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How to Decorate Your Yard With a Simple Pond

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Whether you are building a water garden or a Koi pond the basic steps to construction are basically the same.

• Koi ponds require a low pressure pump and a bigger liner or basin
• A pond with a fountain requires a high pressure pump and any size liner or basin
• A water garden requires a basin or liner that has different levels
• A water garden that attracts frogs and dragon flies must have a shallow end that has just a few inches of water

Once you have decided on the type of pond you need to build your next step is to decide on a location. In general you should avoid placing your pond –
• Near a garden or lawn with pesticides
• On a slope with runoff
• Under a tree

The perimeter shape of your pool is not really of much consequence in any way and it is purely a matter of taste.

Popular perimeter shapes are the square, circle, octagon and kidney shaped pools. The more geometric the shape the more formal it will look. Kidney or irregularly shaped prefabricated molds look the most natural. Square and round shapes are associated with European (and especially Italian) designs. The octagon shapes are associated with Feng Shui and other Asian water gardening traditions.

If you are planning to build a water garden that boasts a glorious display of water lilies then you need to make sure you buy a prefabricated basin that has shelves. This is because water lilies are laid in the water inside pots that may need to be placed on graduated levels depending on how they grow.

When it comes to determining how deep your pool should be consider that ponds built in colder areas may need more depth to keep the pond from freezing solid during the winter. Koi ponds should be three feet or deeper to allow fish to spawn and if you plan on allowing the Koi to winter in the pond then plan on having a pond that is at least five feet in depth.

Pond Liners are the plastic shell that cradles the water in your pond. The easiest way to go is to buy pre-formed plastic liners from a garden center.

Installing prefabricated liners is easy. You simply dig a hole large enough for the liner to lie in and make sure it is level by filling it with amounts of sand. All you need to do is flip the prefabricated liner over and trace it somehow on the grass to know where you are going to dig.

Once you have installed your pond liner you will notice an unattractive gap between the plastic tub and the rough edges where you dug out the hole. Stones and other materials that are used to conceal the plastic edges of the liner or prefabricated tub are called copings. Coping stones can then be mortared into place to conceal this gap.

Root clumps mixed with gravel can also be used to edge the pond to give the appearance of a natural occurring spring in the forest.

How to Decorate Cocktails With Fragrant Herbs

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One of the most contemporary ways to decorate cocktails is with very aromatic herbs. You can just use the plain herb or you can also use it when it is in full flower for a beautiful effect. Here is a look at how you can use herbs in cocktails.

Angelica – Depending on the variety, flower range from pale lavender-blue to deep rose. It has a flavor similar to licorice. Angelica buds are perfect for garnishing drinks made with Sambuca, Pernod or Galliano.

Arugula -. An Italian green usually appreciated raw in salads or on sandwiches. The flowers are small, white with dark centers and can be used to add an intense, sharp spicy taste to Bloody Mary’s and Bloody Caesars.

Basil – Depending on the type, the flowers are either bright white, pale pink, or a delicate lavender. The leaves can be rolled up and skewered along with cherry tomatoes to garnish tomato based drinks. Linguine with Tomatoes and Basil

Borage – These blue star-shaped flowers taste like cucumber. They are good in bloody drinks and gin and tonics.
Cilantro/Cilantro – These leafy green herbs give tomato based cocktails a Mediterranean vibe. They are also great in martinis that have an Asian flair or that are citrus or pepper flavored.

Dill – Bright yellow dill flowers look great floating in a Bloody Mary.

Fennel – These yellow, licorice-scented star shaped flowers suit Harvey Wallbangers.

Lemon Verbena – These cream-colored citrus-scented blossoms add a kick to gin and tonic or gin and soda.

Marjoram – The tiny pinkish flowers can be sprinkled sparingly on top of a tomato based cocktail.

Mint – The flavor of the flowers is minty, with different overtones depending on the variety. Mint can be used to garnish any cocktail you like whether it be savory or sweet. They are particularly pleasant in rum based cocktails such as the Mojito.

Oregano – This tastes smoky and beautiful added to a martini with an olive.

Radish Flowers – Depending on the variety, flowers may be pink, white or yellow, and will have a distinctive, spicy bite (has a radish flavor). Best used in tomato based drinks

Rosemary – Sprigs of rosemary can give a very dry martini and interesting snap.

Sage – The flowers are violet-blue, pink or white clusters and suit a Bloody Mary best.

Tarragon – A spike of tarragon adds interest to a martini or tomato based cocktail. It also suits lime based cocktails well.