Designing and Building a Round Pond
It's easier than you might think to design and build a round pond. That dull, boring section of your yard can come to life with the beautiful site of a lovely pond. Designing and building a round pond should take just a weekend or two at the most. You will, however, need some extra hands, so plan on bringing in help.
Right Location
Choose a location that's visible from your home. This is especially important if you have small children in the house, or if they'll be present at any time. Look for a sunny location away from trees. You don't want to spend a lot of time pulling debris out of your round pond. And a tree's roots may eventually damage your pond. While partial shade is fine, too much may encourage fungal growth.
If you place your round pond on a slope, you'll need to either cut into the slop or build a retaining wall on the downhill side. This may sound like more work, but it might be well worth it. A slope is the perfect set up for a waterfall, which will give you a lot of enjoyment.
Avoid placing your pond in a marshy or wet area. While this might seem like a good idea, it's not. In all likelihood, the wet ground will eventually cause problems for your pond walls.
Excavation
Digging out your round pond will be the most labor-intensive part of the project. While you can dig a simple circular hole, consider creating shelves as you excavate. Shelves are a great place to put plants and add visual interest to any pond. Also, as you're excavating, keep other features in mind, such as waterfalls and streams. Even if you don't plan on these items immediately, it's a good idea to plan for them if you intend to install them later on.
Since you'll be digging a big hole in your yard, you'll have to think about where you'll put the extra soil. You may be able to use it in another landscaping project, but it's more likely you'll need it hauled away.
Placing the Liner
This is the most intricate part of the process. If you've created shelf areas in your pond, you'll have to take those into consideration in terms of how big the liner should be. Place a couple inches of fine sand on the bottom of your pond, level it out, and start fitting the liner from the bottom up. Get it smooth and tight, securing it on the edges with landscaping rock.
Landscaping
Landscaping rocks will hold your flexible liner down, but don't stop there. Add shrubs and other plantings to give your pond a natural, garden-like feel.
Power
Your pond will need a pump to circulate water so it doesn't become stagnant. Also, outdoor lights can add a great deal of beauty to a pond. You have a couple of choices here. You can either tap into your home's electrical supply and run conduit and wiring to your pump, or you can place your pond close enough to your home that you can plug your pump into an outlet.
Use these guidelines and your own creativity to enliven your yard with the beauty of a round pond.
