Serenity and Tranquility in a water garden pond is an  escapism from the hustle and bustle of your daily life on many situations. Indeed, you need a corner in your garden to rest. Some prefers open space,  other prefer rooftop features. So comes to birth a few structures called Arbor,  Pergola and Trellis with various form and shapes known as hardscape. Pergola normally built as an aesthetic element and provides  climbing space for climber plant, also used by some garden owner as a place to  rest.

Arbor

For country garden, arbor not only provides an interesting  panorama view but also provides shelter and rest area under the sun or rain  while inhaling a fresh air and listening to the churning of water splashing  down the rock. It’s best to build the arbor from a long lasting wood to balance  up with the climbing plants as well as to sooth the view.

Put in your mind, the purpose of building arbor. After  knowing the purpose and the types of arbor you want to carry out there then you  can start to determine the design and location of the arbor. Assume that the  location don’t restrict free movement in the garden and obstruct the view to  your house or block the air flow and sunlight. Don’t forget to lighten up the  arbor area with lantern if you want to have some activities at night.

You need to be sensitive about where the sun rises in the  morning or down in the evening because even though the arbor was built with  rooftop, the long and short sun light at different times should be observed so  that the arbor is always shady. Study the direction of wind as not to obstruct  it from flowing freely to the arbor.

Decorate your arbor with outdoor decor so that any activity  carried out in here can be more comfortable. Lastly don’t forget to put potted  flowers in container garden plant to soothe the environment.

Pergola and Trellis

Don’t under estimate the small backyard in your home. The  obscure position of your backyard makes it suitable to build a pergola. Some  people might want to build it in front of the house. The presence of the  pergola can dramatically change the outlook of your home.

Function only as an add-on decor that brings aesthetic value  to the garden, some garden owner makes use of the space under the pergola to put  outdoor furniture as a rest area. To prevent the outdoor furniture from rain  you can put a transparent plastic roof on the pergola. Use long lasting wood  material such as hard wood, cedar wood and decorate it with hanging plants or  climbing plants. It would make it more interesting if the plants flourish.

We dreamt of a garden molded after a traditional Malay  castle very long time ago complete with elegant traditional structures that we  can enjoy the serenity as if we are in a country side. Everything is green,  tranquility surfaces with the sound of splashing water and natural setting. “Lin,  the garden owner explains.

he concept of the garden is  modern tropical garden with a lot of natural element décor and contemporary  designs. To make this a reality, the designer used old railway wooden sleepers  so that the garden looks more natural and rustic together with small granite  stones.  Basically the garden that  surrounded the “castle” was beautifully decorated with the presence of a water  garden pond and a bridge across it. Trees with dense green foliage became the  main garden settings. The designer tried to mix and match between the hardscape  and softscape so that everything looked balanced and natural.

Selection of big trees is also  important to build the character of the pond. Four coconut trees brought from  its original location were planted to add style to the garden. The bending  shape of the coconut trees towards the pond looked very natural as in the  original habitat (by the beach).

The pond which covered almost  half of the garden area located in front and at the sides of the house had a  very strong influence on the design of the softscape. With a meter depth, the  pond began from back side of the garden and looks like it joined with the  verandah. This odd shape pond was suitable to the corner lot. The pond located  in front of the house was decorated with the old railway wooden sleepers and  arranged in a shape of a deck. This three meter deck extended from the patio as  an open space for family activities in the evening. The mixture of hardscape  structures made of hard wood and greenery trees invites calmness of your soul. Everything  looks very well blended.

The owner worked hard to add  ornamentals and water plants to cheer up the environment. The plants chosen  were limited and easy to take care so that they won’t jeopardize the pond’s  beauty and the Koi fish inside it. Among the water plants are cat-tails, and  water orchid. A giant oyster shell bought at Java Island, Indonesia,  were placed besides the pond and acted as a very effective focal point in the  garden.

To the owner, every aspects of  the landscape, structures, element of straight vertical lines, and horizontal  are important. Without these elements, no matter how big the budget is, your  dream garden is difficult be the perfect one. The best matching between the  hardscape and softscape as well as the unique ornamental addition, this garden  really ties you legs down because you wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.

  Most people like having water features in their business  premises and their homes as water symbolizes wealth. For a serious enthusiast,  he thinks nothing of paying a fortune for pedigree Koi, which comes with a  certificate. Money is not an issue, they have made it and they want to spend  it. As one says, “Your money saved is not really yours until you spend  it”.

To the untrained eye, all Koi look alike, but an experienced  Koi hobbyist will tell you that every Koi is unique. You will never find two  identical specimens as each has its own unique color and its intensity and  form. That makes them all special. Koi were judged mainly on body shape and luster,  color intensity, and the pattern on their dots, spots, or stripes form against  the background of the body color. Koi with red and white colors are the most sought after one.  The single-colored white ones represent purity and the gold ones represent fortune according to the Feng Shui belief.

The mark of a good Koi:

* It must be torpedo-shaped. It must be fat and round  throughout, not just at the head. It must have a small tummy and a small tail.

* Markings or patterns must be symmetrical and evenly  distributed on head, body and tail. Japan has drawn up 60 varieties,  determined by its marking and color.

* Pedigree Koi comes with a certificate stating date of  birth, year it entered the country, mother’s breed and other details. All  pedigree Koi is from Japan.

* Colors must be strong with luster. Females are preferred  as the whites on males tend to become yellowish as they age.

* Its movements must be elegant.

Before you buy Koi, consider these:

* Get a good Koi pond ready before buying the fish. Not  every one can constructs a good habitat. A depth of 5 to 6 feet is the best.

* Filter should be 30% of pond size.

* Check the quality of the water in your area. Test kits are  available for this.

* Preferably, 1 tonne of water for one full-grown carp of  2.5 ft long

* If the fish is not eating or swimming in its usual fashion,  it is sick. Koi are prone to louse and fungi. These can be treated. Do not  physically pick up fish to scrape off lice and fungus. It is the fish that  suffers and your pocket that hurts.

The sight of tens of Koi - in a riot of colors ranging from red, white, black and yellow to gold and platinum - moving gracefully and languorously in my crystal clear pool can certainly take my breath away. And strangely, the longer I looks, the more serene I feels.

For some people, the Koi fishes are the last thing one sees before leaves for work and the first that greets one when one arrives home. As one testimonial says “when I open my car door, the first thing I hear is the pleasant sound the waterfall, I instinctively walk towards it and the Koi ponds. The water in both ponds is crystal clear, and I see my carps swimming towards me. They have a wonderful effect on me. The stress of a long workday roll away and I feel refreshed and rejuvenated. I spend the next 15 to 30 minutes feeding them and enjoying the serenity, before I go in to see my family, calmed and very much relaxed.”

The Koi does have its influence on Feng Shui, besides its aesthetic value. Their beauty and colors will brighten up any house and the dynamic way in which they flow in the pond exudes the aura of a respect-commanding ‘general’ so to speak. The water element, the pond and the Koi symbolizes wealth.