Landscaping your garden pond is a great way to enhance the beauty of your yard. With a little bit of planning and know-how, you can create an attractive garden pond that will be the envy of everyone on your street. If you are looking for landscaping ideas, there are many resources available to you. Here are some suggestions that may help you with your landscaping project:
– Plan your landscape before you begin buying materials or building a garden pond. Find out which plants will thrive in your area, which ones are native, and what animals will be attracted to your garden pond. By putting the pond in the proper location, you can get more enjoyment out of the garden pond and potentially attract more wildlife. An effective, natural wildlife garden can help keep pests out and allow aquatic plants to bloom and grow more readily.
– Check out the local building codes for requirements before you start building a pond. Some places have requirements for size and height of pond plants, fish, and other components. Make sure that you meet those requirements, otherwise your fish and other pond components could be blocked by existing or upcoming construction, damage, or other hazards.
– Check out the amount of time it will take to dig your own pond from scratch. If you want to save money and use as much natural stone as possible, you might need to excavate a bit. Also, if you decide to build a vinyl liner, then you might need to buy pre-fabricated pond liners. Decide if your budget will allow for pre-fab liners, or if you might need to build your pond from scratch using natural rocks, stones, and wood.
– Decide on planting depth. Some plants like water lilies, which grow well in shallow waters. But, other plants, such as water hyacinth, thrive better in deeper water. Also consider planting depth when deciding on what kind of plants to plant.
– When building a pond from scratch, you may need to prepare the area for installation. Depending on your desired height, your chosen planting depth, and your liner type, you may need to remove some existing trees or shrubs, to widen your view of the area, or install an underground water line to connect your liner to your pond. You may need to add a concrete footing, to channel water away from the sides of the liner. If you are installing a liner with an above ground electric pump, check to make sure that the ground is firm enough to handle the weight of the pump.
– Determine the proper amount of gravel or sand to be used in your landscaping. If you have a small garden pond, use small gravel or pebbles. In case you have a larger garden pond and you want to create a flowing attribute, use larger stones or larger pebbles. Using the correct amount of sand or gravel is important if you plan on using it to create a water feature, as too much sand or gravel will make your garden look unnatural.
– Use the appropriate type of edging for your situation. There are several different types of edging available, such as wood, plastic, metal, concrete, or a combination of these materials. If you have a natural incline or hillside, using a large rock bed will help accentuate the landscape. A sloping driveway or patio will allow your landscape elements to flow naturally along the slope, providing for a more tranquil feel in your backyard.
– If you have a natural incline or hillside, you can still add drama to your pond. You can dig around the edge of the hill and place stone shelves or steps in order to let the water flow naturally down the hill. Alternatively, you can dig small steps leading down from the edge of the hill and install a shallow, concrete edging to keep the water confined to a smaller area. This can be a cheaper solution than constructing stairs or a larger deck, and the narrow edges of the steps make it easy to keep debris out of your pond.
– If you have a flat area behind your home, you can construct ponds that incorporate stepping stones. You can dig shallow grave-like banks using sand and place stones in the banks to build a staircase. When you come to a small curve or corner, you can set up a stepping stone and place another set of stones at the bottom to help create the desired effect.
– When working on a steep slope, pre-formed ponds and retaining walls are a better option than digging directly into the slope. Instead of making gradual steps to the pond, you can make sharp turns that will direct the water into the pond. You can use pre-formed ponds to add drama to a garden pond or to create edging. You can also install a concrete edging around the perimeter of your pond using a flexible layer of polyethylene sheeting to level off the pond and define the shape.