Adding a pond to decorate your yard and spice up your home landscape is an effective way to increase the property value and aesthetic appeal of your backyard. The sound of flowing water is naturally calming and has been shown to reduce stress and improve overall health. Creating this type of water feature looks more difficult than it actually is.
Here are the instructions on building a basic garden pond on your lot. Once you’ve mastered the basic construction, you can get more creative and use additional touches like fountains, statues, or live fish.
Step 1
Analyze the space you have chosen for a pond. Are there trees, rocks, or special soil conditions to think about? Will these elements be removed or can they be integrated into the landscape? Will this be a small pond with a source of water emerging from a slope, or is it a large pond filled by an inlet stream? When you have considered these factors, draw an outline on the ground with chalk.
Step 2
Digging begins. If you are building a small water feature, a depth of three to five feet is ideal. If you are using a hard coating, put it in place making sure there is little chance of leakage from the sides. If a flexible liner is used, make sure there is enough overlap in the dirt without digging until the rest of the work is done. These liners may require a water plant or two to keep them submerged until the air issue is resolved. The stones work well too.
Step 3
Plug in the pump. Some tubes have a pump outlet port for associated tubes and cables. You will have to find an inconspicuous space between the water plants to hide them. Place a weed pad in the stream of water, along with some washed stone to keep it in place. Lay the pump hose along the bed to the start of the stream, then add the larger stones around the hose.
Step 4
Add the water plants. Remember to be consistent with your choice of plants around your pond. If you are in a dry climate, you probably won’t use ferns. On the contrary, if you live in a humid region with forest, you will not plant cacti.
Step 5
Turn on the water and put your new garden pond to the test. Make any last-minute changes that you consider necessary.
