Ever dreamed of adding a tranquil water garden to your backyard, complete with a waterfall that flows softly over a series of rocks into a beautiful pond below? If this is a landscape element you'd love to add to your property but feel too intimidated to build it yourself, host Mayita Dinos and crew show you why you should think again!
Although Dinos does point out that the project requires a substantial amount of time and effort (it rates a 5 on a difficulty scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the greatest), she also shows why almost any intermediate do-it-yourselfer can take on a water garden with confidence.The project will take two weekends, requiring a total of 32 hours to complete, but once you see the results, you'll see why it's well worth the time and effort. Materials: Landscape design software and image of yard and pond shape/liner (optional)
Preformed pond liner
Shovels
Flour
Tape measure
36" wooden stakes (enough to space around the perimeter of the liner at 2' intervals)
Garden hose
2x4 (long enough to span the length of liner)
Level - To get started, Dinos uses landscape software to experiment with the position of the liner in the yard. She's already determined that the pond will be placed beside an existing boulder; the question now is simply which way the liner should be turned. (Dinos notes that in some cases the boulder would be a negative element, but she says it actually provides a valuable feature for a water garden.)
- After positioning the image of the liner with the narrow end next to the boulder, Dinos rejects this option and turns the image so the broad end of the liner is beside the boulder (figure A). This creates a more balanced look that works better with the additional rocks (and later, the plants) to be added around the border of the pond, which Dinos adds to the digital image (figure B).
With the design phase complete, it's time to mark the outline of the pond. Dinos and crew set the liner in place, then hammer wooden stakes around its perimeter, spacing them at 2' to 3' intervals (figure C). Next they lay a garden hose around the inside of the stakes, allowing 2" between (figure D). After sprinkling flour over the length of the hose, they remove the hose, leaving a clear outline that indicates where to dig (figure E).
To determine the digging depth for the liner's outside level, Dinos takes a measurement from the base of the outer level to the lip (figure F). Then the crew digs out a 4" depth around the inside of the liner area (figure G).
With the first-level digging out of the way, the liner is carefully set back in place, making sure its edges align with the edges of the dug-out area. Now it's time for a second dose of flour, this time sprinkled around the liner's second-highest level (figure H) to create the next "stencil" (figure I). Once this level is dug to the appropriate depth, the remaining levels are marked and dug out in the same fashion.
Expert Tip: If you plan to stock your pond with fish, make sure you know how much water they require, says fish expert Shawn McHenry. Not all fish are the same! Goldfish, for example, require only about an 18" depth; koi, on the other hand, need at least 2-1/2' to 3' of water. He also advises checking local ordinance restrictions before purchasing a liner, since some areas limit how deep a water feature can be. After removing all rocks, tree roots and other sharp objects from the cavity, the crew is now ready to set the liner in place (figure J) and begin the leveling process. As Dinos explains, leveling is crucial at this point to prevent an uneven bottom that will cause the liner to bend and crack from the unevenly distributed weight of the water. After placing a 2x4 across the length of the liner, Dinos sets a level on the board to determine whether any areas of the liner are higher than others (figure K). Once she's pinpointed the uneven areas, fill dirt is added or removed as needed until the level indicates perfectly even placement.
Note: As water and plants are added to the pond, the level will be checked periodically to make sure the liner hasn't shifted. Finally, more fill dirt is added around the entire permieter of the liner to fill in the gaps around the first level (figure L). Note: If you're unable to find a preformed liner of the dimensions you need, or if you simply want to create a custom shape, consider using a flexible liner instead. This product is sold in rolls (figure M) and is priced according to width, thickness and durability.
If you opt for this type of liner, it's essential that absolutely no sharp objects remain in the cavity when the liner is laid in place, says Dinos. She recommends laying down a bed of sand several inches thick prior to positioning the liner itself. Time elapsed: 9 hours.
RESOURCES :
Europond 1Preformed Pond Liner
60" L x 48" W x 29" H
OASE Waterscapes Water Gardening Equipment
Irvine, CA 92614
Website: www.oase-pumpen.com
GUESTS :
Shawn McHenry
Mystic Koi & Water Gardens
1250 W. Arrow Hwy.
Upland, CA 91786
Phone: 909-920-3767
Fax: 909-920-3153
Email: shawn@mystickoi.com
Website: www.mystickoi.com
Koi Expert
Perry Colburn
Happy Frog Botanical Garden Center
15386 Little Valley Road
Grass Valley, CA 95949
Phone: 530-273-3764
Fax: 530-273-1510
Website: www.happyfrog.com
Aquatic Expert
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