The design of the stream essentially depends on the conditions of the respective garden. Planning is particularly important here, namely the entire course of the stream from the source to the mouth.
Preliminary considerations
First it must be clarified whether the stream should flow into a pond or whether the garden should be upgraded for itself. In combination with a pond, it is fed by this, for which a water pump must be deposited either in the pond or in a special shaft. The pump conveys pond water to the source of the stream via a hose. Streams without a pond mouth, on the other hand, form their own water cycle. The water flows into a sump and is also conveyed back to the source by a pump using a hose.
Pay attention to the conditions of the garden
Next, the conditions of the garden, in particular the slope, determine what kind of stream you create. A distinction is made here between two basic models. If there is little or no gradient, a meadow stream is used, as you often find it in nature. It is created in large meanders (S-shape) with small overflows, small waterfalls, constrictions and extensions with different depths to keep the water moving. In the case of steeper slopes, several barrages, the trademark of the Plätscherbach, set in quick succession, must be created. These can be short or long steps, depending on your wishes and circumstances, but the height between the individual sections should not exceed 10-20cm. Even with this shape of the stream, narrowings, widenings and different stream depths should be created.
Width, length, shape
The average
The width of the stream should be approx. 50cm, whereby it can be varied with narrower and wider sections. A small island is also doable. The stream should be at least 3m long, but only when it is longer than approx. 6m begins to flow properly. The meanders should result in elongated S-lines, not acute angles, as the water easily overflows here. It also looks unnatural. The creek should be an average of 25cm deep, with different water depths providing variety.Expectations of a brook
A really rushing brook is not only unrealizable for the garden, it also makes life for most of them plants and animals Impossible in and on the stream, which is why a Plätscherbach should only flow slowly. The desired and ideally different speed of the water can be achieved with various aids. A deeper or wider section, perhaps even at ground level, allows the water to accumulate and thus almost stand. Narrower sections, shallower depths, stones or wood in the stream let the water flow faster flow, as well as barrages that act as small waterfalls and the water with oxygen enrich. With a few stones placed on the barrages as flow breakers, the water doesn't just rush down.
A sketch on paper of how the future stream should run in the garden makes sense.
building instructions
The best place to start digging is at the mouth. Already here you define the different zones such as swamp areas, islands, deep and flat places, spreads as well as
narrow places.Now it is time to get the necessary materials. When the stream becomes longer (from approx. 3m) and / or should be designed in a varied way, special pond liner is recommended, which is conveniently thick of 1mm should have to withstand the load from the water, stones, barrages, but also from roots can. The foil must overlap 20-30cm on both banks of the brook, i.e. wider than what is bought for the course of the brook. Pond liner is usually offered by the meter from a width of 2 m. You can also have the film glued to you by the manufacturer. PVC film is best because it can be glued in suitable lengths by yourself and can be patched later if necessary.
A special adhesive is available in stores for this purpose. It goes without saying that there should be as few adhesive points as possible, since they always pose a risk of leaking. In any case, the glue points should be lengthways (point down the stream) and not horizontally, as otherwise sand and other small dirt can quickly get caught. Pond liner with a thickness of 1mm costs approx. 5-5.50 / square meter, it is worth looking at special offers here. It is even more expensive but easier with ready-made stream shells, which are only suitable for shorter streams. They are available in natural stone or plastic and they can be easily combined with one another.
In specialist shops there are also complete modular systems made of plastic parts, which are the easiest way to design a stream from the source to the mouth. However, this is also the most expensive variant for a stream and you cannot design it individually. Gravel and larger stones are needed to cover the sheeting around the stream bed, the edges or to create obstacles that stir up the water. Care should be taken here not to use calcareous pebbles in order not to unnecessarily increase the acidity of the water. You can also use wood to cover the pond liner on the bank and build barrages. However, under no circumstances should impregnated wood be used, as this is where toxic substances get into the water. Normal wood rot at some point and therefore has to be replaced from time to time.
In very stony terrain or with many roots, a special pond fleece or a layer of sand is recommended as protection. The foil is then placed on top. Of course, you have to take these layers into account when excavating and therefore dig deeper if necessary.
The most important thing now is to attach the foil to the edge. In places that should be accessible, the bank reinforcement must be correspondingly solid. Pavement slabs, which are held in a bed of sand, help here. Several slabs, stacked in a slightly stepped manner, extend outside the foil from the bottom of the stream to the surface. The film is laid along them, the penultimate plate being covered with a piece of fleece, and then the film is pulled over it. A piece of fleece is then placed on top and finally the last plate, which is the only one visible, is placed on top.
Regardless of whether the edge should be accessible or not, the film must be properly attached so that no water can flow from the stream into the surrounding area. To do this, a small wall of earth or stones is made along the bank, over which the foil is placed. Then the end is placed vertically upwards in order to counteract a capillary effect, where the stream water flows into the adjacent beds. Unnecessary ends of the film are cut off and covered with pebbles or wood.
Many of the most beautiful stream flowers require a swamp zone. That means, they like wet feet but not currents, which is why they have no place in the streambed. Swamp areas can be created perfectly with flat lattice tiles or natural stones without sharp edges, stacked one on top of the other from the bottom of the stream to the surface. This area, separated from the flowing water, is filled with nutrient-poor soil. There is enough water through the stones to keep the earth permanently moist and marsh plants prefer a water level of 0-5cm.
When everything is done, the best thing is to do: the planting. The range of plants for the stream and its surroundings is diverse. Here you only have to pay attention to the respective location requirements. If you plant in the brook itself, mesh baskets or small plant bags, which are filled with nutrient-poor soil and weighed down with pebbles, help. The selection should be made so that the bank is no longer visible (takes approx. one year) and brightly colored accents shine from spring to autumn.
A stream is not only simply beautiful and (unfortunately) very rare in the gardens, it also offers many Living organisms have a habitat and whoever lets it flow into a pond improves the water quality of the pond therefore enormous. Thus it contributes significantly to the biological balance. However, in order to be able to perform its filter function optimally, it should be in continuous operation from the end of April to mid-October; at night, too. If it is not in operation for more than 2-3 hours, the important microorganisms die.
