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About This Project
Are you in need of a little serenity? A reflecting pond is just the place to rest your gaze after a trying day. The one we chose for this issue is unique, not only in appearance, but also in building technique. Most ponds are free-form, informal shapes that have either soft or hard plastic liners dug into the ground. But for ours, we used simple wood walls to frame it and form the base for the surrounding deck. A single-piece rubber liner keeps the water in. And the garden berm that surrounds one end is practical as well as a nice landscaping feature. We simply mounded the soil dug from the pond hole so we wouldn’t have to haul it away.
This pond isn’t exactly a weekend project. In fact, even if you’re in great shape, you should expect to spend the better part of a long day just digging the hole and laying in the gravel footings. The good news is that the construction is simple and doesn’t require a bunch of expensive tools. The only power tools you’ll need are a circular saw, a screw gun and possibly a plate joiner (or biscuit joiner) for the boardwalk. The techniques we show are simple to master.
How much will it cost?
You can spend as much as
$3,000 if you build the “Full Monty” version we show, featuring a
state-of-the-art filtration system, expensive exotic decking and concealed
fasteners. In fact, we spent about $1,200 just on the hardwood decking (called
Ipe; more on this later), including a 14-ft. long boardwalk that connects the
pond to a nearby patio. We spent $1,450 more on the pond filtration kit. Keep
in mind that garden ponds are notoriously difficult to keep clean; we wanted an
almost no-maintenance system. But you can do this project for less than $1,000
by using standard decking materials and skipping the filtration system
altogether.
Planning the project
Tropical hardwood decking and sluice
The first step in planning your pond is to determine its size, depth and location.
Size: Our 4 x 8-ft. pond is surrounded by a 30-in. wide boardwalk so it encompasses an area about 8 x 12 ft. Your pond can be virtually any size or shape you’d like. The basic how-to steps on footings, wall framing and boardwalk will work for almost any layout you choose. Just make sure you select a pond liner and liner pad that’ll fit. Determine the liner and pad size by adding the height of both walls to the bottom dimensions plus 2 ft. for both the length and the width. Be aware that fitting the liner and building the boardwalk will be more complicated if you choose an exotic pond shape like a “T.”
Pond depth: A 3-ft. depth allows deeper water plants like water lilies to thrive and protects pond fish from predators.
CAUTION: Ponds are drowning hazards for children. This design is especially hazardous because the overhanging boardwalk makes climbing out difficult. If children have access to your yard, build a fence with a lockable gate around the pond.
Whatever depth you choose, make sure the tops of the pond walls stand above the surrounding grade at least 5 in. and at most 10 in. so the boardwalk footing design will work with your pond. It’s smart to dig the hole, then pour in the gravel base and measure to grade to determine the final stud height.
Location: For this pond design, you should have an area in your yard that has less than 8 in. of grade change over the footprint of the pond and boardwalk. To help pick a location, lay out a garden hose that outlines the boardwalk. You’ll be surprised at just how large an area it encompasses, especially when you include room for the berm. Overhanging trees will retard water plant growth and drop lots of leaves in the water, so it’s best to avoid them if possible. Once you’re satisfied with the location, use our technique of laying out the pond hole and berm position. Then use stakes and strings and “upside down” marking paint to prepare for excavation.
Winterizing: If you live in a freezing climate, you’ll have to drain the pond halfway and remove the pump. Fish and some plants won’t make it through the winter. You may have to bring them inside.
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