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Getting
Started
First
time pond sizes are usually quite small compared to those several
years old. The tendency is to start small and work your way up to
a larger pond. Unfortunately, it is much easier to begin at a larger
pond installation, then to renovate an old/ existing one. Further,
the water quality of a larger pond is much slower to change, due
to its higher volume, therefore making the water conditions much
more stable.
Once
you’ve decided on a size, the location is your biggest concern.
The location of your pond is best determined based on several things:
- Is this
water feature visible from inside your home as well as out?
- Are there
many trees surrounding this location?
- What type
of protection (from excessive sunlight and predation etc.) is
available?
- Is this
a "High Traffic" location where you will need to be
concerned about washing cars, laundry room vents, or children?
The ideal location
for your pond would be moderate sun (4-5 hours a day), a fair amount
of overhead cover, situated in a "Low Traffic", "High
Profile" and a slight low-spot, part of your landscape.
How
to Build:
Once
you are ready to begin, layout a garden hose to the size and shape
of the pond. Make any last minute adjustments to the hose shape
before you begin excavating the hole. This will provide a guideline
for you to follow as you begin digging the first level, usually
at a depth of about 8-12 inches deep and set 8-10 inches inside
the pond’s edge. This level is designed to hide and protect
the liner around the perimeter of the pond with stone. You will
want to know where (if anywhere) you would like shelves for aquatic
plants etc. that cannot sit more than 8-10 inches in the water.
Before
you begin digging, you will want to layout the intake and output
of the filter system including the tubing to connect the two. Here,
you will consider all components of this system, such as Skimmer
systems, Biological Filter spillways, and Ultraviolet lights. Completing
all of the ponds plumbing before you begin digging will allow you
to use the excavated soil to cover and hide the hardware, therefore
eliminating that step further along.
Begin
digging the basin of your pond set inside the first level no less
than 10 inches. This basin depth should be no less than 2 ft at
its deepest point, and the aquatic plant ledge may extend out from
the wall as far as you desire. Once you have finished the shape
of the pond, use a tamp to compress the ledges you’ve created
so they will support the weight of the water. You may also wish
to dig a couple small depressions in the base of the pond, where
you would like lily pad to grow.
Once
this hole is prepared, you may now begin setting the underliner.
A pond’s underliner is nothing more than a guard to protect
the actual liner from any sharp edges at the bottom of the hole.
Making sure that the contour of the underliner fits that of the
pond, you may now begin laying the liner. Again setting the contour
of the liner to that of the pond, you can begin laying the stone
inside the pond. Many people prefer bare liner at the bottom, though
stone will help give a more natural appearance while also protecting
the liner. In general, larger river stone is used to boarder your
ledge, smaller/gravel will be used for the flat levels of the ledge
and basin, and the lily depressions will be filled with aquatic
plant soil.
Before
you finish the stonework around the pond perimeter, you may want
to complete the waterfall (if present). General rule of thumb for
a waterfall is to build ledges, similar to that of the basin. These
ledges should have large, thick stone supporting it, with thin,
flat stone for the spillway. The liner will fit beneath this stone
and must raise behind the sides of the thick stone ledges. This
design should prevent runoff or water loss in the waterfall area.
Many systems use one liner to cover the basin and the waterfall.
If a second liner is required, you must make sure that the edge
of the waterfall liner securely overlays the basin liner.
Once
the final installments of your pump and filter have been made, you
are ready to begin filling your pond with water. At this point,
you will want to rinse off all the stonework you’ve set. Nothing
is worse than spending all this time beatifying the inside of the
pond, then waiting three weeks for the muddy water to settle. The
best way to rinse is to have a pump running at the pond’s deepest
spot, sending the rinse-water out of the pond. Once you feel the
stone is well rinsed, you can fill the basin. Just what you’ve
been waiting for! This is where the fun begins, as you set your
aquatic plants into their positions and make all the last minute/fine
adjustments to the pond. And of course, if you have other questions
or concerns about pond building, check out Bloomers.com’s Expansion,
Tips &
Techniques, and other related articles!
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