How To Build a Water Garden or Pond With a Waterfall. So you're thinking about building a garden pond? It's really not too difficult to build one yourself. A pond may offer a number of benefits. It can be cool and relaxing, visually appealing and it can provide the local wildlife a watering point. Aside from the enjoyment, it can increase the value of your property. Building an in- ground garden pond is much easier than you think, I've built hundreds of them. But, before you start digging, there are some things you'll need to consider.. Getting Started. It is important to know the reason why you are building this pond before the actual construction. Before you build your garden pond, it's best to have a well thought out plan. Have you decided on the location? Location is important. Where will you're garden pond be located? You'll probably want to put your garden pond in a location where it can be viewed and heard from as many points as possible: near a patio or deck, an outdoor living area, or a location from where it can be viewed and heard through windows from inside the home. Look for an area that offers a slope. Slopes are perfect for use as a backdrop, and as a foundation in constructing your waterfall. Size is important Do you want a mini- lake out back, or a smaller garden pond off the back patio? Do you want a waterfall, and if so, how big and how tall? Do you want a raging river, or just a simple stream or trickle of water over the waterfall? I recommend a size that fits with the size of your property. A raging river looks out of place in a small back yard. On the other hand, a very small pond looks like a little puddle on a large property. Light If you want to grow water lilies or other sun- loving aquatic plants, choose a sunny site that provides at least 6 hours of direct sunlight. If your pond will be shallow, it is best to provide afternoon shade as it can over heat during mid afternoon. If you aren't concerned with growing flowering plants in the pond, a shady spot is fine. Electricity If your pond will have a waterfall, fountain or lights it will need electricity - so locate your pond accordingly. Overflow Ponds must have an overflow area, which is a low point to control where the excess water should flow out of the pond when there is heavy rainfall. How deep? Temperature extremes should be minimized in the pond. If you intend on raising and keeping fish, it is important to make the pond as deep and as large as practical. However, deeper ponds may need to be fenced to prevent accidents. Waterfalls and streams are cool. If you want a raging river that splashes over Mount Everest, or a stream that connects two ponds, and you have very little or no experience in the construction of a garden pond, we suggest you contact a pond professional. Otherwise, small waterfalls and other features that are easy to build. You'll find instructions further below. Here you'll find simple yet detailed instructions from our experts for building a garden pond with a waterfall. utility companies to. Design your pond to. Earth Works, Jacksonville, Florida is a landscape firm specializing in landscape design, hardscapes, water features and landscape installation.
![]() Plants and fish Do you want lots of larger fish such as Koi, smaller goldfish, or no fish at all? Koi grow large and will need a larger pond. Goldfish stay smaller so are best for smaller ponds. Do you want plants growing inside the pond, and if so, what types? Liners Have you decided what type of liner? Choice of pond liner will be a flexible one, no pun intended. Your basic choices will be between flexible and preformed rigid liners. I much prefer a flexible liner because it allows you to design the pond any shape you like. IMPORTANT! Before heading off to your local pond supply store to buy materials first draw a simple sketch on paper of the general shape you want for your garden pond. Note the length, width, depth(s), and height of waterfalls on your sketch. "We are a client o f yours and wanted to let you know what a great job our technician has done cleaning up our big retention pond. There were all kinds of reeds. ![]() This will help your local pond store professional advise you on the materials required. As a general rule, a 1. However, build whatever size and shape you want if you'll be using a flexible pond liner. Include in your sketch where the waterfall(s) will be located. How To Build a Garden Pond. Though many of your own smaller creative decisions will be made during the process of building your garden pond, below are some general guidelines you can follow for construction of a small garden pond. Tools You Need: Round and flat point shovels. Carpenters level. Can of orange spray paint (marking paint)Pruners to cut through small roots. Wheelbarrow, maybe. Leather gloves. Measuring Tape. NOTE: The instructions provided below assumes you will be using a flexible type liner, such as 4. Step- By- Step Instructions. STEP 1: Outline Shape. Begin by using marking paint, or lay out a garden hose, to outline the shape of your pond. This outline should be the perimeter shape of the water surface area. Most pond excavations have flat ledges - called "plant shelves" - at different depths all around the perimeter. These plant shelves allow for the placement of different types of plants that require different depth levels to grow properly. Paint out these lines for shelves as well. You'll want a deeper area (2. Then a shelf level at 1. If you look at the picture below, you'll notice I left an area to the far left that is very shallow. When the pond is filled with water, this area might be two or three inches deep. This is for animals and birds to use as drinking and bathing source. Caution: If you have even the slightest suspicion that you will be digging near buried cables make sure to call your local utility companies to have the location of these cables marked before digging. STEP 2: Excavation. Now that you've outlined your pond excavation may begin. Start by first digging out the deepest section of your pond. If you plan to have fish, make sure to dig one section of the pond at least 2. Dig this hole in a central location within the perimeter of your pond. Post hole diggers or a trenching shovel may be necessary for digging narrower holes. If the ground area around your garden pond is flat, you can use the excavated dirt to build a mound(s) that will serve as the foundation where your waterfall(s) will be located, as seen in the picture above. Build the mound for your waterfall anywhere from 1. Likewise, additional excavated dirt can be used to create a low raised berm around the entire pond. This helps prevent backflow from entering your pond water when there is heavy rainfall. Note: Before installing your liner. You will need to flatten the tops of the berms so that stones will lay flatly upon them. If you are building your pond into an embankment, pile the excavated dirt around the lower side of your pond forming a berm that will be equal in height with the base of your waterfall(s). This will ensure that when you fill your pond with water, liner won't show on the side where your waterfall is located. After digging out the deepest area of the pond (2. Tip: If you plan to use a submersible pump, and would like to make sure that it is hidden from view, excavate an area that will be underneath the base rock of your waterfall. This area should only be wide and deep enough to house your pump and the container or pot that you will enclose it in. STEP 3 - Remove Debris & Smooth. After excavation is completed, remove any rocks, sticks, and other debris that might poke a hole in or cut your liner. Smooth all surfaces with your hand. If you want to be on the safe side, line the floor and interior walls of the pond with an inch or two of sand, a 1/4 - inch layer of newspaper or carpet, or a couple layers of landscape fabric. STEP 4: Measuring for Liner. Liner size is calculated based on the width, length and depth of the excavation, the size and number of plant shelves, and the amount of edge overhang, so the sizing will be more accurate if done after the excavation is complete. To measure for your liner, use a sewing or construction measuring tape. Start by measuring the length at the widest point. Place one end of the measuring tape at a point 1. Press the measuring tape against the ground, going over berms and down through the excavated hole and back up over the other side to a point 1.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
October 2017
Categories |