There’s more to building a garden pond than digging a hole, lining it with plastic and filling it with water.  You must also consider some important things like whether the pond should contain a school of fish or just plants. You should also determine how big or small the pond should be, and how much space you want the pond to occupy in your garden. Be prepared to dig a deep hole and spend many hours preparing the soil for pond installation. The trouble is worth it. I can guarantee that by the time you finish, you will be patting yourself on the back, beer in hand, and dreaming of more landscaping projects now that you have a pond.

Here are Some Steps to Building a Garden Pond

Step 1 – The area of installation

Choose a relatively level spot in your garden to build your pond. This is less expensive than leveling the ground yourself. Choose an area that is a bit far from overhanging branches so that you won’t have to deal with a pile of leaves floating on your pond when autumn comes. Also, the roots of the adjacent tree may just grow into your pond, which forces you into a sudden decision. Should the tree go, or shoud you dismantle your pond setup? The shade is also counterproductive because sunlight is essential for your pond ecosystem to thrive.

Step 2 – Liner Options

You have to choose between prefabricated or do-it-yourself when it comes to the liner you will use for your pond. Prefabricated liners are more expensive, but they are durable and require very little maintenance. You can also use any impermeable material as liner. If you have an old tarp that you’re not using, you can use that to line your pond. However, you must make sure that the material doesn’t have any major slits or damages where soil and water can seep through.

Step 3 – Installation

A pre-fabricated pond can be turned upside down on the area. This is to determine the size of the hole you’re digging. Mark it out with 6 to 8 inches extra around the outside of the liner. Always bear in mind the size of the liner you are using when digging your pond.

In order to build a garden pond that will last for many years, remove all the debris that may puncture the bottom of your pond. Once the preparations are done, you can line the inside of your pond, or install the prefabricated liner. Fill the pond with water up to about one quarter capacity. This will keep the pond in place as you refill the gaps with soil.

Step 4 – Decorate Your Pond

After you install the pond liner and add water, you can now transfer any fish you want to raise, add plants and stones around the pond. Add aquatic plants where your fishes can hide when the sun is high. Plenty of plant life should also be installed to help with algae problems. Don’t forget to install a pump and a filter for your pond before you consider the job done.

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