Decided i wanted to put a pond in the garden

[mikeclfc]

I have decided to put a pond in my yard. We have finally bought a house of our own rather than renting and i now want to put in a pond, (something ive always wanted to do) I have done a lot of research about the different systems and type of ponds, but one thing i'm unsure of is placement. I have a half acre lot with a large area to put a pond in, the problem is my house is a new construction house and has literally no landscaping in the back yard its just a open grass area right now, with only one slope on the side of the house (not where i want the pond) I dont want to just stick a pond in anywhere id like it to look naturally placed but still close enough to the house to enjoy without it being to close. I have no trees at all, so thats not an issue. Im thinking of a small -medium size stocked pond with a waterfall and maybe one small feature. Im thinking of one area in the middle of the yard about 20 ft from the house and then building my landscapes around the location of the pond. Any advice on where to start will be greatly appreciated.

 

[addy1]

Make it bigger than you think you will want, everybody starts small then wants bigger. do you want koi or goldfish? Koi need lots of filtration and water, gf are easier to care for and not as fussy.
Deep helps against the heat.
There are some members that live in lousiana, maybe close to you.

And Welcome to our group!

 

[sissy]

Make it what you want but make it what you can handle .Sometimes big is nice but if you can't maintain it and put time towards it then start smaller and work your way up .Do you have a space in mind and above ground or below ground or half and half and remember to think of predators and safety and also any safety ordinances in your area .There could be a building permit involved and also home owners insurance in some areas .I know here city law only allow an 18 inch deep pond in the front of your house and safety fences .Back yard 3 feet with a fenced yard .Remember also to have a budget for what you want to spend .Liner and pump will be the most expensive part most times .Also energy efficient pump and hopefully home made filter.Remember electric and electrician

 

[JohnHuff]

You know what I'd really like would be a lazy river that surrounds the house. Johnny Weissmuller had a life sized one around his house. I'd do a waterfall and small pond at one end, then the lazy river (maybe 2ft wide and 2ft deep) then another small pond where the pump would pump the water back up to the waterfall completing the circle.

 

[adavisus]

Safety is number one priority when considering what pond to do.

In the middle anyone galloping around could trip and fall in, kids especially.

After dark, a pond in the middle is a pit trap in which a heavy laden fireman would drown in the event of a fire

Set to one corner, or off to one side, with some sort of barrier or landscaping around it, a pond can be a pleasant, safe and attractive feature

Regards, andy
http://swglist.wordpress.com/
http://www.pinterest.com/adavisus/pondering/

 

[SouthernCross]

Hey Mike and welcome to the forums. I built a pond this summer, and built it close to my patio which is next to my bedroom. That way I can enjoy viewing it from the patio and hear the relaxing sounds of water while I sleep. If you have a big window, it might be a good idea to have it close to it for inside viewing. Louisiana summers are brutal.

Since you have a new house,hopefully your ground is settled enough to where you will not have any problems with settling once you dig your pond.

What part of Louisiana do you live in? There are a few of us scattered around the state.

 

[JohnHuff]

Safety is number one priority when considering what pond to do.

In the middle anyone galloping around could trip and fall in, kids especially.

After dark, a pond in the middle is a pit trap in which a heavy laden fireman would drown in the event of a fire

Set to one corner, or off to one side, with some sort of barrier or landscaping around it, a pond can be a pleasant, safe and attractive feature

Regards, andy
http://swglist.wordpress.com/
http://www.pinterest.com/adavisus/pondering/

So I suppose a lazy river surrounding the house is out of the question...

 

[sissy]

I saw the dream house show on hgtv and the guy built a moat around his house and no wants to sell ,you could buy that John and it is all done .1 problem I see is the house was up for sale for 3.5 million dollars it had a big price reduction after the show aired and it still has not sold .I did read his electric bill a month was 10 thousand dollars so you would have to factor that in also .Plus swan food . :cheerful: Sorry I misdirected the post but had to comment as i would love a lazy river also . :cheerful: Think we could pull a lot of resources

 

[Mmathis]

Hi, Mike, & welcome! Where are you in LA? We have several members from here.... or there, whatever....!

 

[JohnHuff]

How big was the price reduction? $3.4M?

it had a big price reduction after the show aired and it still has not sold

 

[sissy]

2.8 million :cheerful: I have not seen anything about it since .Even had a bridge and gate to it .What happens when you don't pay the electric bill you can't get in since everything is automated ,guess they have a bypass .Mike if you are near one of the other ponders they may have free fish and plants to help you get started .Save lots of money that way

 

[mikeclfc]

Thanks for the replies, you all make good points which makes it harder to decide, i have 2 toddlers which is why I didn't want it closer to the house so i couldb block of the stress from them until they get older. I'm located in covington , LA. I may wait a while and research more, I was thinking of putting in a sugar kettle fountain atb the front where i do have existing landscaping to give me a little experience in having fish and plants and maintaining the filters etc, plus they look real nice if done correctly, I seen a display they had in the local pond supply store.

 

[sissy]

you could do pondless to help the children understand and help you learn how it would work for you .Still could have plants .You could use a big tank in the ground or a sump pump vault as the pondless part and rocks and and a nice waterfall .Safer for the children and fun for them on a hot day .All children love to splash in water and safer than a kiddy pool that gets bugs and dirt in it and you have to empty a kiddy pool all the time .Pondless makes a great feature and later when babes are older then you can build your dream pond .

 

[pecan]

This sounds a lot like what we did with a large bare lot. We put our pond about 1/4 of the yard depth back from the house and in the center. Check out this series of pictures: https://www.gardenpondforum.com/topic/9188-pecan-pond-evolution/?p=183446 maybe it can help with ideas.

I had a hard time initially thinking beds, pond and everything needed to be along fences. I saw someone's pictures in a gardening forum and noticed island beds in the lawn and I really like it, so I thought it would work well with the pond. I like the grass pathways now around the pond.

I have decided to put a pond in my yard. We have finally bought a house of our own rather than renting and i now want to put in a pond, (something ive always wanted to do) I have done a lot of research about the different systems and type of ponds, but one thing i'm unsure of is placement. I have a half acre lot with a large area to put a pond in, the problem is my house is a new construction house and has literally no landscaping in the back yard its just a open grass area right now, with only one slope on the side of the house (not where i want the pond) I dont want to just stick a pond in anywhere id like it to look naturally placed but still close enough to the house to enjoy without it being to close. I have no trees at all, so thats not an issue. Im thinking of a small -medium size stocked pond with a waterfall and maybe one small feature. Im thinking of one area in the middle of the yard about 20 ft from the house and then building my landscapes around the location of the pond. Any advice on where to start will be greatly appreciated.

 

[adavisus]

An attractive landscape barrier of low growing shrubs can be an effective way to separate a pond from areas where folk move around. So, even in the dark, the ground and the foliage makes an obstacle which reminds where not to jay walk

Accidents happen where lawns butt up to a pond and its too easy for young or old to take a tumble when attention is a bit distracted

Regards, andy