By: Veronica Sliva
I’m really ticked at the marauding raccoon that is trying to help himself to the fish in my pond. Which got me thinking…even though raccoons are a pain, no outdoor space should be without a bit of water -- it’s worth the aggravation. In fact, in recent years, water features have become enormously popular.
When I was growing up we had a garden pond (complete with a fountain) when no one else in our neighbourhood did. For its time, the pond was rather grand. My father liked to work with concrete and this thing was lovingly hand-crafted by him.
Dad's pond
Concrete, however, is not a good option in our climate. My Dad knew this, but didn’t care. Every spring he had to spend days patching the cracks caused in our subzero winters and fifty years later, that pond is still there. Sadly my Dad is no longer with us to maintain it, and now the pond now lies empty and tired-looking in my mother's backyard. But I still love it. The memories of dad with a trowel and a bucket of cement remind me of how we greeted spring when I was a child.
My old pond
The pond in my previous garden had a kind of Northern Ontario look to it. Possibly because it was surrounded by tons of stone and rocks that we hauled from cottage country (the price was right: free.) To form the shape and hold water we used a prefabricated fiberglass form. This meant having to dig a hole the exact shape and size of the form. Not easy, and I’d opt for a rubber liner if I had to do it again. With a liner, you can dig the hole in a freestyle shape and the liner easily conforms. For the do-it-yourself types there are pond-making kits with everything you need to get started.
Our current pond
Luckily for me (and my husband’s back), our new house came with a lovely pond all nicely finished. It reflects an Asian mood which is enhanced all the more by the stunning Japanese maple that hangs over it (which unfortunately, I can’t take credit for). The previous owners kept Koi, but I prefer goldfish. I like to grow water plants and Koi eat them, whereas goldfish leave the vegetation alone. Keeping fish over winter is no problem if the pond is at least 2 ½ 
feet deep and you use a “bubbler” to keep the water moving and give the fish enough oxygen to survive.
Not everyone has the room to have a pond dug into the garden, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a water garden to enjoy. Any tub that holds water and a few water plants is all you need. These days many garden centres offer a selection of water plants. I happen to like Vandermeer Nursery in Ajax, Ontario…lots of selection (of fish too) and the staff is knowledgeable.
One of the neatest new products for gardeners I saw this spring was a small water feature kit being sold at grocery stores such as this one (left) by President’s Choice. The container is only 16 inches wide and in addition to a hardy water lily, you get several other water plants. All you need to do is add a few goldfish to eat the mosquito larvae (and amuse the kids) and you have a conversation piece. As for the raccoons? If anyone has a way of discouraging them, I’d love to know about it!
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