Adding a Pond to your Yard One Step at a Time

Humanity is drawn to water. The sound of a fountain can pull you in, relax you, and rejuvenate your day. Being a homeowner, I had the perfect spot for a pond by my front door, a triangular patch that sprouted dandelions with a vengeance. I began my project by researching the internet, checking out local businesses that installed water features and read many articles on the basics. All of them had one bottom line I could not predict: cost. My expenditures would depend on materials used, time involved, and the overall size of the pond itself.

After researching pond building over the winter, I came to a decision; I would build it myself over the summer so that I had money in hand to cover the expenditures as I went. I also do not have an aversion to sweat equity as the time involved would allow me to educate myself along the way.

The first decision was size. I measured the overall area, and had decided to allow for a buffer around it, but staying with a triangular shape. The overall size would be 11 ft on the longer side, 9 feet at the back and a short 7 to meet at the point. Digging began after hauling off all of the old bark that covered the ground.

Initially, I had planned for a flat bottom of just over 26 inches deep. That would allow for the depth of plants like a water lily. Reading about other plants, some needed shallower depths, and I found that rocks, brick, or other methods were used to raise those pots towards the surface. So, I dug. While I was researching a pump, I found it is not recommended to submerge the pump at the very bottom. The reason being, if a line above the ground breaks, the pump will happily carry out its job and empty the pond! With this in mind, I left a step at the back so the pump would rest at least 12 inches above the lowest depth of 36 inches.

After a trip to a landscaping store, I found there were a variety of underlayment available by the yard to assure rocks would not damage the heavy material of the liner. With the clerk's help, we estimated the amount of liner I would need and ordered it. The cost came to just under $140, and was my first expense. She also recommended the use of old carpet scraps, being sure that all nails or staples were removed. I settled for the recommended liner, as it was only another few dollars, and I had already dumped sand in the excavation to allow for a smoother bottom surface. Once I picked up the liner, my son and I filled the hole with it and began to fill it with water.

I was immediately smitten with the beauty of my little water feature. Naked of a border, it none the less was exhibiting the promise I had dreamed it would. I allowed the chlorine in the tap water to blow off naturally. Plants seem hardy and disinterested in chemicals, but any plans for fish require the water to be free of chlorine as it burns their skin and gills and will eventually kill them. After two weeks, the water was teeming with small writhing creatures, and my husband accused me of becoming a mosquito farmer. I came home for our local pet store with a plastic bag containing a dozen feeder sized gold fish. My pond's happy new occupants made quick work of cleaning the water of insects. They cost me a mere 56 cents.

Now that my little ocean was populated, I required plants. Their purpose is two fold: To allow the fish someplace to hide from the sun and marauding predators, and the introduce oxygen back into the water. I went back to the landscaper and purchase a Water Lily and two Water Hyacinths. The lily took up one point of the triangle and I let the other plants drift at the other side.

Estimating the capacity of my pond was tricky as most formulas are based on length times width. Mine was only half of a rectangle, with another number involved. I used the dimensions as closely as possible and came up with my pond's capacity at between 300 to 500 gallons. This estimation is important because it tells you two important aspects of your pond. What sort of capacity pump you require to turn over the water hourly and if you need to add dechlorinator or other chemicals over its lifetime, you can estimate how much to use. Another trip to the store secured my last water lily and a pump rated at 500 gallons per hour. That trip was $112.

When searching for a pump, you will notice that the figure for the turning over the gallons does not include lifting the water above the pond to be spouted out of a spitter or water fall. I had decided against a water fall, and purchased a small gargoyle statue on-line for $28 and also a fitting that could be cut to adapt any size of hose. The tubing coming out of my gargoyle was 3/8 inch. The tubing I got to connect it to the pump was about 1/2 inch, so the little adapter was a good buy and easy to install. You can see bands on it with sizes. Cut the end off up to the size you want and slide the tubing over it. I used water-proof RTV as a cement to be sure it never popped off.

Since I had my water spitter and pump, I was ready to finally lay the stone along the edge to secure the liner and finish the pond. My husband and I took a few trips and decided on a local nursery's limestone slabs. The ranged from about a foot square to massive pieces weighing it at 40 pounds. We selected an array of size and came away with plenty to line the edge two layers deep, capturing the liner edge between and assuring the pond top would be above ground level so no material could wash into it during a rain shower. The slabs were the most expensive part at $303.

I now positioned my little gargoyle spitter and submerged the pump. As it made the pump raise the water about a foot, I still had plenty of capacity to turn over the water, keeping it full of oxygen for fish and clear of possible stagnation from leaves or yard matter rotting at the bottom.

I keep the pond cleaned out by using a net to lift out leaves. My little fish have been living there for three years now, wintering over and appearing as bright streaks of orange that swim by. They require no food and keep the water cleaned of insect larvae and some algae. The only maintenance it requires is to pull the pump up and hose out the foam filter on occasion. A water change of about 20 to 30% is recommended as the seasons change. You can become quite a chemist studying the water's Ph and its effect on the fish and their health. So far they seem content with their new home.

My neighbor loves the sound of the water, and so does my teenage son who keeps his window cracked open so he can hear it at night. I walk by the edge and say hello to my fish, who peak shyly from under the lily pads. During the holidays I put rope lights along the sidewalk to keep trick-or-treaters from accidentally stumbling on the rocks. I get a lot of compliments on the pond, the best one is from my fish.