Posts filed under ‘Water Gardens’
Decor for your Water Garden
Now that you have successfully installed your water garden, the only thing left to do is add the finishing details!
Whether you decide to add an aerator or fountain, we’ve got the products that will look the best with your pond!
We’ve also got the proper filters, treatments, heaters, and lights to ensure that your pond continues to work smoothly and soundly.
At this point, whatever you decide to add is really up to you, so take a look around at what other people have done, and check out our website to see what suits your fancy!
Other cool things to check out:
Installing Your Water Garden: Preformed Liner
The thing to remember about installing a preformed liner is that instead of making the liner conform to the hole, the hole has to conform to the liner. While you are digging, put the liner in the hole several times to make sure that you are on the right track, size and shape wise.
Step 1: Place the pool in the location you have picked out. Pound stakes in the ground to mark the outline of the liner. Remove the pool and begin digging within the staked outline.
Step 2: Dig out the shape of the pond, placing the liner in several times along the way to make sure you are staying on track. Dig the hole about 2 inches deeper than the liner and a couple inches wider. Remember to shape the hole to fit the shelves of the liner. It will be easier if you have at least one other person to help you lower the liner in and out. Measure the level, depth, and width frequently.
Step 3: Remove all sharp objects from the hole and smooth the bottom with 1-2 inches of sand. Make sure the layer of sand is level and insert the liner. Make sure all of the edges are level as well and adjust as needed.
Step 4: Fill the liner with several inches of water to help it settle in place. As it fills, carefully add soil between the liner edge and the edge of the hole, packing it in place as you go. Continue to make sure that the pond stays level. While you fill in the hole with soil, go slowly so that the pressure on the inside and outside of the walls of the liner remains consistent and the walls don’t buckle in or out. Try it in segments: add some soil, add some water (no higher than the soil), etc. Once the liner is completely filled and closed in, add your choice of edging and other design elements!
Try this preformed liner:
Installing Your Water Garden: Flexible Liner
There are two ways to create a water garden. One way is to use a preformed liner or the other way is to use a flexible liner. Both ways have their advantages and disadvantages. Read the detailed description below about using a flexible liner to determine if it is the right method for you.
Begin by digging out the site. This could be the most challenging part of the process, but it can be done with the right amount of planning and allotted time.
Step 1: Mark the outline of the pond with a garden hose, rope, or sprinkle a line of flour, fine soil, or garden lime; anything that you will be able to see clearly. After it is outlined, step back and examine the shape from all angles, adjusting it as you see fit. If necessary, live with the outline for a week or so to discover how well the new feature fits into the landscape and how it will affect traffic patterns. If your pond will be square or rectangular, use string staked in place; for 90 degree angles, a framing square will be necessary.
Step 2: Remove all turf and other vegetation. You can use the turf to fill in bare spots in the lawn or let it compost. Begin digging at the center of the marked off area and dig outward toward the edge. While digging, toss the soil into a wheelbarrow or onto a tarp so that it can be removed without harming your lawn. You can even use the soil later to build a slope. No matter what you do with it, it should be removed after a few days to avoid killing the grass.
Step 3: While digging, keep the pond edge level so you won’t be able to see the liner. Lay a straight board across the pond and rest a carpenter’s level on top. Rotate the board all around the pond, keeping one point stationary as a reference. If you plan on having stone or rock around the edge, remove an extra layer of sod so that the stone can be set evenly with the surrounding soil.
Step 4: Plan your shelves. If you want any shelves in the pond, they should be dug 9-12 inches wide and 9-12 inches below the top edge of the excavation. Shelves are great for marginal and floating-leaved plants.
Step 5: In cold regions, you will need an area that will not freeze during winter in which the fish and plants can stay. It should be roughly 2 to 3 feet deep and as wide as it is deep. Do not dig this area in the same spot that you want to place a fountain or pump.
Step 6: After all of the digging has been done, remove all objects from the pond including rocks and any equipment you may have used. Next add a layer of moist sand (only to the horizontal areas) as an underlayment. You can also use old carpet or a water garden underlayment which you should cover both the bottom and the sides with.
Step 7: Set the liner in the pond while still folded and then unfold, as they can be very heavy. You will probably need at least one other helper to help unfold and position the liner in the pond. Smooth out any wrinkles and fold the liner as necessary to fit curves or angles. Keep the edges of the liner weighted down with smooth bricks or stones so it won’t tear. Be careful not to stretch the liner.
Step 8: Once you have the liner arranged the way you want it, add a couple inches of water to help it settle. Arrange the liner to make it fit into all the contours of the pond. Fill the pond with a few more inches of water and adjust again. Then fill it the rest of the way, stopping about an inch below the rim. Cut off all the excess liner, leaving about 6-12 inches around the edge.
Step 9: Once the liner is set in place, install edging around the perimeter. You can use brick, flagstone, etc. The edging is important because not only does it look nice, but it hides and protects the liner. Do a final trim of the liner. If necessary, add a little soil in behind the stone to conceal the liner.
You are now officially done digging, building, lining, and edging your water garden!
Check out this success story of somebody building their dream pond:
http://vernileprince.blogspot.com/2009/11/i-finally-get-pond.html
He did it, and you can too!
*Don’t forget, you can find all pond-constructing materials you need at yardlover.com!
Check out our pond liners!
Like this:
Designing Your Water Garden
After you have determined the location of your water garden, it is time to start thinking about how you want it to look. Do you want it to be big or small? A perfect circle or an abstract shape? Do you want a waterfall, stream, or fountain? Should there be stone surrounding it or pebbles? Choosing the design elements to add to your pond are all completely up to you can be as creative or simple as you like. The best way to do this is figure out what you like. Do you like a formal, semi-formal, or informal style?
Formal:
A formal pond has a geometric shape, such as squares, rectangles, ovals, or circles. The lines are clear-cut and the edges are not blocked by plants. Formal ponds are generally part of a well thought out and designed garden and the pond plays an important part in the layout and design of the garden as a whole. Formal ponds often have a paved surrounding, made of tile, stone, or cement, but it is not required. Water features of formal ponds are typically in the form of a rill- a long, narrow strip only about 6in wide and it can be straight, curved, or even in a spiral. The plants used should include only a couple different species arranged in a regular pattern, such as in the corners of the pond. Use clear-cut “modern”-looking plants for the best effect.
Semi-Formal:
A semi-formal pond is obviously somewhere between a formal and an informal pond. They are more common in lawns or near patios and not part of the overall design of an entire garden. Usually, at least half, sometimes more, of the edges are visible. Not everything has to be symmetrical, as with formal ponds, but it should look neat and tidy. The shape is not as important as a formal pond’s but the plants should not be as densely planted as an informal pond. It can be whatever shape you like, from geometric patterns to random curves.
Informal:
Informal ponds have a more relaxed feel to them compared to semi-formal and formal. They are not untidy, but the edges are generally obscured by plants and the shape is not very obvious. There is no fixed shape for an informal pond, but obviously it should not be geometric. The point is for the pond to look natural, without any sharp or pointed edges. Smooth curves are best, but because the edges should be covered by plants, the shape is not terribly important. Combine many different species of plants to create a more interesting exhibit of foliage as well as shapes and textures.
Choose the type of pond that fits your yard best and begin designing it, including the types of plants you want, what design elements you will include, such as tile, fountains, etc., and what shape, size, and how deep you want it to be.
Planning Your Water Garden
Water gardens are a great way to add substance to your backyard. Not only do they enhance the surrounding environment visually, but the sound of running water has always been associated with calmness or relaxation, so if you want a place to sit by after work and unwind, a water garden is the perfect solution.
- Be aware that planning, creating, and maintaining a water garden all take a lot of effort and can be time and cost-consuming. Before you begin, be absolutely sure that you have permission to construct a pond. Depending on neighborhood regulations or water suppliers, you may not be in a location where building a pond is permitted. Before starting, check and find out, because you would not want to have to abandon the project after already putting in time and money.
- There are many decisions that come with creating a water garden, such as what types of plants you want, are you going to have fish, will there be a waterfall or a stream or both, and the list goes on and on. Probably the most important decision you will face is where to build your pond. Selecting the site is very important because you cannot just pick it up and move it if you change your mind. Things to keep in mind while looking for the right location are how much sun it will receive. Ponds do best in full-sunlight, but it is okay to have some shade over a part of the pond. Remember that water lilies typically need 5-6 hours of full sunlight a day. If there are any trees nearby, think about how big they will be ten or twenty years from now and how much of the sun they would block from your pond.
- Next, think about the view. Do you want to be able to see the pond from a certain room in your house? Do you want it near your back deck? Do you want it where everyone that drives by can see it or where you have to hunt for it? Water gardens are great focal points and will always be a topic of conversation if you have people over. If you want more people to visit your backyard, put it in a place where it is easily seeable from the house. Do not however, put it directly in a frequently-used path. It could become an annoyance for people who have to walk around it or a hazard if you have young children. Keep in mind where people tend to congregate and put it in view of that area, but not smack dab in the middle.
- Another important thing to think about is the topography of the region; is your yard hilly? If so, you will need to put extra thought into the location. Do not put it at the bottom of a slope because run-off water will flow into it, raising the water level and washing away your fish, plants, and other decorations. Place your pond just above the lowest spots to avoid rain-water. You will need to level the ground where you place the pond because water will run out of the pond. Either grade the ground or build a retaining wall. You can also build up the downhill side of the pond with dirt or rock.
