http://www.outerspacesinc.com/landscapes_swimming_pools_outdoor_living_spaces_main_015.htm OuterSpaces Inc is the Philadelphia Mainline Areas Premier Designer and Builder of Exceptional Landscapes, Swimming Pools, and Outdoor Living Spaces Mon, 15 Mar 2010 20:05:02 GMT Web Easy by Avanquest Software Water gardens, also known as aquatic gardens, backyard ponds and garden ponds, have become popular in recent years. They have also been famous in Chinese and European history. Usually referring to a man-made feature, these gardens typically combine a pool with aquatic plants and often ornamental fish. Fixed items such as rocks, fountains, statuary, waterfalls and watercourses can be combined with the pool to add visual interest and integration with the local landscape and environment. Man-made ponds In the sixteenth century, Europe was recovering from the Black Death and towns were growing and prospering again. Renewed interest in Greek thought and philosophy led some aristocrats to reconsider the works of Hero of Alexandria in hydraulics and pneumatics. His devices, such as temple doors operated by invisible weights or flowing liquids, and mechanical singing birds powered by steam, motivated several European princes to create similar clever devices to enhance their public image. In Italy especially, some princes took things a stage further and constructed large water gardens incorporating mechanical devices in water settings. The best-known is the Villa d'Este at Tivoli, constructed in 1550 AD. A hill presented several fountains and dozens of grottoes, where water-driven figures moved or spouted water. Within 50 years there were imitations all over Europe; the best-known today is the Hellbrunn Palace, full of performing figures (human and animal), fountains that erupt without notice, and a water-powered puppet theater. Koi Keeping The common carp is a hardy fish, and koi retain that durability. Koi are cold-water fish, but benefit from being kept in the 15-25 degrees C (59-77 degrees F) range and do not react well to long cold winter temperatures, their immune system 'turning off' below 10 degrees Celsius. Koi ponds usually have a meter or more of depth in areas of the world that become warm during the summer, whereas in areas that have harsher winters, ponds generally have a minimum of 1.5 meters (4 1/2 feet). Koi's bright colors put them at a severe disadvantage against predators; a white-skinned Kohaku is a visual dinner bell against the dark green of a pond. Herons, kingfishers, raccoons, cats, foxes, badgers and hedgehogs are all capable of emptying a pond of its fish. A well-designed outdoor pond will have areas too deep for herons to stand in, overhangs high enough above the water that mammals can't reach in, and shade trees overhead to block the view of aerial passers-by. It may prove necessary to string nets or wires above the surface. A pond usually includes a pump and filtration system to keep the water clear. Koi are an omnivorous fish and will often eat a wide variety of foods, including peas, lettuce, and watermelon. Koi food is designed not only to be nutritionally balanced, but also to float so as to encourage them to come to the surface. When they are eating, it is possible to check koi for parasites and ulcers. Koi will recognize the person feeding them and gather around them at feeding times. They can be trained to take food from one's hand. In the winter, their digestive system slows nearly to a halt, and they eat very little, perhaps no more than nibbles of algae from the bottom. Their appetite will not come back until the water becomes warm in the spring. When the temperature drops below 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 °C), feeding, particularly with protein, is halted or the food can go rancid in their stomach, causing sickness. http://www.outerspacesinc.com/landscapes_swimming_pools_outdoor_living_spaces_main_015.htm Mon, 15 Mar 2010 20:05:02 GMT Robert Nonemaker http://www.outerspacesinc.com/landscapes_swimming_pools_outdoor_living_spaces_main_015.htm#1