My Koi Pond with Waterlilies: The Ultimate Hidden Backyard Oasis

My favorite place at home during the summer is my backyard koi pond. It’s truly the ultimate oasis and I consider myself very lucky to enjoy its beauty and tranquility all season long. Its existence is simply magical and when I need to de-stress and relax, I venture out to the pond.

 

If you’ve ever considered getting a pond, I would tell you not to wait any longer! They’re easier to care for than the same expanse of grass or garden. There’s no weeds to pull, no flower beds to water, and you get the added bonus of beautiful fish and the relaxing sound of a waterfall. It’s where I like to start my day with iced coffee. How can you be in bad mood when you’re greeted by this scenery every morning?

 

My pond is surrounded by a privacy fence so it’s like my hidden oasis. Whenever I step out the kitchen door, my fish always swim up to greet me, which is such a treat. I suppose they’re not really being friendly – they simply want me to feed them.

This is one of my Japanese koi, which are more colorful and a bit more expensive than domestic koi. But if you buy the Japanese version at a young age when they’re small, they’re more affordable. It doesn’t take long for fish to grow, so I always buy young ones and take proper care of them.

 

Here’s a domestic koi in my pond which doesn’t have the crisp colorful patterns of the more expensive Japanese koi. But she’s still friendly and will eat of my hand. I’ve had her since she was just a few inches long. In fact, she was so small I had her in a container water garden before letting her move into the pond with the big boys.

 

This pale yellow beauty is a butterfly koi. He has long flowing fins and looks quite graceful in the water. I have six fish total in my koi pond – it’s important not to overcrowd the pond. Because the more fish you have, the more fish waste you have. And algae feeds off those extra nutrients in the water. Not that algae is bad, but it can become unsightly when there’s too much of it.

 

I love my fish, but I also love my waterlilies and I like to add a new variety or two each year. There are literally hundreds of waterlily types – both hardy and tropical. Hardy lilies are perennials and will come back every year. Tropical lilies are annuals in colder climates so you need to replenish them each summer.

This gorgeous hardy yellow lily with pink stripes is called Paranee and is new to my pond this year. It’s a prolific bloomer and I love the color. Isn’t it beautiful?

 

I like the way the lily pads curl up a bit on this variety. The pads are a mottled maroon and green when they first appear, and then they turn a more solid green. Waterlilies prefer calm water so I keep them away from the waterfall.

 

This violet waterlily is called Fay McDonald. When new lilies are created through hybridization, they’re often named after people.

 

And this darker waterlily in my koi pond is Detective Erika, named by its creator after his favorite comic book character. Waterlilies are my favorite flower. They’re so easy to take care of – just keep them fertilized with aquatic plant fertilizer and keep the dead lily pads and flowers trimmed back. There’s no fear of them dying if you forget to water them.

 

I had this miniature waterlily in my pond earlier this summer, but I gave it to my daughter who has a small pond. It’s called Izia and remains compact with perky yellow blooms. It’s a new variety of waterlily that I got from a friend who grows lilies in Alabama. In fact, all of the lilies in my pond right now are from him (it’s nice to have friends who are in the business).

 

I hope you enjoyed seeing new photos of my koi pond. Check out the before, during, and after photos from when it was installed. If you’ve ever considered getting one, I highly recommend it. You’ll wonder why you waited so long!

To find a qualified pond contractor near you, use Aquascape’s online locator for a Certified Aquascape Contractor.