ATP's Front Yard Pond!

[ATP]

Coming along nicely , ...........I'D MAKE UP MY MIND SOONER THAN LATTER AS TO THE MACHINE RENTAL... damn caps.. you were a busy boy, im betting one who's feeling he was busy. . If your working the top down isn't that going to make for a bit of a nightmare going over the upper boulders and trying to get to the bottom. i know you have all sides to work from but even still.

Good point. I will leave the low side open toward the driveway for moving stones into the pond. I plan on adding what is left of my
larger boulders and then fill the rest in with various size cobble and cobble walls (foamed in with smaller pieces of gravel filling the gaps.

I'm feeling the falls on the right the left might be hard to see the water as it may just slide down the rock and not create white water

Hmmm, you might be right. I actually picked that boulder to the left because I thought the way its shaped it would channel water into a narrow stream. Might have to increase the flow through the bog. The spillway bowl will be about 5 ft to the left and that should help.

Seems your rocks are all pretty much the same size it might be worth it to go buy a couple completely different shaped rocks. this will help break up the string of pearls.

I have some smaller stuff too. This section will be in front of the bog and I felt like I needed to keep the rock higher than the two spillway sections. I posted another pic a page or two back where I needed to use larger stone because of the slope (section near the front of the house). The rest of the pond I plan to incorporate a lot more variation. When i had water in it and you drove into the driveway it looked like you could almost drive right onto the pond. I want to keep that look and use some stone that doesnt have so much vertical and keep it at the water's edge. I plan to break it up and use larger and smaller stones so I dont get that "ring of pearls" look.

As always thanks for the feedback @GBBUDD! I definately take note of all you advice and many times incorporate it into my design.

 

[ATP]

Was able to get my CrossFit workout in after work today . Got another two boulders placed and the heaviest one yet! Big sold block with a cool looking quartz looking rock on the face. Added a piece of driftwood and the spillway bowl and I like it may be a winner.

All this sliding of boulders into position got me to thinking about how the liner is holding up? I am using 8 oz fabric directly underneath the boulder but I see how easily the rock chews through it while sliding down the boards into position. I will breathe a sigh of relief next time I fill it up!

 

[addy1]

Love the driftwood! Looks great!

 

[GBBUDD]

THE FABRIC IS TOUGH its not impervious roll roll roll no sliding. one tear one week looking for the leak and you be cursing not getting the excavator

 

[ATP]

THE FABRIC IS TOUGH its not impervious roll roll roll no sliding. one tear one week looking for the leak and you be cursing not getting the excavator

Yeah, today I actually used the fabric to slide the boulders down the board and had a new piece waiting for them when they go to their spot. Yesterday and today once on the liner I did a little bit of sliding to get them into position, basically just some left to right shimmying. Hopefully, yesterday with my excitement of actually being able to move the boulders into position, I didnt do any damage. I will be much more careful going forward. For piece of mind I may fill it up again and make sure everything is good. At least if there is an issue I know who the potential culprits are but, man, I dont want to ever have to move those rocks again!

 

[GBBUDD]

Yeah, today I actually used the fabric to slide the boulders down the board and had a new piece waiting for them when they go to their spot. Yesterday and today once on the liner I did a little bit of sliding to get them into position, basically just some left to right shimmying. Hopefully, yesterday with my excitement of actually being able to move the boulders into position, I didnt do any damage. I will be much more careful going forward. For piece of mind I may fill it up again and make sure everything is good. At least if there is an issue I know who the potential culprits are but, man, I dont want to ever have to move those rocks again!

a SUGESTION take some pictures and mark which ones you were sliding and from where a month from now and having moved fifty boulders it will all be a blur.
rock those rocks a corner at a time walk them in

 

[ATP]

a SUGESTION take some pictures and mark which ones you were sliding and from where a month from now and having moved fifty boulders it will all be a blur.
rock those rocks a corner at a time walk them in

Yes, or just fill it up again and let it sit overnight. Probably only cost me $20-$30 in water, which would be well worth the piece of mind!

 

[GBBUDD]

absolutely

 

[GBBUDD]

look at it as sheet flow watering the lawn

 

[ATP]

look at it as sheet flow watering the lawn

That would make a lot more sense in July or august but might help me sell the idea to my wife…haha

 

[GBBUDD]

ah its too late for democracy its dictator ship time

 

[ATP]

My paranoia got the best of me after seeing how easily these big boulders ripped up the 8oz fabric during the placement process (sliding them on a board) and I filled the pond up this morning. It was full at 11am and the level hadnt budged at 8pm tonight. I think I am good but will check it again tomorrow.

Having water in it definately changes the look of the boulders. Tuesday, I was able to get some more rock placed toward and partially around the intake bay. Glad I went with at least 2 matrix blocks because the rock takes up a lot of space.

still trying to figure out exactly what boulders I will use for the high section of the pond (red arrow in pic below). Its about an 18" max height so the configuration of rock I have circled in red is what I am planning on putting there. Part of me wonders if doing more of a boulder stack here might not look bad either. The water on this shelf is only about 6-8" so probably cant have the joint where the top rock sits on the bottom rock under water. For now I am going with the group of boulders circled in red in this section

.

 

[GBBUDD]

I THINK THAT WILL LOOK GREAT, should be tall enough to hide the liner if not you can use even brink for a stable lift and then hide it with gravel.

 

[combatwombat]

Coming together! Looks really good, @ATP. Consider rocking some areas with smaller cobble. Breaking up the rows of boulders with some cobble “landslides” kind of naturalizes the look. Wish I’d done more of it in my pond.

 

[addy1]

Looking great!