the trapped gases underneath the ice. (especially in a small pond)

In regards to pond less waterfall maintenance, it is really easy. Many in Calgary leave their waterfall turned on for the winter, as a waterfall in Calgary in the winter looks amazing iced over. Beware that it doesn't get too cold or your pump could freeze.

Lastly, plant selection is key for you Calgary / Pond waterfall.For ponds, you need to take into account the pond's ecosystem and how different plants will survive in Calgary. Do you want to overwinter your plants or will you just re plant tropical’s every year. With waterfalls in Calgary there is not as much concern with ecosystem issues, but the important thing for anyone in Calgary who owns a waterfall is to plant it so it looks beautiful all year round. For this reason, most people in Calgary plant their waterfall with perennials.

Beneficial bacteria that you buy at the store and add to your pond will work well to help keep things in balance throughout the season once your pond is clean.

If things get too cold for your pond less waterfall make sure that you take your pump in for the winter. All that has to be done is to put your pump is a bucket of water in a frost free location.

Also, one must think about operating costs. A typical Aquascapes pump will cost in the neighborhood of $30 - $50 per month to run. This isn't too bad, but it can add up. Not everyone in Calgary is rich.

Well, these are just a few important things to look at when deciding on purchasing a pond or waterfall, but they are all important.
For more details: http://waterstones.ca

Calgary Gardeners

A Calgary Garden is about the seasons. Gardeners in Calgary should make the most of each season and appreciate what it can do for their Calgary Garden.

Passion is a word that could define a Calgary Gardener.

On the other hand, spring is when Calgary Gardens come alive again.

We only have short season to enjoy our gardens in Calgary. So as a Calgary Gardener, I like to make the most of the short gardening season.

The warm smell of lilacs permeating many Calgary Gardens on a nice spring day is what I look forward to every year. A passing bee loves to stop from flower to flower collecting nectar from a favorite Calgary garden.

The sometimes drawn out but mild Calgary winters are for reflection. Once should pay attentions to ambitions and desires during the off season.

Ecosystems come alive as vibrant colors re-emerge with only a small number of Garden plants.

Your pets suddenly have more energy as you let them outside to play around the garden, on a warm spring day in Calgary.

Oh yes, spring. It is a wonderful thing.

Calgary has a growing season of about four to five months. When winter hits, Calgary and city gardeners are used to a phenomenon called a Chinook.

Chinooks are good in the sense they save the people of Calgary really cold winters, but they are bad for Calgary Gardens. Plants in a typical Calgary Garden will get tricked into thinking that it is summer before being hit by really cold spells. This can be no good for plants in any Calgary Garden.

Cedars are one particular Calgary garden plant that should be wrapped with burlap if you want any hope whatsoever of survival.

A gardener friend of mine once told me that winter was invented so gardeners can decide what they want to do next spring. I believe it.

As well, with all of this, Chinooks cause plants to dry out. The warm blowing air quickly can remove an insulating blanket of snow and dry things out pretty quickly.

After the winter season in Calgary, spring arrives and gardens rejoice with life once again.

As a Calgary Gardener, I have learned like all seasons. This includes winter and the so called dreaded Chinook.

We must all celebrate and enjoy the off season so that we can get back to the basics and have fun designing the Calgary Garden space for the next coming season.

Or maybe if it is winter, get some indoor plants and create an indoor Calgary Garden!

Happy Gardening!

The newly formed plants again have life, completing the cycle of another year.

Every year that goes by seems to go faster than the last!
For more details: http://waterstones.ca