So you enjoy your backyard, got some shrubs, perennials, set up outdoor living space to entertain but something is missing… It’s the sound of water - great idea for any backyard or garden. There are also many different solutions. You can get a small fountain that can be attached to any fence or a bigger size fountain that can be installed on the ground. And there are ponds.

We decided to share our biggest landscaping project with you. We did a lot of projects around the house inside and out but the pond gives us the biggest satisfaction. We went through many landscaping books and websites before we actually made the decision to go ahead with the pond.

Pond design: We found a perfect sunny spot in our backyard and used a garden hose to create desired outline. Once we had the perfect shape, we sprayed the grass with paint to mark the size and shape of the pond.

We strongly suggest following some basic steps when designing your pond. It’s basically to ensure that your pond will not leak. The minimum deepest point in your pond should be 18" and it’s a good idea to create shelves for your plants. It will be easier to place water plants that have different requirements – for example make the first shelf 12" deep for most marginal plants and the 24" deep for most submerged plants.

• Use sand on the bottom of the pond to protect the pond liner from small rocks in the soil
• Install underlay which is essential to preserve the durability of your liner
• Drape the liner evenly over the pond, make sure it’s quite loose - liner is always more flexible in hot temperatures
• Put some small weights to keep the liner in place and start filling pond with water
• As the pond gets full, start removing some of the weights which will allow the liner to take the shape of your pond
• Adjust wrinkles in the liner
• Trim excess of liner once the pond is full of water, leave 12’’ flap
• Finish the edges of the pond by concealing the liner which will give your pond a more natural look, liner must also be protected from U.V. rays.
• Use rocks to cover up the liner

Trying to design the perfect shape.

Liner is in, time to fill up.

You will need:

• sand
• underlayer and liner (amount depends on the size of your pond)
• river rocks – we used 3 different sizes
• decorative rocks to secure the liner and create the waterfall (waterfall is optional, you may design your pond without it)
• submersible pump for the waterfall and eventual fountain
• water proof lights to enjoy it at night – also optional
• water plants - we use mostly floating plants and water plants in special baskets
• fish - optional :)

We suggest to plant perennials between the stones for a natural look.

We got the frog from a friend - perfect addition to our pond

We got rocks from a local landscaping supplier and the electrical pump and waterproof light from a hardware store. Plants come from a local nursery specializing in water plants.

Our favorite annual plant

We didn’t hire a landscaper, so the cost of our pond was basically the material, but you should know that pond requires maintenance. We clean it every spring and buy fresh floating plants. When we sit outside and enjoy the sound of water, it’s all worth it. Here is the final result.

Waterfall

Fountain

Did you design a pond? Let us know how you enjoy it. We absolutely love it.

*We are going to upload a short video in one of the upcoming posts.