Water – Utility and Beauty

  • Post published:09/20/2013
  • Post comments:4 Comments
Water retention pond

Water is vital to a healthy productive garden. A friend, Marie Stella, has put gutters on her house that feed rainwater into this retention pond below the house which sits on a rise. Other gutters feed into a 550 gallon food grade plastic cistern in the little greenhouse she has added to the end of her house. The retention pond is not only utilitarian. She has turned it into a beautiful element, and introduction to her sustainable landscape when visitors drive up to the house.

Food grade plastic 550 gallon cistern

The cistern is not very beautiful, but it is utilitarian. The  rainfall pattern has been very difficult this summer with lots of rain in June, almost none in July and very little since the beginning of August. We cannot count on rain if we are going to harvest a reasonable crop. Watering is absolutely necessary.

Fountain

Marie has also built this cheerful fountain at the edge of her terrace.  Gutters bring water into the retention pond, and a recirculating pump brings the water up to this naturalistic fountain that brings the water down a tiny constructed stream and back into the pond. That pump will also bring water up to the gardens in front of the house for irrigation.

 

Lazy frog – dreaming

Of course, if you have a pond, you will have frogs. This one looks like he is just dreaming in the water.

Water. Essential. Beautiful.

This Post Has 4 Comments

  1. Sally

    You always encourage me to do more sustainable things! The pond is beautiful and wonderful at the same time……..what a great idea!

  2. Lisa at Greenbow

    What a great setup.

  3. Pat

    Sally – In the weather we are having I certainly wish I had a beautiful retaining pond – and I’d even settle for a 550 gallon cistern – even though I don’t have a greenhouse either.
    Lisa – Marie has great systems all around.

  4. I put in several rain gardens and a pond to help with gutters and run off…so much better to keep the water in the garden.

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