Creating a Crocodile Lagoon

As a youngster, a family friend went to Florida and brought back for me a gift of a stuffed Caiman. At that time I thought it would be nice to have a pond with some type of crocodilians living in it. I was raised in the cold climate of Michigan and now I live in Alberta. Keeping crocodilians is not really a practical option for me. When I come to think about it keeping crocodilians is not really a practical option for most people. Sure with enough money I could make a super sized and secure zoo type enclosure for crocodiles. When I have went to zoos to view crocodilians they seem fairly docile. Most look like statutes and rarely move. The problem is when they do move it can be fairly fast and cause a person much harm. So why should I put my own or my family's life in danger to keep something that pretty much looks like a statute most of the time, and when it does move it may be moving to bite off my arm? Why am I offering to show you how to create a cold climate lagoon for "dangerous crocodilians"? Because crocodile lagoons look really cool and cut down on boring lawn space that requires time consuming, and environmentally damaging mowing, or chemical treatments. It is possible to make a beautiful and safe crocodile lagoon even in cold climates that doesn't require indoor housing of animals during the winter.

Is It, or Isn't It?

Since crocodilian species have a statute like appearance, fiberglass, metal, or resin (the best), statutes of them can create the illusion of having them as pets. There are a handful of companies who create life-like resin statutes of crocodiles, alligators, and caimans. These resin statutes come in different positions and sizes. By acquiring various statutes in different positions and sizes from different companies you can create a convincing crocodile lagoon that will have visitors asking "Are those real?".

Making The Lagoon

To make the lagoon, you can choose between starting with a basic ornamental fish pond, swimming pool, or combination of the two. I suggest using more environmentally friendly filtration and water conditioning systems and ones that require less fussing with chemicals. The added initial expense of these systems pay off in the long run. Black pool, or pond, liners are best for creating the illusions of a jungle lagoon. You will want to create planting areas around the pond or pool. The planting beds should be put in place in the initial design using 30 Inch Bamboo Barrier. This will give flexibility and save re-excavation later on. Rocks and waterfalls will help in creating a natural appearance. The more dramatic these features are made the better. Large rock formations can be created by using faux rock techniques. There are books and courses that teach faux rock creation skills.

Making It All Look Tropical

It is much easier to create tropical gardens in cool climates than to create colder climate gardens in the tropics. In cooler climate it is possible to simulate a tropical setting for a few months of the year by using cold hardy plants that have a tropical appearance, using annuals, or by moving indoor or greenhouse plants outside in summer. This is where the bamboo barrier comes in handy. A few varieties of Bamboo are cold hardy to even Zones 4 and 3. Bamboo is most likely the easiest way to create a tropical appearance around a pool or pond. The next option would be Japanese Wood Banana or Basjoo Musa which is hardy to Zone 3 with proper winter protection. Cold hardy ferns, orchids, and ornamental grasses can be very effective in creating that tropical effect as will cold hardy bog and water plants. Certain also lend themselves to creating a tropical look. You may choose to use perennial bulbs such as cold hardy Asiatic, or day, lilies or annual bulbs such as canna, or calla, lilies. If you use the annual bulbs you will need to dig them up in the fall and store them over the winter. This is a small price to pay to create a lush tropical look for the summer. Canna Lilies is the best option for creating a dense tropical look when it comes to bulbs.

Taking it to The Limit

Just how far you want to take this endeavor is a matter of taste and finances. In addition to resin crocodiles you may also want to purchase resin iguanas, monitor lizards, semi-submerged hippos, boa constrictors, tortoises, and even small poison arrow frogs. Various companies offer resin sculptures of these creatures that range from life-like to whimsical. I would suggest staying with either life-like or whimsical when it comes to your purchases of these resin sculptures. If you want to mix life-like with whimsical or visa versa do so tastefully. Try to avoid cheaply made or tacky resin sculptures. This can be done by viewing models from different manufactures before purchase. Those of better quality will be very apparent. Some companies also offer various sculptures or architectural features that mimic archaeological finds such as Olmec Heads or Egyptian Columns. You can create fantastic pool houses, showers, and BBQ areas using such elements.

Some other ideas for creating a jungle atmosphere include incorporating an aviary into your design. If you hide the main architectural features of the aviary well it will look as if the birds are free. This especially beneficial for those who have pet birds and want to give them a safe naturalistic place to play during the summer. If you are a person who has cats or a cat such as Bengals, Savannah's or another type of house cat-exotic hybrid you may consider incorporating a cattery into your design. Mask the indoor and structural parts of the cattery with plants and it will appear as if the cats are just roaming about in your tropical jungle. Your cats will love their new jungle gym play area.

If you create one of these tropical crocodile lagoons in your backyard, or on your acreage, you can be sure that your visitors will walk away amazed, especially if you neglect to tell them the crocodiles are fake. If you don't want crocodiles you can use any of these garden design ideas to enhance your property and create a tropical jungle even in many cooler climates.