Steps for Building a Pond

The first step to consider is to decide what type of pond you want to build. You should consider what type of aquatic life you want in the pond. Is it going to be a home for goldfish or koi? Or is your main concern for the aquatic plants? Perhaps you only want the pond for the sound of a waterfall. Each type of pond will need to be planned for its specific features. Keep in mind that the most common mistake water gardeners say they made when building their first pond was making it too small. A small pond limits the number of fish and plants you can add.

 

Before you go ahead and start digging out your Folsom landscaping pond, we’d recommend you lay out the shape of your pond first using rope. This allows you to iron out any issues you may run into, get the shape correct and get a feeling of how much space the pond will take up in your garden – without starting to dig and commit to a location or shape. 

When choosing a location for your pond, it’s best to keep it away from overhanging trees and heavy foliage. This will make maintaining the pond easier in the future, as it’s less likely rogue leaves and debris will make their way into your pond. Many online guides will recommend you position your pond where it’ll get plenty of sunlight, but this isn’t 100% necessary. Whilst some pond plants and animals prefer sunlight, there’s an equal amount that prefers shady areas – so don’t worry about this too much. Plus, if your pond receives too much sunlight, this creates the perfect conditions for excessive algae growth – which you don’t want. 

Garden Pond Building Tips

Level the Garden Pond Perimeter to Close Tolerances

When digging the hole for the garden pond, remember that a garden pond’s water level is only as high as the lowest point of the pond perimeter. In other words, the entire perimeter of the garden pond needs to be as near to the same height as possible. This might be a point that seems obvious from afar, but when you are in the midst of digging the pond it can often escape attention. Since an exact level is not possible, think in terms of deviation and tolerances. For example, if your chosen pond depth is 24 inches, the perimeter’s deviation from that height should be as little as possible: just an inch or two.

 

Decide Whether the Pond Will be Shallow or Deep

 

The depth of the garden pond is an important decision that affects both cost and the eventual appearance of the pond. As the pond gets deeper, the bottom becomes less visible and rock cannot be seen. Fish might tuck themselves away, hidden. Deeper ponds also require the use of additional expensive pond liner. Shallow ponds are better for displaying decorative rocks on the bottom and fish are more prominent. But shallow ponds tend to build up algae faster because the light is able to reach more of the water with greater intensity.

 

Enjoy your pond!