Discuss – When creating a garden pond with a flexible liner, calculate the width, length and depth of the pond and multiply the maximum depth by three. Add the figure to the length and width.

We had a large newly created yard and I have a love of flowers so I naturally desired a flower garden. The problem was that the fill that was trucked in to create this yard was all chunks of blacktop and concrete with a light sprinkling of top soil to cover the chunks. There was no digging into the dirt without hitting something solid. We couldn’t even drive in a tent stake.

The town workers were scraping the sides of the roads after a long winter of sanding icy and snowy roads. They had two loads of roadside dirt they wanted to dump that looked like pretty good dirt so I let them dump it in a pile in the back of the yard.

After staring at the pile for some time, I began to see a fish pond and perennial garden in the dirt. My husband and I started working moving the dirt around to form a bowl in the center and grading the dirt away where the flowers would be planted. A flower bed would be wonderful, but with a pond in the center it will be even better.

Discuss – Filling a Garden Pond with Tap Water is risky because it may encourage the growth of Algae since Tap Water contains Minerals in it. So it is better to discuss this with a Garden Pond specialist who may help you out on specific Products to prevent this problem.

Because we didn’t know what we were doing, we used a grey plastic tarp for a liner. It worked well for two years. The spring of the third year we replaced it with rubber pond liner which will last many years. We purchased a pump and a filter so we could keep fish.

We had a fairly large pile of limestone rocks left over from an old rock wall. These rocks became the border for our perennial garden. My sister has horses and a nice pile of old horse manure. She graciously brought me a pickup truck load of manure which we mixed in the dirt. There is a recycling plant nearby that makes compost so we got a load of it to help improve the soil.

Discuss – Small backyard garden ponds are usually low maintenance. The occasional debris from your pond can usually be trapped with a mechanical pre-filter, which is included with the SuperFlo pump.

Another sister was cleaning out her perennial beds in the fall and throwing out a lot of overgrown plants which made great starter plants for me. I filled the back of my truck and brought them home to their new bed. I placed the plants in the ground for the winter. In the spring I divided the plants up and spread them out and had a great start on my flower bed.

Each year since then I add a few plants purchased at flower shows, the grocery store, and nurseries. I’ve also traded many plants with others happy to get different plants than they have. Now, seven years later, I am enjoying seven flower beds created basically the same way with beautiful flowers blooming from April through October.

Discuss – If you’re building a garden pond that doesn’t have a pump, you should aim for plenty of plant life to keep algae growth under control.

Copyright 2006 Alice Scott

Discuss – Though safety norms for your Garden Pond may not be your top priority while starting to build your Pond but it should never be overlooked. So you must plan ahead and provide for the safety well ahead and you’ll ensure that your Garden Pond is accessible to everyone in your family and a and a joy for all.

A fish garden pond can, and if you take this advice will, be one of the most rewarding elements you can add to your landscape. Aside from being so rewarding, it can be very fun and highly creative if you decide to do-it-yourself. I highly recommend that you read up, because there is a great deal that you must decide before you begin.

There are many different ways to learn how to build a fish garden pond. If you’re doing this yourself it’s no walk in the park. However, having someone else do it for you takes out all the fun and creativity. So don’t let the hard work ahead stop you, because once you complete your fish garden pond it will be something you treasure forever.

First thing is deciding the placement of the garden pond. This is entirely your opinion; some things to consider might be the layout of the land and shade surrounding the pond. How big do you want your garden pond? If you’re putting fish in the pond, especially Koi, you will need to make the pond as big as possible and deep enough that it doesn’t freeze completely. With a deep of only 30 inches or less you should give the fish and plants a constant temperate (required for survival lot of aquatic life) and keep the pond from freezing in the winter. If you cannot regulate the temperature of your water then you should make your pond at least 48 inches deep. With a shallower depth you also promote algae growth. So consider these factors, when picking the location.

Discuss – The first and foremost thing in setting up a Garden Pond is to plan well, don’t try to take any step before planning. That is never rushing to buy materials before the plan is perfect.

Next you will decide the layout of your fish garden pond. This is where you can be highly creative and design whatever shape fits your landscape and your personality. You can use a rope or garden hose to preview the shape. Some things to decide on might be stepping stones or a bridge across your pond and maybe a waterfall on the side or a fountain in the middle. You can get books about fish garden ponds to give you ideas. After deciding what you want it would be best to purchase these things before you start the process, they can be extremely difficult to add later.

All these decisions and you might be thinking you haven’t even done anything yet. It is very important to do these steps in order. A garden pond can cause a lot of problems and can be a very expensive mistake if not planned properly.

Discuss – Next will be the materials required for building the Pond. Ranging from UPVC to Concrete there are several different types of Material which you may choose to create your Garden Pond.

With that said, now it’s time to get to work. First you will start digging your hole. Follow your pattern and check your depth. You might want to consider different depths to add a neat effect, and also for plants that need different depths. Next you need to purchase a pond liner. There are many things that you can use for lining the pond and they are a lot cheaper than a standard “garden pond liner.” For example if you purchase a thick enough sheet of painters plastic or double it up it will work just fine. Lay this in the hole and anchor it along the sides with a border of your choosing.

Now you’re ready for water. Make sure everything is exactly how you want it and start to fill it up. Also make sure you’re plastic is anchored well; you might even want to bury the excess for added support. Fill the water to the desired amount and you’re almost there! Now you can decide on how to beautify your ponds edges with rocks, plants, waterfalls, whatever you heart desires. Now that you have the foundation laid you can experiment with the surround landscape for years.

The last thing you will do, and be patient, is add fish. You need to make sure the water has acclimated and is safe for the fish. You can purchase easy to use water tests at local pet stores. Do your research before deciding on which fish to put into your pond. Many fish are only tolerant in certain temperatures and cannot make it year round in a garden pond. Also, different kinds of fish grow to different sizes. So make sure that they are mated with similar sized fish so they don’t become “fish food!” Don’t worry though because there is a wide variety of beautiful fish for your pond. Soon enough you’ll be picking them out and watching them grow while you enjoy the experience of your beautiful fish garden pond.

Discuss – it should be away from any trees that drop their leaves, especially Willow, Elder, Poplars, Laburnum, Yew and Oak try to be sure that the garden pond is not exposed to the North winds avoid water-logged areas consider the closest water source also should consider the source of electricity if you plan on having fountains or waterfalls. I urge you to do this.