Landscaping a Back Yard Pond
A backyard pond brings beauty, wildlife and serenity to your home. Landscaping your backyard pond, whether you're building a new pond or enhancing an existing one, can be a fun and rewarding experience. Building a new pond isn't as difficult as you might first think. A normal-sized pond can be built in a weekend, if you're prepared with the right tools and equipment. You'll need a shovel, garden trowel, plastic liner sheeting, sand for the bottom of the hole, newspapers for the side of the pond, and PVC pipe to bury the electrical cord to your pump. You'll also need landscaping rock and perhaps ornamentation for the pond and plantings for the perimeter of your pond.
Placing a new pond
There are a few things to remember if you're landscaping a new pond into your backyard. Your pond should be in full sunlight. Direct sunlight is best for most plants, especially aquatic plants such as water lilies. Also, if you put your pond under a tree, you'll be pulling a lot of leaves out of it during the fall. Plus, the debris from a tree could potentially damage your pump over time. If you get a lot of leaves blowing in from your neighbor's trees, you can net a smaller pond. Avoid boggy or low-lying areas of your yard as the unstable ground could cause your pond to lift. If you're going to have elaborate waterfalls, streams, fountains, etc., consider your electrical needs. Normally, a single pump means you can simply thread the cord through PVC pipe, dig a shallow trench to your outlet, and then bury the pipe. More complex and sophisticated set ups may add to your expense and effort. On this note, be sure to check with your utilities before you dig to make sure you don't cut into buried cables or hit underground pipes.
Safety
Take the safety of children into consideration. If you have very young children who would be in danger of falling into a pond, either delay building your pond until they are older, or ensure that your pond is in a gated and locked enclosure where you have full view.
Create a plan
If you're just building your pond or if you want to remake your existing pond’s landscaping, be sure to create a vision of how you want your pond to appear over time. If you want to establish plants, will they be in permanent containers or planted on the bottom of the pond (or on a submerged shelf)? Do you want Koi fish in your pond? You should also become familiar with the horticulture of your pond plants -- when they need to be divided, growing conditions, etc. The plants you choose will depend on the style of planting you've chosen for your garden. For example, native plants are perfect for a natural or wild garden. If you have a formal garden, then you'll want your pond to fit in with that style. Of course, rocks and other landscaping ornaments are an important part of any pond, so consider how you can incorporate these items into your backyard pond landscape.
