First outdoor pond started...

[Conner]

this pond is going to look fantastic when done, i really like the deck too

Thanks a lot! I like it too

Here is what I'm thinking about doing. Extending the pond like the red line suggests, then adding a waterfall to help water flow towards the skimmer. The pond is only half full, so if I have to empty some of it to do this digging I can, but I may be able to do it just with flipping the liner over the pond.

What do you think?

edit: I won't bring this new section down to 3 feet deep. It will probably be sloped at the near end, down to where it meets the bottom.

 

[ceeej31]

Thanks a lot! I like it too

Here is what I'm thinking about doing. Extending the pond like the red line suggests, then adding a waterfall to help water flow towards the skimmer. The pond is only half full, so if I have to empty some of it to do this digging I can, but I may be able to do it just with flipping the liner over the pond.

What do you think?

edit: I won't bring this new section down to 3 feet deep. It will probably be sloped at the near end, down to where it meets the bottom.

i like it, but i personally would either make the waterfall bigger, or i would make a stream

 

[Conner]

i like it, but i personally would either make the waterfall bigger, or i would make a stream

well, that isn't to scale It was just a representation of where the waterfall would go. It will be however big it needs to be.

 

[Muske]

I use gravel from the garden center. 2 types, #6 and #8 washed river stone. The # 6 is larger pea gravel appox 1/2" and smaller. The # 8 is about golf ball sized. Buy it in bulk and use it before you fill the pond. Once it is in place it is easier to wash off and rinse away a lot of dirt and debris. Place an old pump, or your new one w/a screen, in the lowest spot to pump out the dirty water. I've tried to wash gravel in the drive, in the back of a truck, but nothing works better than installing it in the pond and washing it after. It won't be 100% clean, but it won't wreck clarity totally, you should still be able to see the bottom when everything is filled.

Try to avoid chopping any roots over 1" in diameter if possible. Those are the support roots. The mass of fiberous roots in the upper 6-12" of soil are necessary, but you can be pretty aggressive w/them since the recoop. fast.

is the falls going to be run from another pump? One for the falls and one for the bog?

 

[The1and only]

I think it is a great idea to dig it out more and adding the water fall will ensure no dead spots. Like my previous post though with that much liner you could go way bigger and not harm the root structure of that tree. I would go out to the purple line and make it two terraced shelves that are 1' and 2' deep for planting nice aquatic plants.

 

[Conner]

I use gravel from the garden center. 2 types, #6 and #8 washed river stone. The # 6 is larger pea gravel appox 1/2" and smaller. The # 8 is about golf ball sized. Buy it in bulk and use it before you fill the pond. Once it is in place it is easier to wash off and rinse away a lot of dirt and debris. Place an old pump, or your new one w/a screen, in the lowest spot to pump out the dirty water. I've tried to wash gravel in the drive, in the back of a truck, but nothing works better than installing it in the pond and washing it after. It won't be 100% clean, but it won't wreck clarity totally, you should still be able to see the bottom when everything is filled.

Try to avoid chopping any roots over 1" in diameter if possible. Those are the support roots. The mass of fiberous roots in the upper 6-12" of soil are necessary, but you can be pretty aggressive w/them since the recoop. fast.

is the falls going to be run from another pump? One for the falls and one for the bog?

I buy gravel from a local sand company at crazy cheap prices (I can get several tonnes for about $40 ).

The falls will be run from a second pump that I have yet to purchase, since I hadn't planned on having this waterfall.

I think it is a great idea to dig it out more and adding the water fall will ensure no dead spots. Like my previous post though with that much liner you could go way bigger and not harm the root structure of that tree. I would go out to the purple line and make it two terraced shelves that are 1' and 2' deep for planting nice aquatic plants.

I might do something like that, it would look nice. The only problem I can see is that the side of the pond that I will be expanding points south, which is where the majority of the sun comes from. I can see the bottom shelf not getting much sun because of the shelf above it blocking a lot of it. But I think I will do something very similar to that.

Of course, that makes it even more into a heart shaped pond :/

 

[mrunlucky07]

Bigger is always better!

Two other quick ideas since you have some extra liner. You could use it on the right side to make another shallow area like another bog, but have it more open for smaller fish and plants. The water could go over a spillway from the bog into the extra little pond and then another spillway into the pond.
Or, you could spill the water from from the bog into a stream and run around the pond.

If you don't already have a concrete plan for the area by the deck it is nice to sit on the edge and dip your fingers/toes in the water, plus if done right it will blockade turtles on that side.

 

[The1and only]

yep it's official. never show pics of extra yard and liner on this site.

 

[Conner]

yep it's official. never show pics of extra yard and liner on this site.

Yah, I should have folded it under for the pics

 

[Conner]

well, I didn't get to do any digging saturday because of football games and taking my gf to the science museum/IMAX. I was all hyped up for doing a good 8-10 straight hours of digging and forming on the pond and bog filter yesterday, but it rained, non-stop, from before dawn until after dark .

This is what I woke up to this morning. I forgot to put a couple bricks in the bottom of the skimmer to keep it from floating up in its hole .

I guess the good thing is I can say for sure that the ponds level .

I guess I also need to dig a small drainage ditch heading away from the pond and downhill, for when it rains like this. What do you guys do when you have 5 inches of rain in one day flood your pond?