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"Water is one of the hottest elements in garden design today. Use it to create ponds, waterfalls and fountains, and your backyard will be a more beautiful and relaxing place." - REBECCA COLE - NBC TODAY SHOW CONTRIBUTOR |
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| THE LINER POND |
| Constructing a liner pond is simple and fun. Because of their flexibility, relatively low cost, and ease of installation, flexible liners are the most popular in water garden construction today. With the proper planning and preparation, there is no reason you shouldn’t be able to install a moderately sized liner pool in the course of a weekend with a fairly small outlay. To get started on building the pond this is what you’ll need: |
| The majority of liners are made from polyolefin, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or synthetic rubber (EPDM). The latter is the most expensive but also the most durable. Go with it if you can afford it. You have two options in terms of size and shape: buy a rectangular liner and trim it or buy a fitted liner for your area. Math Skills: To determine the size of the liner, draw an imaginary rectangle around your pond shape and measure the length and the width. To each of these measurements add twice the pond’s maximum depth, plus two feet to give you the necessary surplus of material to extend beyond the edge of the excavated area. A 2 x 4 piece of wood: This will be used as a level. Place the 2 x 4 in the center of the pond area and lay another piece of wood on top and make sure it hits each side at the same level. Some helpful friends: You will need them to help lay the liner into the pond area. It’s also just nice to have friends around, isn’t it? |
Heavy rocks or bricks |
| These will be needed to weigh down the liner. |
| 1. Marking and Excavating |
| With a garden hose or rope trace the intended outline of your pool. Allow two inches extra all around for a layer of sand or a buffer of liner protection. Install stakes to mark the curves. Dig around the outline and create a shallow shelf for the edging. Dig out shelves for plants (10 to 12 inches is common). Continue digging and measuring as you go, if you are intending to use a sand bed, dig an extra two inches. |
| 2. Leveling the rim |
| As you dig, use the 2 x 4 as a level to insure that the rim of the pool is perfectly level. A discrepancy might leave the liner exposed and vulnerable to abrasion and deterioration. For a larger pool drive a center stake and use it as a pivot to measure out all sides. To adjust the rim, rework the high side or build up the low side slightly. |
| 3. Smoothing the surface |
| To protect the liner, remove all rough edges from the excavated area, fill any holes and tamp down soft soil. Lay a two-inch layer of sand or install a sheet of liner protection fabric over all surfaces. Spread the sand evenly, packing it into place, and smooth the surface with a board. |
| 4. Positioning the liner and filling the pool |
| Soften the liner by stretching it out in the sun. Next, with helpers, spread the liner loosely over the hole. Make sure the liner overlaps the edges evenly; tight curves may require folded pleats. Weight down the edges with heavy stones or bricks and slowly begin filling the pond with a garden hose. When the pond is nearly full begin setting the edging into place. |
| PRE-FAB PONDS |
| One of the easiest ways to produce the relaxing effect of water in your garden is to install a prefab kidney-shaped pond. These ponds are a very popular choice because they are visually appealing and relatively painless to put in. Before installing your kidney pond, you’ll want to make sure you remove all roots and twigs from the soil. After this is done, make sure that the soil is even and compact. One surefire way to be certain that you have a flat surface is to use a level. |
| COMPLETE POND KITS |
| Pond kits eliminate the time and guess work of assembling a pond package. The kits include everything you need to build a beautiful water garden usually including liner, underlayment, skimmer, biofalls, PVC pipe, pump, underwater light kit and all necessary fittings and instructions. |
| FOR SMALL SPACES |
| If you are like a lot of people, you live in a small space and may not have a tremendous amount of room for a water garden. Not to worry. You can still create the charming and soothing effect of a water garden by using an alternative container. A single whiskey barrel is always a fun, funky choice. Or, you may opt to use galvanized buckets. With these smaller containers you can create your own miniature waterfall by positioning them on steps and allowing them to spill into one another. |
| PLANTS |
| Once you’ve installed your liner, kidney, or whiskey barrel pond, you’ll want to make it look beautiful and lush by adding plants. How many you use is, of course, up to you. You’ll want to start by laying out the site. To allow for the clearest view of the water, situate the plants with larger leaves and the taller plants to the rear and the smaller plants to the front. If the view of the pond is 360 degrees, be sure that you don’t obscure smaller plants with larger ones. It’s a good idea to reserve a third of the pond for evergreen plants, particularly in colder climates, because they add a nice visual background all year round. The old adage, quality is more important than quantity, should be applied here. You don’t want your pond to look like a jumbled mess of plants. Also, when floating plants cover more than two thirds of the pond’s surface, they do not receive proper light and harmful gases like carbon dioxide have difficulty escaping from the water. |
| THE MAIN WATER PLANTS |
| Floating plants |
| There are two types of floating plants: those with their roots in the soil and their leaves floating, such as lilies, and those whose roots dangle in the water, like water hyacinth. Keep in mind that the plants with roots in the soil do not like a lot of turbulence. You may not want to use them if you are interested in installing a water fountain or waterfall. The “floaters” multiply very quickly and may require more maintenance. However, they act as excellent purifiers, soaking up ammonia and other toxins. |
| Oxygenating plants |
| Oxygenating plants grow submerged under the pool’s surface and bloom as small flowers above the water. They take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen, thus aiding in the survival of other plants and fish. Pondweeds and eelgrass are two examples of oxygenating plants. |
| Marginal/Bog Plants |
| These plants do best around the pond’s margins and serve to link the pond with the surrounding landscape. They prefer wet ground to standing water and are a creative way to conceal the materials used to build the pool. Two examples are water hawthorn and umbrella grass. |
| It is important to keep the water in any garden pond moving for at least four to five hours a day. In order to do this you will need a motor attachment, which can be purchased at a nursery. A plastic arm, also available at a nursery, can be attached to the pump in order to provide a spray. |
| HAVE FUN |
| Remember that the most important thing is to have fun with your water garden. Create the aesthetic that you find most appealing, then sit back, relax and enjoy the view! |
Rebecca Cole is the gardening editor for
the “Today” show.
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She is also the author of “Paradise Found: Gardening in Unlikely Places.” |
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