How to Build a Backyard Pond

Contributor

By Heidi Braley
eHow Contributing Writer

Article Rating:

(10 Ratings)

Backyard Pond

Building a background pond is a wonderful addition to a yard. It brings in birds and frogs and it is a fabulous place to sit beside in the afternoon and enjoy a cool drink. It is really not that difficult to do if you can wield a shovel and have a little time to spare.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Shovel
Hose
2 ml plastic sheeting
Decorative stone

Step 1

Lay out a garden hose in the shape of a kidney or what ever shape you like. Try to stay away from digging directly under a large tree or you will constantly be pulling leaves out of the pond.
Step 2

Dig all around the perimeter of your hose so that you have an outline of your pond marked in the soil. Remove the garden hose and step back to make sure you like the shape of your pond-to-be.
Step 3

Remove the dirt from the pond down about 3 or more feet, lifting it out of the center and place it along the outside edge. This will help to build up the outside edge so that the water can be a bit deeper. Rake the dirt so it is smooth building up to the pond.
Step 4

Pick out any rocks or roots that might be along the bottom of the pond. Dig one end a little deeper - maybe about twelve inches so that your fish can dive a little lower on hot days.
Step 5

Lay in your sheets of poly to line the bottom and sides of your pool. It should come up and over the edge about twelve inches. Hold it in place with a few of your decorative stones.
Step 6

Set the stone all around the outside edge so that it slightly overlaps the edge, hiding the poly. Bring the dirt right up to the edge of the rock.
Step 7

Plant some perennials around the edge of the rocks, like hostas and daylilies that will add a natural element to the pond.
Step 8

Fill the pond with your garden hose. If the poly starts to bubble up a little, set a few stones in the pond to hold it down. Let the water sit for about 24 hours before you add any fish or water lilies.

Comments

fraph said

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on 8/4/2009 Very nice article on how to build a pond 5* and recommended!

SueJ said

on 6/3/2009 I put in a pond like this about 5 years ago and I love it. Your instructions are very clear and well written. It takes some work to do it this way, but it's worth it!