Water gardens, also known as aquatic gardens, are a type of man-made water feature. A water garden is defined as any interior or exterior landscape or architectural element whose primarily purpose is to house, display, or propagate a particular species or variety of aquatic plant. Although a water garden's primary focus is on plants, they will sometimes also house ornamental fish, in which case the feature will be a fish pond.

Although water gardens can be almost any size or depth, they are typically small and relatively shallow, generally less than twenty inches in depth. This is because most aquatic plants are depth sensitive and require a specific water depth in order to thrive. The particular species inhabiting each water garden will ultimately determine the actual surface area and depth required.

Description[link]

When the aquatic flora and fauna is balanced, an aquatic ecosystem is created that supports sustainable water quality/water clarity. Elements such as: fountains, statuary, waterfalls, boulders, underwater lighting, lining treatments, edging detailing, in-water and bankside planting and watercourses can be combined with the pool to add visual interest and integration with the local landscape and environment.

History[link]

Water gardens, and all water features in general have been a part of public and private gardens since ancient Persian gardens and Chinese gardens. Water features have been present and well represented in every era and culture that has included gardens in their landscape and architectural environments. Up until the rise of the industrial age, that introduced the modern water pump, water was not recirculated, but was diverted from rivers and springs into the water garden, exiting into agricultural fields or natural watercourses. Water features were historically used for plant and fish production for food purposes as well as ornamental aesthetics.

Though a water garden is restricted to a particular type of natural or man-made water feature, used for a relatively specific purpose or intended use, there are many other types of water feature types, styles and designs.

Types of water features[link]

A water garden in a private residence

• Natural Water Feature
• Man-made Water Feature
• Naturalistic Water Feature
• Disappearing Water Feature
• Live Water Feature
• Sterile Water Feature
• Water Garden
• Bog Garden
• Rain Garden/Bio Retention System/Rain Harvesting
• Aquatic Container Garden
• Pool/Shallow Pool/Tide Pool
• Reflection Pool/Reflecting Pool
• Formal Pool
• Swimming Pool
• Pond/Fish Pond/Backyard Pond/Garden Pond
• Naturalistic pond
• Wildlife Pond/Habitat Pond
• Koi Pond
• Swimming Pond
• Water Courses
• Brooks
• Creeks
• Streams
• Rivers
• Runnel
• Rile
• Weeping Wall
• Water Wall
• Fountain/Formal Fountain
• Disappearing Fountain
• Tabletop Fountain
• Wall Fountain
• Spitter Fountain
• Bubbler Fountain
• Floating Fountain
• Water Falls
• Hydroponics
• Lotus pool
• Rice paddy
• Riparian zone restoration
• Wildlife garden - with water-source component.
• Stream pool
• Plunge pool
• Plunge basin
• Spring (hydrology)
• Seep (hydrology)
• Bogs
• Wetlands
• Mangrove swamp habitat
• Wild River
• Lakes
• Halka lever

Water follies[link]

Waterfall and pool in rock garden on the campus of the University of Alberta

In the sixteenth century, Europe had a renewed interest in Greek thought and philosophy lincluding the works of Hero of Alexandria about hydraulics and pneumatics. His devices, such as temple doors operated by invisible weights or flowing liquids, and mechanical singing birds powered by steam, motivated several European palaces to create similar clever devices to enhance their public image.

In Italy several royal houses constructed large water gardens incorporating mechanical devices in water settings. The best-known is the Villa d'Este at Tivoli, constructed in 1550 AD. A hill cascaded with many fountains and grottoes,, some with water-driven figures that moved or spouted water. Popularity spread across Europe with the well known water garden at Hellbrunn Palace built, with many water-powered human and animal performing figures and puppet theaters, and folly fountains that erupted without notice to surprise one.^[1]

Stream gardens[link]

On a constructed stream, placing rocks in the path of the water makes small patterns, rapids and waterfalls. The rocks disrupt the waterflow, causing splashing and bubbles to form, which can make pleasant sounds and micro-habitats for plants, fish, and wildlife. Well placed rocks can stimulate splashing water that adds oxygen to prevent hypoxia, with the more bubbles - the more dissolved oxygen in the water.

Aquatic flora[link]

Water garden plants are divided into three main categories: submerged, marginal, and floating.

• Submerged plants are those that live almost completely under the water, sometimes with leaves or flowers that grow to the surface such as with the water lily. These plants are placed in a pond or container usually 1–2 ft (0.30–0.61 m) below the water surface. Some of these plants are called oxygenators because they create oxygen for the fish that live in a pond. Examples of submerged plants are:
  • Water lily (Hardy and Tropical)
  • Hornwort (Ceratophyllum demersum)
• Marginal plants are those that live with their roots under the water but the rest of the plant above the surface. These are usually placed so that the top of the pot is at or barely below the water level. Examples of these are:
  • Iris or Flag (Iris spp.)
  • Water-crowfoot (Ranunculus fluitans)
  • Bulrush (Scirpus lacustris)
  • Cattail (Typha latifolia)
  • Taro (Colocasia esculenta)
  • Arrowhead (Sagittaria latifolia)
  • Lotus (Nelumbo spp.)
  • Pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata)
• Floating plants are those that are not anchored to the soil at all, but are free-floating on the surface. In water gardening, these are often used as a provider of shade to reduce algae growth in a pond. These are often extremely fast growing/multiplying. Examples of these are:
  • Mosquito ferns (Azolla spp.)
  • Water-spangle (Salvinia spp.)
  • Water-clover (Marsilea vestita)
  • Water Lettuce (Pistia stratiotes)
  • Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes)

Some areas of the United States do not allow certain of these plants to be sold or kept as they have become invasive species in warmer areas of the country, such as Florida and California.

Algae[link]

Algae are found in all ponds. There are hundreds of species of algae that can grow in garden ponds but they are only usually noticed when they become abundant. Algae often grow in very high densities in ponds because of the high nutrient levels that are typical of garden ponds. Generally alga attaches itself to the sides of the pond and remains innocuous. Some species of algae, namely the dreaded 'blanket weed' can grow up to a foot a day under ideal conditions and can rapidly clog a garden pond. On the other hand, free floating algae are microscopic and are what cause pond water to appear green.

Fauna[link]

Fish[link]

Often the reason for having a pond in a garden is to keep fish, often koi, though many people keep goldfish. Both are hardy, colorful fish which require no special heating, provided the pond is located in an area which does not have extremes of temperature that would affect the fish. If fish are kept, pumps and filtration devices are usually needed in order to keep enough oxygen in the water to support them. In winter, a small heater may need to be used in cold climates to keep the water from freezing solid. Examples of common pond fish include:

• Ricefish (Himedaka)
• Mosquitofish
• Rosy Red Minnows
• White Cloud Mountain minnow

• Goldfish (Common, Comet, Shubunkin varieties, Wakin and the Fantail varieties. With the possible exception of some of the fantail varieties, the fancy goldfish are not suited to pond life.)
• Crucian carp

• Koi (Nishikigoi, Butterfly Koi and Ghost Koi)
• Mirror carp
• Carp

• Weather loach

• Golden Orfe
• Golden Tench

• Eel
• Catfish
• Bluegill
• Black bass
• Snakehead
• Goby

Crustacean[link]

• Crayfish
• Freshwater Prawn

Snails[link]

• River snail

Small aquatic snails are usually in ponds which have plants. Some people purchase apple snails to keep in their water garden. Another common variety is the Melantho snail.

Herpetofauna[link]

Ponds located in suburban and rural areas often attract amphibians such as Common Frogs and Fire Salamanders, and reptiles such as turtles, lizards, and snakes.

Bird[link]

• Wild duck
• Domestic duck

Predators[link]

Garden ponds can attract attention from predators such as (in North America) raccoons, Herons, snakes, and domestic cats. These predators can be a danger to fish. Owners of koi are often particularly careful to create protected areas as some varieties are very expensive.

See also[link]

• Landscape architecture
• Aquascaping
• Rain garden
• Biochemical oxygen demand
• Chemical oxygen demand
• Wastewater quality indicators
• Garden pond
• Koi pond
• Biotope

Index categories[link]

• Category: Natural pools

References[link]

External links[link]

• Dugout Pond Aeration Flash Animation
• North American Water Garden Society
• WikiHow: Build A Water Garden in 20 Steps
• Pond Conservation: Advice on garden ponds for wildlife

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Mighty Sparrow or Birdie (born Slinger Francisco, July 9, 1935, in Grand Roy, Grenada, West Indies) is a calypso singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Known as the "Calypso King of the World," he is one of the most well-known and successful calypsonians. He has won Trinidad's Carnival Road March competition eight times and has been named "Calypso Monarch" eleven times.

Early life[link]

Sparrow was born in Grenada on July 9, 1935, but moved to Trinidad when he was one year old. His birth name is Slinger Francisco. He grew up in Port of Spain.^{[citation needed]}

He was first exposed to music through the choir in Catholic school, and became interested in calypso at 14 when he joined a steel band composed of neighborhood boys. He received his performing name "The Mighty Sparrow" during his early career:

Your calypso name is given to you by your peers, based on your style. In the old days they tried to emulate British royalty. There was Lord Kitchener, Lord Nelson, Duke. When I started singing, the bands were still using acoustic instruments and the singers would stand flat footed, making a point or accusing someone in the crowd with the pointing of a finger, but mostly they stood motionless. When I sing, I get excited and move around, much like James Brown, and this was new to them. The older singers said "Why don't you just sing instead of moving around like a little Sparrow." It was said as a joke, but the name stuck. -Mighty Sparrow ^[1]

Calypso Monarch[link]

In 1956, Sparrow won Trinidad's Carnival Road March and Calypso Monarch competitions with his most famous song, "Jean and Dinah". His prize for the latter was $40. In protest of the small sum, he wrote the song "Carnival Boycott" and attempted to organize other singers to boycott the competition. About half of the singers followed.^[1] Sparrow claims credit for succeeding improvements in the conditions of calypso and steelband musicians in Trinidad, as well as the formation of the Carnival Development Committee, a musicians' assistance organization.^[2] Sparrow refused to participate in the competition for the next three years, but he continued to perform unofficially, even winning another Road March title in 1958 with "P.A.Y.E."

Taking calypso abroad[link]

Calypso music enjoyed a brief period of popularity in other parts in the world during the 1950s. Trinidadian expatriate Lord Kitchener had helped popularize calypso in England, and Sparrow also found some success there. In the United States, interest in calypso was sparked largely by Harry Belafonte's 1956 album Calypso, the first LP to sell over one million copies.^[3] In January 1958, Sparrow, along with longtime rival Lord Melody, travelled to New York City seeking access to the American music audience.^[4] Sparrow had already been recording with Balisier and Cook Records, and with Belafonte's help^[5] he also began to record for RCA Victor. He did not achieve the success he had hoped for; he said in a 2001 interview, "When nothing happened for me, I went back to England and continued on with my career."^[5]

In 1960 Sparrow returned to the Calypso Monarch competition, winning his second Kingship and third Road March title with "Ten to One Is Murder" (an autobiographical song about an incident in which Sparrow allegedly shot a man^[6]) and "Mae Mae." He also began recording for his own label, National Recording.^[1] He continued to enjoy great popularity in Trinidad throughout the 1960s.

Soca[link]

As soca began to supplant calypso in popularity in Trinidad during the late 1970s and early 1980s,^[1] Sparrow embraced the hybrid of Calypso and cadence with the Local (Chutney) music. In 1984 he won his eighth Road March title with the soca-influenced "Doh Back Back." Also around this time, he began to spend at least half the year in New York City, finding an apartment in the West Indian neighborhoods in Jamaica, Queens.^[1] Sparrow continues to write, perform, and tour into the 21st century; in a 2001 interview he mentioned that he had been singing and performing a "Gospel-lypso" hybrid.^[5] In 2008, he released a song supporting Barack Obama's presidential campaign, "Barack the Magnificent".^[7] He also did a remake of his "Congo Man" song with fellow Trinidadian Machel Montano on the Flame on album.

Lyrics[link]

Sparrow's lyrics are famous for being witty, ironic, and ribald. He sings flirtatiously of the attractions of Hispanic women in "Magarita," and of East Indian women in "Marajhin." He tells some outrageously frank tales of sexuality in "Mae Mae," "The Lizard" and "Big Bamboo." And there is humorous commentary on West Indian culture to be found in "Obeah Wedding" and "Witch Doctor." Robert Christgau called his controversial song "Congo Man" "a wildly perverse piss-take on African roots, interracial revenge, interracial sex, male-female relations, and cannibalism."^[8] The 1965 song was criticized for its attitudes toward women and Africans, and banned from radio airplay until 1989.^[9]

Sparrow also frequently comments on social and political issues in his songs. During his early career he was a supporter of Eric Williams and his People's National Movement (PNM),^[6] which formed in 1955 and led Trinidad and Tobago to independence in 1962; songs such as "Leave The Damn Doctor Alone" and "William the Conqueror" mentioned Williams directly, while others such as "Federation" (blaming Jamaica for the breakup of the short-lived West Indies Federation), "Our Model Nation" (celebrating Trinidadian independence), and "PAYE" (supporting the PNM's pay-as-you-earn tax system) echoed PNM positions. Sparrow did express discontent in 1957's "No, Doctor, No," but it was comparatively mild, and aimed at holding PNM politicians to their promises rather than replacing them. Sparrow cleverly combined political criticism with sexual innuendo in his mid-1960s song "BG Plantain", which decried the ban levied by PM Williams on imported plantain from British Guiana (BG); plantain, a large banana-shaped vegetable, is a staple of West Indian cuisine, and Sparrow praised the BG plantain as larger, sweeter, and superior to the home-grown Trinidadian variety.

Sparrow's mid-1960s hit "Sir Garfield Sobers," celebrating the great Barbadian all-rounder cricketer, who starred for West Indies teams, anticipated by a decade the knighthood which Garfield Sobers would actually receive in 1975. Sobers is generally regarded as the greatest all-rounder in cricket history. This song's first verse:

"Who's the greatest cricketer on Earth or Mars?

Anyone can tell you, it's the great Sir Garfield Sobers!

This handsome Barbadian lad really knows his work.

Batting or bowling, he's the cricket King, no joke!

Three cheers for Captain Sobers!"

In more recent times Sparrow continues to incorporate social issues into his music. "Crown Heights Justice" is a plea for peace and understanding in the wake of the 1991 Crown Heights Riot in Sparrow's adopted home of New York City. The themes of peace, tolerance, and concern for the poor show up repeatedly in songs such as "Human Rights" (1981), "Capitalism Gone Mad" (1983), and "This Is Madness" (1995).

Sparrow still tours.

Selected discography[link]

• Calypso Kings and Pink Gin (Cook Records, 1957)
• King Sparrow's Calypso Carnival (Cook Records)
• Calypso Exposed (Cook, 1961)
• Sparrow in Hi-Fi (Cook, 1963)
• Hot and Sweet Pepper (Produced by Van Dyke Parks) - Warner Bros, 1974
• 16 Carnival Hits (with Lord Kitchener) - 1992
• Calypso Awakening from the Emory Cook Collection (Smithsonian Folkways, 2000)
• Mighty Sparrow Dance Party Gold 2000
• First Flight: Early Calypsos from the Emory Cook Collection (Smithsonian Folkways, 2005)
• Sparrow Hits on Karaoke - Islandstars Karaoke, 2005
• Mighty Sparrow Sparrowmania!: Wit, Wisdom and Soul from the King of Calypso 1960–1976 (Strut, 2012)

Major Awards and Honors[link]

Song sample[link]

	Mighty Sparrow's "No Money No Love" noicon One of Mighty Sparrow's more well-known songs
Problems listening to this file? See media help.

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Mighty Sparrow

• MightySparrow.com
• Sparrow Discography at Smithsonian Folkways
• Biography at allmusic.com
• Muriel's Treasure for recordings and video
• [1] [Sparrow 40years - complete vinyl listing]

Diane Arkenstone
Background information
Genres	New Age, World
Occupations	singer, composer, multi-instrumentalist
Instruments	guitar, keyboard, wood flutes, dulcimer, percussion
Labels	Neo Pacifica Recordings
Associated acts	Ah Nee Mah, Earth Trybe, Enaid, Adventure Cargo, Marquis Ensemble, Middle Earth Orchestra, David Arkenstone
Website	dianearkenstone.com

Diane Arkenstone is a New Age musician.

Career[link]

Arkenstone wrote her first song at the age of three and started playing guitar at the age of seven.^[1] She is trained as an opera singer. In her early career she co-formed with a friend named Melanie the duo Enaid & Einalem.^[2]

Arkenstone's album Jewel in the Sun debuted at number 16 on Billboard's New Age charts when it was released in 2002, highest position was number 11.^[1] In 2005, The Best of Diane Arkenstone was ranked #1 on Zone Music Reporter's Top 100 Airplay Chart, out of 2800 recordings reported that year.^[3][4]

In her career, she has done work on more than 45 albums^[5] and played various instruments such as guitar, keyboard,^[6] wood flutes,^[7] dulcimer, and percussion.^[8]

Arkenstone, together with her ex-husband David Arkenstone, created their own record label called Neo Pacifica Recordings. In addition to releasing their own music on the label, they have included other bands such as Earth Trybe, Enaid, and the Marquis Ensemble.^[9]

Personal life[link]

She was previously married to musician David Arkenstone.^[10]

Discography[link]

Diane Arkenstone[link]

She has also worked with David Arkenstone on the albums Music Inspired by Middle Earth, The Celtic Book of Days and the album Trance World from Earth Trybe. With Misha Segal and Peter Hume she worked on the 3-CD collaboration Christmas Healing.

Enaid & Einalem[link]

Adventure Cargo[link]

Ah Nee Mah[link]

Earth Trybe[link]

Enaid[link]

The Marquis Ensemble[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Diane Arkenstone on Myspace
• Diane Arkenstone on Facebook
• Diane Arkenstone on Twitter
• Diane Arkenstone at Allmusic