Trickle / Plant Tower ideas

[Andy41]

Hi Everyone,

I hope everyone is surviving the winter... my pond is still frozen solid, but the polystyrene ring and the air stone are keeping a large area ice free.

I've started thinking about a new project for the spring, and wanted to get some of your ideas.

I want to build a trickle tower in the shallow end of the pond. The basic idea is that it stands about 2m, 6', tall and about 30-50cm each side. It's basically a square mesh cage filled with stones. It's fed by a pump that sits next to it through a tube that runs up through the centre of the tower.

What i also want to do is place plants throughout the tower, so i end up with a combined vertical garden / trickle tower.

Has anyone done something like this before? Any ideas on the type of mesh to use - aluminium, etc?, and the size of pump / how to disgusie the pump? What type of stone? What kind of plants?

cheers,

Andy.

 

[DrCase]

I know WaterBug liked the trickle towers a lot
There should be a lot of pics some were on here that he built

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Hi Everyone,

I hope everyone is surviving the winter... my pond is still frozen solid, but the polystyrene ring and the air stone are keeping a large area ice free.

I've started thinking about a new project for the spring, and wanted to get some of your ideas.

I want to build a trickle tower in the shallow end of the pond. The basic idea is that it stands about 2m, 6', tall and about 30-50cm each side. It's basically a square mesh cage filled with stones. It's fed by a pump that sits next to it through a tube that runs up through the centre of the tower.

What i also want to do is place plants throughout the tower, so i end up with a combined vertical garden / trickle tower.

Has anyone done something like this before? Any ideas on the type of mesh to use - aluminium, etc?, and the size of pump / how to disgusie the pump? What type of stone? What kind of plants?

cheers,

Andy.

For maximum effect, the pump should be placed as far away from the TT as possible to allow for circulation of the entire pond. It can also be plumbed into your existing pump.

 

[j.w]

I hope you post pix as you go about doing this as I've always wanted to make one but just never got around to it. I saved some stuff I read on here and in other spots from the net.

Here is a link from this forum: https://www.gardenpondforum.com/threads/trickle-plant-tower-ideas.16303/#post-257624

Below is a picture of a trickle tower. It appears they formed chicken wire into a basket. Inserted the pvc in the center that is probably connected to a small, very simple, submersible fountain pump. Filled the basket with lava rock. Pretty simple and very eye pleasing. Actually, looks like a pretty neat rock column fountain. Seems like you could make a trickle tower like this to be any size by simply making a smaller basket.

This one below has the tubing coming right up through the bottom of the plant media. Kinda of cool for a topping. You could also use vine plants to hang down the tall sides.

 

[koiguy1969]

You can have the pump near the trickle tower if you like. As long as it has a plumbable intake. My submerged pump sits on a ledge under my waterfall. But is plumbed to the other end of pond via 1&1/4" pond tube and 2 prefilters. But you definitely want the water volume pulled from the further point(s) of the pond to insure a more efficient circulation of the ponds volume.

 

[Andy41]

Hi all.

Thanks for the great ideas.

@DrCase... yep, you're right, here's a couple of the towers Waterbug has built https://www.gardenpondforum.com/media/albums/pond-building.165/ So nice ideas there.

@Meyer - If it was the only source of filtration then yes, i'd place the pump away from the tower, but this will be the 3rd filtration system in the pond so it's more for aeration and decoration, so i'm not too concerned about it being close. Good point though.

@j.w... Some great ideas there. I like the lava stone. I was thinking of something like this, but not as wide and higher. Also, using those Goosefoot plants to top it is an excellent idea. Maybe combine this with the Herb planter that Waterbug used.... but how to get the height then? hmmm.

I'll draw up some ideas and post them soon. Lots to think of here.

Thanks everyone.

cheers,

Andy.

 

[Dave 54]

Hi all.

Thanks for the great ideas.

@DrCase... yep, you're right, here's a couple of the towers Waterbug has built https://www.gardenpondforum.com/media/albums/pond-building.165/ So nice ideas there.

@Meyer - If it was the only source of filtration then yes, i'd place the pump away from the tower, but this will be the 3rd filtration system in the pond so it's more for aeration and decoration, so i'm not too concerned about it being close. Good point though.

@j.w... Some great ideas there. I like the lava stone. I was thinking of something like this, but not as wide and higher. Also, using those Goosefoot plants to top it is an excellent idea. Maybe combine this with the Herb planter that Waterbug used.... but how to get the height then? hmmm.

I'll draw up some ideas and post them soon. Lots to think of here.

Thanks everyone.

cheers,

Andy.

Andy the AKCA do a very good booklet on filtration and they have one or two ideas in there that I'd not come across before now . obe is made from Japanese matting in the shape of a christmas tree , I have a friend who made hers from bread baskets . there are lotts of things you could create them from, I've seen them on you tube made from 4" plastic three way conectors stcked one attop the other , the height is up to you , we are thinking of something along similar lines

Dave