Hello. Beginner needing help.

[SmokeyHill]

Hi folks. The wife and I are recent empty nester and are looking to make some improvements to our property.
I want to build her a garden pond near our pool that she can surround with flowers and plants to have a quiet place to sit and enjoy the afternoon.
We're not interested in koi but will probably add a few goldfish to keep the mosquito population in check.
So which section should I start reading and bombarding with all my newbie questions? BTW, we are in the northern panhandle of West Virginia. Summer Temps are lower to mid 80's and winter can see single digits to below zero on a few occasions.
Thanks for any help.

 

[JRS]

Welcome to the forum! Since you like plants, Addy's bog building post is good reading. By designing a bog area, even a small one, in conjunction with your pond, you will be more satisfied in the long run by less maintenance and better appearance of your pond (no green water algae):

Bog building, also called upflow filter, eco filter, wetland filter

I was asked to start a thread on how to build a bog. This is my rendition on bog building 101............. Building a bog: Before you decide to build a bog, you need to know what you want its primary purpose to be. Total pond filtration bog filtration combined with another filter. If you...

www.gardenpondforum.com

Some good basic principles for maintenance of any pond, even though koi are the focus regarding stocking:

A nice write up by poconojoe about keeping a pond healthy

The words "koi pond" have become a universal description of a garden pond. Most people don't realize until it's too late that koi get huge, excrete an awful lot of waste and need a LOT of room. So, to the question....how to keep a "koi pond" healthy. At least 1,000 gallons for the first koi...

www.gardenpondforum.com

Many members have a showcase with more detailed information on our setups. Click on the small number in our profiles at the left.

 

[SmokeyHill]

Thank you. I've read the recommended links so I guess I'll try to figure out which section I should start posting questions in.

 

[GBBUDD]

If your looking for a Zen garden then I would suggest areas where the edge of the pond is surrounded by water that's only 6 inches deep that way you can completely hide the fact there is water there or you can leave it showing making for a very visual spot. It can be an area where plants that likes their feet wet can grow . And still leave some of the hardscape exposed.

The big thing to me is not making everything perfect. No circles or rectangles. Whether it's the shelves below water. Level or above.

When all your rock work is the same size,shape and color it looks man made and what we refer to as a string of pears. So if you have rocks or boulders that are all the same put a smaller rock under one and lift the rocks so one is considerably higher than the others. And in the pond vary your shelf widths and heights. .

Really should ask how you see the pond do you want a two weekend build project or do you want you'll love it for twenty years. There is no right or wrong in these builds beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Staying within the guide lines should offer success. What works for one person may not be the case for someone else as our temps water quality and even say fires or nearby pollution can make this easy or a challenge .

 

[j.w]

@SmokeyHill

 

[addy1]

Welcome to the forum!

Post questions in the construction thread, start one and stay in it. Easier for us to follow along.