DIY Network

Installing a Water Garden: Digging a Coping Shelf From "Waterscapes" episode DWAT-102

	Waterscapes host Heidi Robinson discusses the importance plant shelves and coping shelves in designing a water garden.
	Water-garden expert Rick Bartel.

In this segment of DIY's Waterscapes workshop host Heidi Robinson and water-garden installation pro Rick Bartel do some final shaping on the pond interior. Rick discusses the importance of building a coping shelf around the perimeter of the water garden.

The work done so far in this project includes researching different types of water gardens, developing a plan on paper for this particular water feature, selection of a location and excavation of the basic pond shape using a backhoe.

Materials needed for laying out the water garden:

Shovels
Pick axe
2" flexible PVC pipe
Pond skimmer
Pond waterfall tank
Long carpenter's level
Line level and string
Wheel barrow

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	Figure A
	Figure B
	Figure C

Creating a Coping Shelf

According to water-garden expert Rick Bartel, a coping shelf around the perimeter of the pond is used to hold the boulder and rockwork in place while helping to keep the pond-liner stationary once it has been draped in place. It allows the water-level in the pond to be raised slightly higher to produce the effect of a natural shoreline.

• The coping shelf is dug about 2 inches deep and 16 to 18 inches wide. Working together, Heidi and Rick begin in one location and work their way all the way around the perimeter of the pond, cutting in with the point of sharp shovels to form the outline of the shelf (figure A).

• Once the outline has been coping shelf has been established, a square shovel (figure B) us used to peel the sod back and remove it along with the top layer of dirt (figure C) all the way around the pond. A square shovel is preferred for this part of the job since a round or sharp-pointed shovel can leave small furrows in the dirt as you dig.

  Once the sod has been removed, come back and level the coping shelf, again using the flat 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.