Following are some common myths and the modern facts that have pushed them aside.

Myth: Any contractor or landscaper can build a water garden.

Fact:   Building a pond and building it right are two different things. Building ecosystem ponds is a relatively new specialty. A good landscaper isn’t necessarily knowledgeable in the concept, design or construction that makes an organic water garden system work. Also, much of the literature and information still in circulation does not relate to ecosystem water gardening. I have been installing ponds for over 19 years and am continuously attending classes and seminars to stay on the cutting edge of new techniques and information pertaining to water gardens so that I may provide my clients with the highest level of service. For me this is more then just another way to increase company profits, it is a passion. I hope you allow me to use my knowledge and creative artistry to bring you a beautiful water garden so that you may share in the joy of water gardening.

Myth: Small water features are less work.

Fact:   As water features get larger, they become easier to maintain. Aquarium hobbyists know it’s much easier to achieve a healthy, stable tank with more water, not less. Small water features rarely have the flow or capacity necessary for long-term stability, and soon need lots of maintenance. However, properly designed ponds are able to achieve ecological balance. As water gardens become larger, they also become more stable with each passing year as plants, bacteria colonies and other vital life becomes established.

Myth: You should never have algae in your pond.

Fact:   Green algae, in proper proportion, is beneficial plant life. Fish eat it and it’s part of the ecology of any living, healthy pond. Pristine UV sterilized or chemically-treated water is dead by comparison. Too much algae has a simple cause: too much sunlight. That’s why a well-designed natural pond includes shade sources from landscaping and aquatic plants.

Myth: Maintaining a water garden is a constant headache.

Fact:   Ecologically-balanced water gardens let Mother Nature do the heavy lifting. Make sure the water garden you install works with Mother Nature, not against her. Top-quality ecosystem ponds such as those installed by Premium Landscape Services are good examples. Such systems include mechanical and biological filtration, lots of aquatic plants, fish, active bacteria, and plenty of rocks. No clogged up filter screens, no standing water, no mucky bottom that needs constant draining and cleaning.

Myth: Ponds need daily water testing and corrective treatment.

Fact:   If the pond is not chemically-dependent, there’s nothing to test for. Mother Nature never tests her water. And, she doesn’t use any store bought chemicals or pharmaceuticals. Neither should you. Stick to the program of ecosystem water gardening and let your pond grow healthy on its own.

Myth: To keep fish, water gardens need to be deep.

Fact:   Two feet deep is as good as a mile. Fish, including Koi, hibernate in ponds just two-feet deep through winters as cold as Minnesota’s Zone 4 bone chillers. A small circulating agitator pump and de-icer are all you need to keep a “breathing hole” in the ice and oxygenate the water for your fish.

Myth: Water features are breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

Fact:   Mosquitoes breed in still, standing water. A well-designed backyard water garden has lots of water flow, in which mosquitoes don’t like to breed. Also, ponds and water gardens support fish, frogs, toads and other wildlife that are natural predators of mosquitoes.

Myth: Water gardening involves a lot of hard work.

Fact:   Not necessarily. A well-designed ecologically-balanced pond needs only a scoop of powder or liquid bacteria every month or so, the skimmer basket cleaned weekly, plus an annual clean-out in cold climates. In gardening terms, an ecologically-balanced pond is about as much work as a maintaining an established perennial border, minus the weeding and watering. Aquatic plants water themselves. The big maintenance item is a recommended annual spring clean out. Many opt for us to do the spring cleaning.

Myth: Predators will eat all your fish.

Fact:   Predators are out there, but there are things you can do to protect your fish. Koi lovers beware, in shallow water garden ponds your “gazillion” dollar prize specimens are at risk, mainly from blue herons or muskrats. But, whether you have pedigree Koi or the inexpensive lovable “mutts” that most pond lovers prize, you can fight back. An inexpensive motion-activated water spraying system such as the Scarecrow will deter herons with a timely jet of water. Muskrats are not as common in backyard ponds as they prefer to hunt in large bodies of water. Raccoons don’t care to swim for their supper, preferring to dip into the buffet from the banks. A pond that’s at least eight-feet wide will deprive these varmints of dry access to the deepest part of the water garden.