Material List
To build your pond, you will need the following:
- A shovel, maybe two if you can get help
- A rake, garden clippers, pliers and hammer
- 14" 28 gauge roofing flashing
- 1/2" PVC pipe cut into @ 2' pieces
- 15# roofing felt for underlayment
- Pond liner Pump, hose clamps, tubing for waterfall
- At least one ton of flat veneer rock, like a Tennessee Fieldstone, 1” to 4” thick
- A good friend to help
When digging, do not break the edges of your pond by stepping on them. They hold your decorative rocks and if disturbed during the digging process, can collapse after you are finished because of the weight of your rocks. If the sides of the pond are soft, you must reinforce them. I use 28 gauge roofing flashing and support it with PVC pipe stakes.
Dig almost vertically to 14" inches. Place the excavated dirt in a ring about 18” away from the outer edge of the pond. You will need it later to finish off the pond. Install flashing along the sides and hold it in place with PVC pipe. Crimp top edge of flashing with pliers toward the outside of the pond so sharp edge does not penetrate liner.
Level & Felt Placement
Level the bottom with the rake. Clip off any protruding roots and smooth the sides and bottom well. Cover all exposed surfaces with 15 pound roofing felt, which serves as a cushion for the liner. It is easier to place plants with a flat bottom. I often dig a shallow sump in one corner of the pond, so if I have to empty the pond, I can do it easily.
Calculating the Size of the Liner
Length of the liner = the overall length of the pond plus twice the maximum depth plus three feet.
Width of the liner = the overall width of the pond plus twice the maximum depth plus three feet.
Liner Placement
Open the liner and spread it across the hole. Pleat or fold the liner as the pond begins to fill up with water to make the bottom and sides as smooth as possible.
Rock Placement
After the pond is almost full or water, place the first layer of decorative stones or bricks around the sides overhanging by about 2 inches. Caution: Wait until the pond is almost full of water before you place any rocks. If you don’t, the water will pull the liner in place and your rocks will fall in the water.
Pile the rocks one or more layers thick depending on how high you wish to raise the level of the pond above ground level. You will need about one ton of 1" - 4" flat veneer rocks for a 6' x 10' pond. If you build a waterfall, you will need more.
Placing the Final Rocks
When you get one or two layers of rocks on top of the liner, stand inside the pond, grasp the edge of the liner and pull it over the bottom layer of rocks about six inches. Put another row of rocks on top. Make sure no liner is showing through the cracks. Cover cracks with thinner rocks. Finish filling the pond with water.
You have built your pond slightly above the level of the rest of your yard so that it will not collect runoff from surrounding areas. Also the water above ground level gives the pond enough weight to keep it in its place when the water table gets high. And the bottom layer, (now under water) not only looks great and completely hides the liner, it also serves as a hiding and spawning place for fish.
Completion
Remember all that soil you dug out and have been walking over and around. Rake it back toward the pond as backfill to cover up the liner that is showing above the ground. Gently grade it down and use it as a planting area. Put dechlorinator in the water if you live where the water is chlorinated. Now you are ready for plants and fish.
Landscaping
You may plant whatever you like around the pond. I use native plants as much as possible. I also try to use mounding plants so they will drape over the rocks and into the water. I like to have plants that creep around the rocks and partially cover them as the seasons pass. Soon your pond will look as if it has been there forever.
~Jan Goldfield
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