Adding A Waterfall or Garden Pond

            Hi everybody. If you ever thought of putting in a garden waterfall or pond but thought it was too complicated or difficult, think again. If you go to almost any garden center, they will have an entire section devoted to building a garden pond. In years gone by, building a garden pond required pouring concrete, using sealers and the cost was out of reach for many people. Today is a totally different story. Flexible and solid liners and forms are readily available and all you need to do is plan, dig and pop in the mold. The ease in installation has significantly lowered the cost of construction and has made it easier then ever for the average homeowner to do it himself.

            Garden ponds are added to a landscape for many different purposes. Some people build one for the sole purpose of creating a fountain with spraying or moving water. Many people would like to create both a decorative pond and a place to have live fish. What you plan to do with your new fountain will have a big impact on planning its location. For instance, if you want to have a fishpond, you will need to locate the pond where it has some protection from the hot sun. If your only purpose is to create a fountain or waterfall, the location in relation to the sun will not be as critical. In addition, if you plan on using your pond to stock fish in, you will also need at least 10 inches of depth or more. Having a pond that is sufficient in depth is extremely important because a pond that is too shallow will get excessively warm for your fish, especially during the summer months. Be sure to locate your pond in an area where you will be able to run power to it. I would recommend hiring a qualified electrician for this task.

            Once you have done your planning and digging, you can put all the parts together and now the fun begins. Bear in mind there is no right or wrong way to landscape a garden pond or fountain. You can start by placing garden stones, crushed stone, river rocks, or even lava rock along the edge of your pond to hide the liner. Around the pond perimeter you can plant ground covers, annuals, native shrubs or grasses such as Lirope. You can also keep it natural by planting native Florida shrubs that are common in your neighborhood.

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            Even if you do not want to use a conventional pond liner, your imagination is limitless. You can use an old bathtub, an old waterbed liner, large galvanized washtubs or even large sealed plant containers. In fact, if you would like to share a unique idea with other readers, you can e-mail me at the address below. I will share the ideas with readers in future articles.