You can add a peaceful, quiet setting to a corner of your yard by building a Koi or ornamental plant pond. It will also increase your property value with its aesthetic charm.
Design your pond in any shape or size if you want to hand build. Keep in mind that a lot of people later wish they had built it bigger so keep that in mind. If possible, view a few such ponds to get ideas and talk with the owners to be sure you want to proceed. Costs usually will surpass the estimates that you first get. The basic pond can be constructed and features can be added later as long it is in the original plans. Build your pond close enough to the house that it can be viewed from inside as well as outside. Whether your pond site is level or sloped you can create water falls and streams. Landscape garden supply stores such as Lowe's have "How to" books, as well as, store personnel that can help you install a unique pond. They can also recommend companies that will do all or part of the construction.
First, you must a dig an area a little bigger and deeper than what the finished pond will be. Three to four foot depth is necessary to provide a cool area for fish in the summer and a none freezing area in the winter if in colder climates.
Sketching your design plans on paper first is very helpful. There are now many interlocking heavy duty rubberized shapes and sizes that make construction much easier and will last for many, many years. Plan your stream areas wider and deeper as lining them with rock/ gravel will reduce final size. Layout your plumbing design (the most complicated part of pond construction), for water wheels, water falls, aerator sprayers and all circulatory systems. If you have little expertise in this field, then this is where you might want to get expert advise. Using the preformed, hard rubber forms makes the project easier, but it won't be as original. I recommend using these if it is your first pond, the endresult can still be beautiful. A layer of sand, then thick black plastic sheeting for this purpose, overlapped at seams is placed in dug area. Leave as few wrinkles as possible.This is followed by a special rubberized sheeting if free form. If a purchased shape is used, this is placed on plastic layer then rubberized sheeting over the forms. The rubberized sheets will cover plumbing and is used to form the base for all the stream beds. Edges of pond should lay three to four inches above land surface and sloped away from to prevent rain runoff from entering the pond. Rocking along edges, in and along stream beds to create desired look will finish the pond, This is done after all plumbing has been finished and operational. Once water has been added and water systems functioning properly, the landscaping aspects can be finished. Pond themes vary greatly from a Japanese garden, a desert oasis, a lighthouse, a Dutch windmill or any other imaginable idea. Once water has stabilized , the plants and Koi can be added. Too many plants will interfere with the balance for the fish, though too many fish can also cause imbalance, so less is better. Little care will be needed except to keep debris, such as leaves cleaner away. Then sit back and enjoy your pond. Don't forget to feed the fish!!
