Reconstructing/revamping shelves 17 year old pond + plants? (newbie)

[Duxwig]

Had 5-6 minutes last night finally and got to throw some rocks around.
Sorted my rocks into a single layer and pulled various flat side ones.

Today full of questions as I finally have some hours set aside to pond it up before the chaos of next two weeks again.

I “tested” a bunch of flat rocks on the second drop to see how they fit or look. Also to post pictures as they range from maybe to eeeeeeeeeh. Give your thoughts on my complete newbie stacking experience (again nothing from concrete to certain a blocks permanent). Bigger here. Small there etc. (No giant boulder carrying machines so limited to mainly liftables or dolly)

There’s not much lateral space so I’m not sure the larger flat ones look the best given the water falls on the end of the tier then down the the river. A small flat rock gives some room but nothing major to pool/fall again.
(Don’t worry on exact height, just kind of put the flat in line w the flat block behind it).

Feeling the first drop from the bog will contain some water but not enough lateral space otherwise with rounded rocks vs flagstone.
I had another longer, skinny, flat topped rock I thought could use as the lip for the bog box overflow. (Hard to see in the pics with shadows). Hoping w it being thinner it gives more top area to “pool” before falling.

Thought about turning bottom blocks out to draw the step out visually but way too cramped w rocks. Not looking to drag the mound right-ward to the concrete to try and accommodate.

 

[GBBUDD]

@cas HER PICTURE PULLED IT OFF BECAUSE THERE IS NO uniform shape to the slate/ flag stone on the bottom it looks like ledge uneven split where it wanted to and not what was balanced. But i would agree with @Lisak1 THAT THOSE TWO TYPES OF ROCK MIXED TO MAKE A WATERFALL is not an easy choice. the odds are against you.
Before you start i would go to you tube with the pro's and watch how they do it. they can make simple falls amd streams with one and two man boulders that really catch the eye.
to be honest with you other than the one cas showed i have not been impressed by flag stone falls and drops they just look so man made.

 

[cas]

Until you get water running over those rocks, I don't think you will know how you want to arrange them. I know I built my first couple of waterfalls with one vision in mind and it looked completely different when I turned the water on. Some people build very successful waterfalls first time out, but with all the thought you are giving it, I think you are more like me and need to experiment.

Also, have you considered how you are going to hide the liner where you don't show any rocks in the pictures above? You've focused on the larger rock placement, but that whole thing will need rocks.

 

[cas]

A picture may help. Here is my water fall evolution. First picture is when I first built the pond in 2004. Then with much experimentation (lots and lots of versions), this is what the waterfall looked like in 2017. The last picture is how it looked this spring.

 

[Lisak1]

Rocks just piled up would would have drove me mad.

OK, but you're not supposed to just have rocks piled up. The foundation of your waterfall should be a dirt berm... you carve out your waterfall and fit your rocks to the contours of the waterfall. Starting with squared blocks will just give you a square looking waterfall, I fear. A waterfall built correctly needs very few rocks - the fewer the better, honestly. If you can get three good rocks - a spillway and two framing boulders - you can build a waterfall.