GIVE WATER GARDEN A GOOD START ON THE YEAR.

Byline: JANE GATES Gardening

SANTA CLARITA - With the early warmth this year, ponds and water gardens are waking up early.

If you have a pond, this is the time to make the rest of the year more enjoyable by giving the season a good start. If you have water plants, it is time to divide them up. They tend to grow quickly and when they sprawl out of their pots, they not only look messy, they can create all sorts of havoc.

Also, big plants create homes for pests, areas to rot and excessive material to hang in the water - all of which works to destroy the delicate balance of water acidity. Large roots can clog drains and filters, causing pumps to burn out and water to go murky.

Fish should not be fed when water temperatures are below 45 to 50 degrees. By now, temperatures are well above that level and you can start light feedings. Don't feed more food than fish can consume in about 10 minutes or you will just be polluting the water. If you can feed wheat germ or ``winter'' foods, they will be easier for fish to digest while the water heats up to 65 or 70 degrees, at which time regular food will suffice.

If you have waterfalls or fountains, this is the best time to scrub them clean of algae, dirt and minerals. Check for leaks and make sure all pumps, filters and other machinery are working well. Starting your water features out clean and organized will save you lots of work as the season progresses.

There are many decorative plants wonderful for water gardens. Bog plants can be used in shallow areas of ponds or fountains.

Scented or colorfully leaved sweet flag offers grass-like growth. Water irises have unusually dazzling, albeit short-lived, flowers in the spring. Pickerel is incredibly tolerant of weather and neglect yet blooms for a month or more with perky panicles of purple flowers. Parrot's feather floats on the surface with a lacy delicacy that makes ferns look clumsy, while it works as a wonderful aerator for pond fish.

The well-known water hyacinths float like balloons along the surface of a pond or fountain and then surprise us with their showy spikes of big blue, purple and yellow flowers. Deep-water plants like the awesome lotus and the peaceful water lily can make water gardens beautiful all on their own.

There are many fascinating water plants that make water gardening irresistible. Check out retail shops, nurseries, catalogs and the Internet. Water gardening can be addictive, however. And since we live in an area with so much dry hot sun, there is nothing quite so cooling and soul-calming as the beauty and sound of a water garden just outside your window.