How to Create a Simple Pond

A simple pond can be the highlight of any garden.

Ponds are the highlight of any garden. Simple ponds can contain a few fish, plants and if there is enough space, even a small fountain. Simple ponds are no more than 2-feet deep and 10-feet in diameter. If you only have a small garden and you do not want to spend a lot of time with maintenance, a simple pond will be ideal for you.

Things You'll Need

• Measuring tape
• Sand
• Spade
• Plank
• Carpenter's level
• 15-by-15-foot heavy gauge polythene sheet
• Scissors
• 2 bags of concrete mix
• Concrete mixer
• Water
• Hawk
• Flat rocks
• Gravel
• Flowers or other plants
• Hose
• Fish
• Frogs
• Water plants

Instructions

1. Mark a 10-foot diameter circle in your garden using a measuring tape. Pour sand around the periphery of the circle.

2. Dig a 2-foot deep pond using a spade inside the sand line. Maintain the 2-foot depth all around. Shape the sides with a slight slope to prevent soil and debris from falling into the water.

3. Check that the rim of the pond is level all around the pond. Place a long enough plank over the pond's rim and put a carpenter's level on the plank to check whether the rim is level. If the rim is not level, level it out with a spade. Check again with the carpenter's level until the rim is level.

4. Lay the polythene sheet into the ditch. Allow one foot of polythene to hang over the edge of the pond. Cut around the edge of the pond with a pair of scissors to remove excess lining.

5. Mix the concrete mixture using a concrete mixer. Read the label to find out how much water you need to add to the mixture to get a thick consistency concrete.

6. Pour the concrete into the bottom of the pond. Spread the concrete to the entire surface of the pond using a hawk to get a 2-inch thick concrete lining. Push flat stones gently into the concrete around the pond's rim. Leave the concrete to dry for two hours.

7. Place a 3-inch thick layer of gravel around the rim of the pond. Cover the gravel with top soil you removed when you dug the ditch and plant flowers or other plants around the pond.

8. Place a piece of leftover polythene lining into the base of the pond to prevent water damaging the concrete while you fill up the pond for the first time. Fill up the pond using a hose. Aim the water at the leftover polythene lining. Leave the water in the pond for one week. At this time do not place any fish, frog or plants into the water. After a week has passed, remove the leftover polythene lining and the water and rinse the pond three times with fresh water. The cleaning process is necessary to reduce alkaline levels in the water which can kill fish and plants in the pond.

9. Place water plants, fish or frogs into the water. If you keep frogs in the water, place a few large rocks into the water near the rim so that the frogs can jump out of the water.

Tips & Warnings

• Place a small electric fountain into the pond if you have an electric plug nearby. Read the manufacturer's instructions to find out at what depth you need to place the fountain in the pond.

References

• Landscape And Garden: Installing a Garden Pond
• Build Eazy: A Garden Pond