 Enjoy your visit! |
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JS of Newfields NH says: My husband dug the hole, but I did the rest with the help of your project pages...I'm so proud of the results. |
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Pond Maintenance Tip - A previous tip recommended that you keep pictures of your pond for reference, but another and possibly more important record is a log book. Keep track of everything you did or do to the pond, plants that you added, fertilizing schedule, fish problems, pump sizes, pond dimensions, gallons, etc. This makes it easy to track what you liked and didn't, what you did right and what you did wrong and makes it easy to find important information when things break, need treatments or upgrading. Some ponderers keep a fancy notenook and add articles and information - other's just jot things down on a calendar. Both work! Pond Place CD offers many more useful tips plus ALL of our Pond Projects!
Order now for only $29.95 and let's get started on YOUR pond!
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Shut up and let me get some sleep! |
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These pictures show the difference between a new installation and a year later when the plants are filling out. This installation made use of the ledge as a backdrop and stream area.
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Not sure you will enjoy water gardening? Some people start small with a tub garden before putting in a full sized pond. I guess this family really enjoyed their tub garden because the pond is quite a large step up in size.
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This pond (not yet landscaped) has a working stream that flows down a slope to the back yard and a dry stream that appears to be coming from the pond, but is actually a drainage ditch for runoff from the front yard and roof.
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This before and after is of an area that seemed to grow nothing but weeds until a the new pond was installed. It is a new installation and not completely planted yet. Although we are based in New Hampshire, this customer put us up in a hotel while installing their pond on Cape Cod in Massachusetts.
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You don't have to fill an area with a pond. One is a small pond in a large planting area and the other uses a dry stream to make it look larger. The dry stream is also a dry well for rain runoff from the roof.
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Here's a new installation where the foreground of the pond is above the old grade and finished as a raised bed and wall and the rear of the pond tucks into a slope for a nice falls drop. At right is a closeup of the stream and falls.
Pond Build Tip: Our Base Block technique (mentioned many times on these pages and detailed on our Pond Place CD) is invaluable for raising pond edges above grade for situations like this. Instead of a single layer of blocks, multiple layers are used as needed to add height and stability to the raised sides.
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Here's three views of a pond we made that shows the laying of the base blocks to stabilize and level the edges, the shaping of the hole and the pond ready for planting.
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Here's another small pond that shows how a couple day's work can make a big difference to a sparse area of the landscape!
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It may take a while for your new pond to look really beautiful. Compare these pictures of a pond just installed and planted with one a few weeks and a couple of plants later.
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I enjoy putting in small ponds because the change in the area is so dramatic with so little work! Here's two small ponds that are very effective.
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Here's a person that agrees with me about small ponds. Rather than a large one, we have installed two small ponds in their yard. Of course, the ledge that is under their entire property also had something to do with the decision!
Pond Build Tip: Hard shell (preformed) liners are very popular and rather cheap at discount stores, but flexible liner can be worked around lledge, large tree roots and other obstacles! Note: A good flexible liner will also last years longer than the average hardshell pond! One more practicle tidbit from the Pond Place CD
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Here's an pond that I put in years ago and the customer wanted a stream coming out of the pond, but no additional pond at the end of the stream. I used the 'pondless falls' technique to accomplish this so it looks like the stream is coming from the original pond, but the pump and water are actually in the area at the end of the stream. Note that I use an inexpensive sump bucket (available at most stone or pipe suppliers) to hold the pump and water rather than purchase a more expensive water garden pondless falls set-up.
The fourth photo shows a different stream, built with the same technique, but has a different look with more pebbles and a bit less flow.
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