Garden Pond Construction

related article: Outdoor Fish Pond

Garden Pond Construction / do-it-yourself

After you have finished the garden pond plan for your pond design and have chosen the perfect pond location you will have to decide, which material is most proper for your water garden construction. Preformed pond shells are quick and easy to install. These pre-manufactured fibreglass ponds come with all necessary designs for plant zones, but you have to decide between some fixed pond shapes. By combining several preformed pond liners you have the chance to take more individual influence to your own creativity and even more, if you add a Garden Pond Bridge, Pond Step Stones, a Decorative Water Garden Fountain or a Garden Pond Stream to your garden pond construction.
The following instruction will show how to construct a backyard pond with a flexible pond liner.
 

Flexible pond liners offer unlimited possibilities for your water garden construction. Flexible pond liner of various kinds and strength allow to build any shape and size of aquatic garden. With a simple formula you can calculate the amount of flexible pond liner folia that you may need for you personal pond design. You will need for following backyard pond construction:

• maximum length of pond: 5 meter
• maximum width of pond: 3 meter

• maximum depth of pond: 1,20 meter

The formula for your pond liner calculation:

• length of pond liner material: 
  pond length + 2x pond depth + lap over (about 80cm)
• length of pond liner material = 5m + 2,40m + 5cm = 8,20meter
• width of pond liner material:
  pond width + 2x pond depth + lap over (about 80cm)
• width of pond liner material = 3m + 2,40m + 5cm = 6,20meter

According to this calculation for flexible pond liners it will be enough to buy 8,20m x 6,20m pond material for the garden pond above of 1,20m depth. Don't forget to buy underlayment of the same size to protect your liner from below against sharp edges, stones and roots, when the liner will be under heavy water pressure.
 

How to construct a Garden Pond in your Backyard ?

• Garden pond construction step 1 - mark the form of your water garden:
  Remove all plants and undergrowth from the pond location and mark the pond shape with a hose or chalk. Do not construct a garden pond near deciduous trees. In this case correct the form of your pond or - if there is no other way - remove deciduous trees, because they will fill up your water with autumn leaf-fall, what will change the biological balance and increase nutrients in your aqua garden.

• Pond construction step 2 - dig the hole for your garden pond:
  Begin in the middle of your water garden and dig to pond hole, following the shapes of the pond zones. Cut pieces of grass with a spade and put those aside. You can use those later again to fix the banks. We suggest to provide an overflow of about 30cm when you construct a garden pond. Pond and overflow have to be 100% horizontal to avoid the pond from leaking and the flexible pond liner to by visible.

• Water garden landscaping step 3 - prepare foundations for sculptures, step stones, bridges, etc.:
  If you plan to place heavy water sitting garden sculptures in your aquatic garden or if you will provide step stones though the pond, you have to prepare the foundations now in step 3.

• Garden Pond installation step 4 - lay out your aquatic garden:
  Clean the bottom of the pond hole from roots, stones and sharp items and lay out the underlayment. Put the flexible liner above it till over the overflow and try to avoid to many folds. Don't step with your shoes on the liner folia and don't pull it through your garden to avoid damages. It is helpful to do the whole backyard pond construction on a sunny, warm day to get the liner material more elastic.

• Constructing a Fishpond step 5 - fill the water in and cut the liner:
  Now it's time to place the statuary and step stones on their positions and start filling the pool. Watch for folds and tensions that stretch and need more liner material. Avoid overstretching. Cut surplus liner folia some centimetre behind the overflow and hide it with stones or rocks. Install the technical pond equipment, bring aquatic plants in the pond and give the natural ecosystem about 8 weeks to find its balance. After that time you may release the first group of fish.

Construct your own Water Garden: Checklist