Hello! Ready to learn

[Ceego]

I am in Ohio and putting in a pond in our backyard. Other family members have ponds and I am looking forward to seeing this one come together. I am hoping for a very natural look when it is all done. I found this forum and love all the information and the lovely pond pictures. Seems like a very friendly community.

 

[j.w]

@Ceego
You have a nice start there. If you want to you can hide that liner around the edge so that when you fill it up the rocks will hide it. You will have to take all those rocks off around the top edge and then dig a step down several inches so that you can set rocks on the shelf down in the water and then put other rocks overlapping them around the edge.
Kinda like this:

 

[GBBUDD]

Wise advice above . But I will add to it think about your evaporation will you be johny on the spot and add water when it drops to keep the liner hid or d o you go a little deeper double rocks piled on each other or bigger rocks on the shelf

 

[Ceego]

Thanks j.w. and GBBUDD. I like the simple edging, so guess I will have to add water as needed. But I was wondering if I need some kind of steps or something for plants. The pond is pretty close to 3 feet pretty much throughout. Any thoughts? It's close to 10x15 feet or so in size.

 

[GBBUDD]

I would not have the soil in the pond it is only going to promote algae if your looking to make it look natural just use gravel no soils.

the other concern is if it rains will the water that's on the ground run into the pond?

 

[j.w]

Yep you should really make a mounded berm around the edge to stop that soil from washing into your pond. You gotta put the liner up over the berm and then put rocks on top to stop dirt entering it. Will make a big mess if you don't.

 

[Mmathis]

Hello and welcome! The way the edging is, there will be run-off from the yard flowing into the pond. What we usually recommend is making a berm around the edge of the pond, under the liner.

 

[addy1]

Welcome to the forum!

Here is my picture of a edge hiding the liner with a small shelf and rocks. With beautiful long finned fishies!

 

[SarahT]

Thanks j.w. and GBBUDD. I like the simple edging, so guess I will have to add water as needed. But I was wondering if I need some kind of steps or something for plants. The pond is pretty close to 3 feet pretty much throughout. Any thoughts? It's close to 10x15 feet or so in size.

Welcome. I think adding steps/ shelves for plants is a good idea. I wish I had more of them in my (4th) pond (after 20+ years of ponding, you'd think I'd've learned). Since plants want varying depths of water, I'd suggest spend some time now thinking about what plants you want and build areas to accommodate them, then add a few more for when you see a plant that would look fantastic.

 

[Lisak1]

“I am hoping for a very natural look” doesn’t jibe with exposed liner. You will never be able to keep the pond level consistently high enough to keep that covered. And the truth is liner isn’t pretty to look at. Build a ledge, create a berm, roll and fold the edge liner, and back fill properly - you’ll thank us later.

Sorry if that sounds harsh, but you said you were here to learn.

Welcome to the GPF by the way - stick around and you’ll find a friendly caring group of pond folks!

 

[Ceego]

Aahh. Well, now I'm getting nervous. ha.
I *think* the drainage will work for the pond, but I also think you all are the experts here for sure. The yard is all on a slope. The biggest place water might come in would be the top by the waterfall. Both sides actually slope away either direction. I have a landscaper helping - but it is his first pond too. I'll double check and maybe send a different view pic.

I do know I don't want dirt in there. I was thinking shelves - stepping stones or something. My sil was saying to give the fishes places to hide. Her pond is a bit shallower and sometimes a buffet for the predators so she recommended deeper was better. And I was thinking a bog would be good but... too deep. So maybe a floating something or other.

But I better make sure the run off goes where I think first. I love the drawn pics. Much easier for me to understand!
Thank you all!

 

[Ceego]

100% want the good advice, Lisak1. I know this pond won't be perfect, and I'm hoping I can grow it overtime. But I definitely want it to be functional. Straight shooting is fine. Thanks.

 

[GBBUDD]

A fairly new member came in pretty close to the same goals as your self @Cichlidboy he had edging as you do and we explained the Quick fix. He jumped right on it and within days he came back with a whole new look . Which inspired him to take the pond to the next step where it now adds value to the house and is not a tarp dug in the ground with it and water showing.

 

[Cichlidboy]

A fairly new member came in pretty close to the same goals as your self @Cichlidboy he had edging as you do and we explained the Quick fix. He jumped right on it and within days he came back with a whole new look . Which inspired him to take the pond to the next step where it now adds value to the house and is not a tarp dug in the ground with it and water showing.

What kind of quick fix

 

[Jhn]

Just to add on what everyone is saying the way you currently have your pond edged, is going to create problems down the road. All are quick easy fixes as mentioned.

1-leaving exposed liner just doesn’t look good or natural, easily fixed by digging a ledge at the top edge of the pond perimeter going down about a foot, which will leave you plenty of room for fluctuations in water level without ever seeing the liner.

2- Even if the ground is sloped away around your pond, you have the liner laying flat under the rocks, I can see dirt between the rocks, that is all going to end up in the pond on a rain, pull the liner up behind the last rock at the top edge and fold it so no dirt can get into the pond. This especially important up around the waterfall side of the pond, where the slope is headed towards the pond, even flat areas with hardly any incline can still have dirt wash into the pond, if there isn’t a bit of a berm around it.