Your Garden Pond

• Garden ponds can be beautiful and offer years of relaxing enjoyment for you, your family and friends. There is no one set design for a garden pond because you will want to make it uniquely yours. One of the first things you will want to decide is the perfect location for your pond. Things to consider when picking a location are the sun and shade trees. You don't want the pond to be in full sun or it will be hard to keep the algae down; however, putting it directly under trees will result in having to clean out leaves and seed pods in the spring and fall. If you have a perfect spot that is partly under a giant leaf dropper and you don't mind cleaning out the leaves, then that will be fine. Another part of the design you will need to consider is the depth of the pond, which depends on the climate in which you live. In the South, you may only need to be a few feet deep, while in the north you may have to dig a foot or more below your freeze line. The freeze line is the depth to which the ground freezes in the coldest of winter. Draw out how you would like your pond to look, what you would like around the border and any special features you want. You will need a pump to keep the water moving and a filter system to keep the algae down. A nice feature for a water garden is a waterfall. There is a large variety of them on the market or you can make your own.
  
  

Preparing for the Pond

• The outline of the pond can be made with rope or a garden hose. Small ponds are harder to maintain than larger ones. Once you start to slope the inside, the pond may be actually smaller than you thought. Make the pond a little larger than first expected. The pond should be dug with a shelf about 6 inches deep and 12 inches wide with another after that about 12 inches deep and 12 inches wide. Then slope toward the center to the depth of 3 to 4 feet or deeper if you are in a zone 5 or less. A 2-by-4 board and a level can be used to make sure the border is level; otherwise, you may have one side of the liner showing. The border of the pond should also be slightly higher than that of the surrounding area. To figure the size of liner material, measure the maximum length and the maximum width and add the depth twice. An extra foot should be added for overlapping the liner to the outside. At this point, the skimmers, filters and water features can be put into position. Ditches will need to be dug for the plumbing to the pump or skimmer.
  
  

Putting it All Together

• Now the liner is ready to be installed. It is very important to keep wrinkles from forming in the liner because it will give a place for algae to hide and grow. There will have to be some folds for the liner to form in the pond, but keep them at a minimum and neat. The water pressure should push them down. The liner should then be pulled over the edge and a small trench dug to tuck the edge of the liner in. It can then be buried, which will help to stay in place. The filter, skimmer and water features can now be connected and the pond filled with water. A border is then added, which can consist of rock, stone, pebble or wood. This will also help keep the liner in place. If well water is being used, fish and/or plants can be put in the pond almost right away. However, if chlorinated water is filling the pond, it should be allowed to sit for a few days to dissipate the chlorine because it can harm plants and fish. If fish are being put in the pond, they should be added a couple at a time with several weeks between adding more. A very important plant to put in your water garden is an Anacharis. This plant will eat the nutrients that feed and allow algae to grow. They should be placed in the pond in bunches. Water lilies can then be added for a beautiful visual effect.