DIY Pond Building
No matter what style your garden has, minimalist, French or English type of landscaping, or a wild natural landscape style, having a pond enhances and complements the look of any back yard. A pond in your garden can be a tranquil oasis and an attractive visual staple as well. If you wish to have a pond in your back yard, there is no need to hire a professional, since you can build it yourself, creating a custom, personal look. This is a project that demands creativity above skill. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Decide exactly what type of a pond you wish to build, its shape and location. Choose a place in your back yard where you want the pond, to determine its size and shape. Consult landscape websites and magazines to get inspired and design the perfect pond for your home.
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Mark the place for the pond on the ground by using spray paint or wooden sticks. Consider different shapes of ponds, from elongated ones to circular ones. Think about how close you want to set the sitting area and where to determine the best shape.
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Dig the hole for the pond by using a hole digger. You can also use tools such as a pick axe and a shovel.
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Install the bottom liner for your little lake. The liner is usually the most expensive and most important part of a garden pond. Although it is never seen, it plays a key role since it prevents the pond from drying up, leaking and basically just keeps the water inside. You can use a number of pond liners, depending on your budget and preferences. The main difference between the liners is their structure: There are rigid and flexible liners. Rigid liners are fiberglass and concrete and they are the most durable and quality materials for a bottom of a pond. There are also pre-made plastic pond basins you can simply insert into the pond hole. Flexible liners are various rubber and plastic-based sheets and they are easier to install and to remove.
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Secure the edges of the pond liner with heavy rocks, if you installed a flexible liner. If you have a rigid basin in your pond, line the edges with rocks to hide the border between the pond and the surroundings.
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Add more rocks and stones around the edge to make it more lifelike. If you want to achieve a more designed, minimalistic look, add only smooth white stones and arrange them in order.
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Add plants and other landscaping elements such as gravel, colored rocks, wood chips and boards. This is the final touch of your pond design before adding water.
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Tips & Warnings
If you want to build a big pond, consider placing a deck above in one corner or on one side. The deck can be used as a sitting area or as a relaxing meditation point.
Always wear thick protective gloves when lifting and carrying heavy and sharp rocks.
If you want to, ask friends to help your with the hole digging part of the project and with the rock arrangement as well.
References
- Photo Credit Dutch spring garden with a pond and art decoration, Keukenhof image by e_annen from Fotolia.com
