DIY Network

Installing a Water Garden: Stone Edging From "Waterscapes" episode DWAT-104

Smaller landscaping stones are used to rim the pond and to conceal the waterfall tank.

In this segment of DIY's Waterscapes workshop, host Heidi Robinson and water-garden expert Rick Bartell add some of the smaller rocks around the perimeter of the pond.

Materials

Landscaping stones
Expandable foam
Tape measure

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	Figure A
	Figure B
	Figure C
	Figure D
	Figure E
	Figure F
	Figure G

Installing Stone Edging

The selection and placement of stones around the edges of a water garden is, in part, a matter of personal taste and preference. However, the rocks do provide some important functions. They serve to camouflage the plumbing structures like the skimmer and waterfall tank.

• The rocks used in our water garden are Tennessee mountain stone, and were chosen for their natural appearance. These rocks have lines and irregularities in the surface that add visual interest and provide good sites for moss and lichen to grow. Stones like these, and other varieties, are available from most landscaping supply companies, and most such companies will deliver the rocks for a small charge.
  

• Rick used some of the larger rocks as foundation stones to help wedge the waterfall tank in place (figure A). The liner was trimmed back to expose the tank itself. The placement of rocks helps conceal the plumbing components.

  Once the foundation stones were in place, Rick used some flat stones to help conceal the top of the waterfall tank (figure B). This waterfall tank is durable, and able to support a considerable amount of weight. The boulders on either side also help stabilize it.

  Though the rocks installed around the pond on the coping shelf will likely remain secure based on their own weight, the ones installed around the waterfall are stabilized using expanding foam (figure C). This type of foam is typically available from home improvement centers in a variety of colors and densities. The one we chose is black so that it will blend with the liner and the shadows between the rocks. The foam serves both to secure the rocks in place and fill in cracks and crevices where water might channel in the wrong direction.

  Position the rocks to create a cascade for the waterfall, and so that the stones conceal the liner as much as possible (figure D).

• Spray the expanding foam in the cracks and voids between the rocks. The foam must be sprayed with the canin the inverted position (figure E). The angled spray-spout makes it easy to get the foam into the smaller spaces as needed.

• Follow the manufacturer's instructions and precautions that come with the expanding foam. The type of foam dries with a brittle consistency, making it easy to trim away the excess later.

• With the large boulders in place, and the larger stones secured around the waterfall (figure F), work can now begin installing rocks around the coping shelf.

• Tip: Before you begin placing rocks on the coping shelf, arrange your stones according to size around the edge of the pond (figure G). This will help you visualize and plan out placement before you actually begin putting the individual rocks in place. It may take a while to arrange the rocks in this fashion, but it will save time in the long run. Having the rocks spread out in this way around the pond makes individual selection much easier than if you had to dig through a large pile of rocks.
  
  

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 :
Rick Bartel
Owner, Autumn Mist Aquatics
(423) 838-7663
www.AutumnMistAquatics.com