How to Design a Pond & Water Garden

Designing a pond and water garden is an exciting task. Water gardens add beauty and value to your home. A pond with plants and fish is a good place to sit beside and relax. A well-thought-out design is crucial in having it all come together well.

Things You'll Need

• Graph paper
• Sketching paper
• Pencil
• Garden hose
• Spray paint
• Measuring tape
• Calculator

Instructions

1. Choose a location for your pond and water garden. The location will help determine how large or small the project should be. A pond and water garden should appear as though they occurred naturally.

2. Measure the location. Use these measurements to determine the size of the pond and water garden.

3. Sketch the way you want your garden to look on paper. Get ideas from a local nursery or books. The chances are you will create many sketches before you decide on the right one for your garden.

4. Use the sketches as a guide. Take a garden hose and lay out the proposed pond at its planned location. Make adjustments as necessary. Once you have the look you desire, use spray paint to mark the outline.

5. Take exact measurements of the spray painted outline and transfer them to graph paper to create a scale drawing. Add placement of waterfalls, fountains, lighting and plants.

6. Decide whether you will add fish. Fish require deeper water than a pond with only plants.

7. Calculate the size of the pump required for your pond. Ponds with waterfalls and fountains require larger pumps than those without. Pumps are rated at gallons per minute. To find out the size you need, calculate the volume of the water the pond will hold. Add in the requirements for fountains, sprays and waterfalls. Large ponds with large fountains and waterfalls may require more than one pump.

8. Locate a source of electricity for the pond pumps, lighting and fountains. All electrical outlets have to be GFI-rated. If you're unsure about installing a GFI outlet, contact a qualified electrician.

9. Set a budget. Include plants, landscaping, fish, lining, rocks and electrical elements. Decide which parts you'll complete yourself and which parts will require contractors. Make adjustments to the plans to stay budget. Plants, landscaping and fish can be added at later, if necessary.

Tips & Warnings

• Water plants prefer gentle currents in the water.

• Adding fish will keep mosquitoes and other insects at bay.

References

• "Waterfalls, Fountains, Pools and Streams;" Helen Nash & Eamonn Hughes; 1997

Resources

• Backyard-Pond-Guide.com: Pond Pictures