The hole in my backyard

[j.w]

I think you are referring to some plant rings I had in there at one time. I was trying to protect the little floating Azolla and Duckweed plants from the fish eating them all in one big gulp. I ditched that idea cuz the fiberglass screen I had attached to the bottom of the rings collected too much gunk............no circulation. Now I just keep those plants outside in some tubs and dole some out to them now and then.

 

[tbendl]

Oh yep, that's what I saw! Gak I've been looking at pond pictures all morning and am so jealous of all the gorgeous ponds out there. So amazing how creative everyone is.

 

[tbendl]

Ha Lisabetten, there may be rocks under all that muck, heck there may be buried treasure.

 

[snoozer]

You could invite all your friends for a pond party. Just don't tell them they will be digging it out and helping rebuild.

 

[addy1]

Treasures.....................rocks are treasures...................

 

[tbendl]

Awe, I posted pictures of the treasure I found but it ended up on the other thread. ps. Hey Snoozer I'm having a pond party!! Hehe

 

[tbendl]

I found bottom! Heeeheee. And of course with every great triumph there are additional issues and questions. So here's my question. There's no ledge. Not even a teeny tiny ledge for me to use to put a ring of rocks around the upper edge of the pond to cover the liner at the surface. As I understand it, the rocks serve, not only to make the pond prettier, but to help protect the liner from UV damage. So, I happen to have a bunch of sand dredged from the bottom. Has anyone used sand to make a ledge? My concern is that it will wash down to the bottom of the pond under the liner over time. Or does anyone have any other ideas? Happy Tuesday to everyone.

 

[j.w]

Yay you found the bottom!
If you take out the liner and just make the pond around the top a little wider you can carve the ledge and make a berm w/ the dug out dirt so any rain water won't flow over the ground and into the pond. You can then put rocks on the ledge you carved and more around the top edge on the berm. When you put your liner in leave lots of extra on the edges so you can just tuck that in hidden under the rocks in case you need it later. Things could settle and the extra liner will remedy that if and when you need it. Get my drift?

 

[Lisak1]

Exactly what j.w. said - pull back the liner a bit around the edges and create your ledge. It shouldn't be too hard after all you've already done!

 

[tbendl]

There are certain areas of the pond that I might be able to dig out wider, other areas I know I won't be able to, due to roots, and a lack of space on one corner. I was wondering about the sand since I have so much of it and then I could somewhat custom build ledges for plants and such...

 

[Lisak1]

You'll get zero stability out of a sand ledge, unfortunately. It would be difficult to maintain any kind of shape or structure.

 

[Lisak1]

And you don't need shelves all the way around your pond. I would dig them where I was able to within the confines of the existing pond.

 

[tbendl]

Thanks lisak1, I think that's the most doable.

 

[Lisak1]

Thanks lisak1, I think that's the most doable.

No problem... I can sit here nice and cool in the a/c and give advice. You have to do the digging!

Shelves really do add flexibility to your pond though - along with a place to put rocks, they also make it possible to add marginal plants in a more naturalized way.

 

[tbendl]

So I've found the bottom and will be ordering the liner later this week. I had anticipated being able to get some carpet underlayment from a local carpet installer but they have told me that due to their insurance they are not allowed to give that stuff away. So, I have a few questions... (insert shocked face here). Can I use old towels or old bedspreads, I'm thinking I can hit the goodwill and pick these items up cheaply. The other option is to leave the existing liner in, poke a few holes in the bottom for drainage, and put the new liner over the old. I've seen newspaper mentioned but with the size of my pond, I don't think that's doable. I'd rather recycle if possible. I have also seen the professional grade landscape fabric used. So any recycled options out there?