natural looking water edge

[sissy]

The only thing with the edge of the soil dipping down that much would be soil getting washed in and also fertilizers being washed in during really heavy rains .Remember the story here in VA that alot of chemicals and fertilizers and feces from farm animals are making there way to the Chesapeak Bay and causing problems there .I see farm ponds here that even after a light rain they look so dirty and mucky from outside stuff being washed into them . Thats why most ponds built on here are higher than the surrounding soil .I saw one pond last spring here that got so much water from a torrential downpour that It looked twice the size it was .They lost almost all there fish because they got washed out into the overflow .They only had goldies ,but still was a big lose .The flooding was so bad and they never thought it could happen but it did .

 

[koiguy1969]

this idea works well....

you drive in stakes about 1' or so, varying distance away from pond holes edge and screw on flexible landscape trim board, bender board, or pvc decking..leveling as you go. install and drape your liner over the "ring" around the pond. after filling the pond, you can backfill around the pond. this will insure a level pond, and a negative horizon around the pond to keep 'run off' and ground surface water from running into the pond. it may carry fertilizer. pesticides etc... that you dont want working its way into the pond. the drawing is the best but i think you can get the general idea. it also bring you the option of bringing plants right up to the waters edge. you should get plenty of dirt from the digging of the pond to taper it out and away from the pond with a barely noticeable taper.

 

[Shdwdrgn]

My soil level is above the water, with a ring of rocks sitting on the edge of the soil and just in the water. What I've found works great here is creeping jenny (also known as moneywort). The stuff grows like a weed. The parts hanging in the water will stay green through the Winter. It puts down new roots everywhere it grows, eventually covering the rocks completely, and forms a dense carpet that controls the soil and has thus-far prevented any run-off into the water. Even more important for me, I live in an extremely dry climate (nearly desert), and the jenny holds moisture in the ground which is a big help to other plants. Below, I have strawberries growing on the right side of the river, and when planted together with the jenny, the strawberries really thrive.

To give you an idea of how fast this stuff grows, here is the same spot four months earlier (June 14th)...

By the end of this coming Summer, my rocks will be almost completely covered. Where the plants are growing into the water, the larger fish love to nibble at the roots, and new hatchlings use it for cover.

 

[j.w]

And it all looks so beautiful shdwdrgn..............what a hangout spot!
I love the way the creeping jenny grows along the rocks.

 

[CountryEscape]

Love the pics, thanks for sharing. I got some creeping jenny from my good friend JW! My brother lives in WA, and when I saw a patch of his creeping jenny, I knew I had to have some. JW and I swapped plants, but I'm certain I got the better of the deal. I'm hoping this summer to be able to split and move some of my plants I got late summer last summer. Of all the plants I got, the creeping jenny has grown the most, and I separated it into probably 8 different spots, so hoping lots of ground cover by early summer. Thanks again, JW!

 

[Shdwdrgn]

Good deal! When I get creeping jenny around here, I always try to find someone selling 1" plugs... That's really all you need to get it going. I've even had times where I've ripped out lengths of it to thin an area, tossed a little loose dirt on top of the pile I had pulled, and half of it started growing. I would definitely consider it a weed if it wasn't so useful!

 

[j.w]

Country I thought I got a really good asst of plants from you too. I can't wait to see if that floating sprawling pond plant you sent makes it thru to Spring. I loved the way it sprawled across the water. What was it called again? It's the one you have a lot of in your farm pond. Glad you like the creeping jenny. I've seen people put it into hanging baskets and it hangs way, way down and gets the pretty little flowers on it. I might try that.

 

[Waterbug]

I use a bond beam concrete block around the edge. Very stable, easy to get level. Plants can grow inside the block so you get about 2" of exposed liner.

A modified form keeps pond plants in their own trough.

 

[CountryEscape]

JW, it's called Water Primrose, but I've seen it by other names, too. I removed most of mine except a few starts that had rooted in the bog and flowed over into the pond. I also left a group in the waterfall pool. But, in my situation, if it doesn't grow, I'll just grab some new starts from my farm pond.

 

[j.w]

Thanks country. I just like it so much. It provides a lot of cover sprawling on top of the pond and fish like hiding in it.

 

[addy1]

My primrose from country, is still growing, guess this winter has not been cold enough to kill it off. Nice green leaves.

 

[CountryEscape]

Addy, mine has been under ice and frozen, and no leaves left, just stems. You probably have better water quality than what I have so far. Maybe by this spring I'll have a better water balance to let it thrive more. On the farm pond, none is showing, so I guess it all has gone dormant there, too.

 

[j.w]

Mine's gone dormant also and sure hope it comes back. We haven't been real cold lately except for the snow and some ice on the pond but you guys get that back there in Illinois every year so I'm thinking it will make a great comeback this Spring!

 

[CountryEscape]

JW, if it doesn't, you know where to get some really cheap! And, plenty of it! So, if it's not looking good come early spring, let me know and I'll gather up some young new shoots and ship them to you to grow all summer long.

 

[j.w]

Thanks country and I really think it will be ok but if not I'll let ya know.