DIY Network

Water Gardens: Excavation with a Backhoe From "Waterscapes" episode DWAT-101

After just some basic instruction and a few minutes of practice, host Heidi Robinson is using the backhoe to excavate like a pro.

Once the pond for the water garden has been designed and marked off, you're ready to start digging. For a small pond, that may just mean a shovel and some hard work. But for a larger pond, you may want to consider some heavier equipment.

Though the average do-it-yourselfer is likely intimidated by heavy equipment like a backhoe, these machines are easier to learn and use than you may think. According to our water-garden expert Rick Bartel, with a few easy lessons you can be excavating like a pro. Backhoes can be rented from rental centers for as little as $150 per day, and some centers will rent one to you on a Friday for a single day's rental and let you keep it for the entire weekend.

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Figure A

• The first thing to master is the use of the control levers (figure A). On this machine, the rear arm is controlled by the left-hand lever, while the forward arm is controlled by the right lever. The forward and backward motion of the forward arm are controlled by the forward/backward motion of this right lever, while the curl of the bucket is controlled by the left/right motion of the same lever.
  
  
• After just some brief instruction by Rick, Heidi is ready to turn the ignition key and give the backhoe a try. With just a little practice, she easily masters the control of the forward arm that she'll use for digging out the pond (figures B and C).

  Figure B

  Figure C

  
  
• Using the backhoe like this saves many hours of back-breaking work when building a large-sized pond like the one in our project. If you're thinking of building a large pond, rental of a backhoe may well be worth the relatively small investment. Be sure to follow any instructions or safety precautions provided with the equipment and/or by the rental center.

• A key consideration when excavating a water garden is determining what to do with the excavated soil. According to our plan outlined in the previous segment, we used the soil to build up a berm behind the pond to serve in landscaping with plants and creating a natural look for our waterfall. After some practice, Rick and Heidi use the backhoe skillfully to pile the dirt into a berm as they dig out the pond (figures D and E).

  Figure D

  Figure E

  
  
• Using the backhoe, the major excavation portion of this project was completed in just about 2 hours.

• If you don't feel comfortable with using this type of equipment yourself, you might consider hiring a professional to complete this portion of the job for you. Whether you do it yourself or subcontract the work out, a backhoe will save you a great deal of work and lots of sore muscles.

In the segment that follows, the excavated pond will be shaped the old-fashioned way -- with a simple shovel.

RESOURCES :

The Water Garden Design Book
ISBN: 0764153730
Authors: Yvonne Rees, Peter May
Barrons Educational Series
(August 2001)
To order this book from Amazon, click here.

The Master Book of the Water Garden: The Ultimate Guide to the Design and Maintenance of the Water Garden
ISBN: 0821227963
Author: Philip Swindells
Publisher: Bulfinch
(April, 2002)
To order this book from Amazon, click here.

GUESTS :
Randall Tate
Owner, The Water Garden
5212 Austin Rd.
Hixson, TN 37343
Phone: 423-870-2838
www.watergarden.com