Flowers and Gifts

Before you drive down to your local hardware store or Home Depot for supplies, we have to first discuss what exactly is involved in aquaponics.

Aquaponics combines the best traits of traditional aquaculture and the more modern approach to growing plants – hydroponics. Many enthusiasts and professional practitioners attest to the fact that aquaponics eliminates the disadvantages of the two older systems because everything becomes cleaner and easier to maintain.

A balanced system

In order for any biological system to thrive, there must be balance. An aquaponics system is no exception.

Balance within this kind of biological system is achieved through the interaction of three key players: the fish, the plants, and the bacteria. That’s right – without the bacteria, an aquaponics system will simply not work. (Or it will take ten times more work to sustain it!)

Here’s what happens when you have an aquaponics system in place:

In one part of the system, freshwater fish (such as tilapia) swim around in about one thousand to two thousand liters of water. When you feed the fish, they produce waste material. Unused fish feed also becomes part of the waste in the water. Your fish will also produce a chemical known as ammonia.

After a while (as you can imagine), the water in one part of the system becomes quite dirty because the fish continually produce waste matter and ammonia.

That’s where bacteria come to the rescue. You see, over time naturally occurring microbes begin to grow in the water. Bacteria such as nitrobacter are capable of breaking down the ammonia that is being continually produced by the fish.

Once the bacteria have done their part in decomposing the ammonia (which can cause toxicity in the water), nitrates are produced. Nitrates are byproducts that usually occur in aquariums and other aquatic systems. In high amounts, nitrates can also cause problems because these byproducts can encourage the growth of unwanted vegetation in the water.

And that’s where the plants come in to balance the system once again. Plants have no trouble at all handling nitrates. Nitrates are natural nutrients for plants.

So in one part of an aquaponics system, you have the fish which produce ammonia (and consequently, nitrates). In another part of the system, you have the plants that literally absorb the nitrates and other waste products in the water. All the undesirable waste that comes from the fish section of the system is utilized by the plants so that the plants grow. Water from the fish section is circulated so that the plants are able to filter and clean the water several times per day.

The beauty of an aquaponic system is that you have an all-natural biological filter operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Your fish never suffer from the difficulties of living in a closed system because you always have plants to help carry away the waste and detoxify the water. Over a period of time, the system will achieve a natural state of biological balance and all you have to do is to monitor water levels and ensure that there is no overcrowding in the fish tank. 

While small decks offer little opportunities for decorating, there are still many options you can choose from for decorating your deck. Maximize the available space because even a small deck can be transformed to perfection.

Illusion of Space

You can make your small deck look bigger by bordering the backyard lawn with the deck. Allow the sight of your lawn to spill out through the deck.

If you also want to have some privacy while hanging out at the deck, use screen block to obstruct distracting sights. Consider movable screens as they offer better flexibility.

Pottery, Plants and Flowers

If there’s not enough room for a grill or table in there, use your deck as a botanical marvel. Use the deck to showcase your favorite pottery, plants and flowers. This allows you to create an attractive focus-point for your guests and people passing by your home.

A good layout idea would be to put tall potted plants at the sides or corners of the deck, and then line small plants and flowerpots on the floor. Use a theme for the plants so that your deck is pleasant to the eyes. For example, go for plants of the same kind or flowers with cold colors. Add pottery that suggests a certain aesthetic or cultural appeal, such as Southwestern or Mexican pottery.

Make use of the vertical lines of the deck. Train vines if there are trellises and suspend baskets above if there are overhead fixtures.

Furniture

If the deck has enough room for at least one seat, then you might be able to create a good seating arrangement. Purchase small chairs, which are usually sold in furniture stores as well as online shops. Add a small table that you can place against the chairs, but make sure everything fits without being cramped. A round table takes up less space compared to rectangular ones, and they offer more seating. This arrangement will surely create a comfortable setting and atmosphere. Just make sure that all objects and furniture pieces are at the side of the deck because a wide central area further creates an illusion of wide space.

Remember, the deck is going to be in the outdoors technically, so choose materials that are weatherproof. Some of the materials worth considering are stone, wrought iron, cast aluminum and plastic.

Deck umbrellas are important if it gets really hot and sunny, especially if your deck isn’t built with a roof. Choose small deck umbrellas with a color combination that match your seating.

Bench and Carpet

Consider using a bench instead of small chairs. Some benches are small enough to fit narrow spaces. Although the seats to use depends on your preferences, benches make a good choice for decks because small chairs are a bit awkward and hard to move around. Besides, more people can sit down with benches. If there’s enough room, get two small benches and prop one on each side.

It’s a good idea to have benches along with carpets to create a warm, inviting area. Put a small carpet right in the middle of the two benches. Complete this comfortable spot by placing small potted plants around.