Does the beauty of water gardens or ponds always fascinate you? Are you thinking about adding one to your home landscape? If this is the case, we can tell you that you have made a good decision.
Owning a pond is beneficial not only for you but also for the environment as well. It is a fantastic addition to your house that helps soothe your mind and offers much-needed relaxation. Not only that, but it contributes to increasing the aesthetic value of your property.
Investing your time and money in building a pond or water garden has many benefits. The first and most crucial step is deciding the type of pond you wish to develop. A small-sized pond restricts the number of plants and fish you can add.
Another critical thing to consider is what kind of aquatic life you want in your pond. You should be clear on whether you are focusing on keeping aquatic plants, koi or goldfish. Again, one of the most common mistakes water gardeners make is building their ponds too small. It would help if you refrained from making such mistakes.
We have dedicated this comprehensive blog post to inform you about the steps you need to follow to build a water garden or a pond. So, now let’s begin with this:
Steps That You Need To Follow For Coming Up With An Amazing Pond Or Water Garden
1. Decide On The Type Of Pond
The first and foremost step involves deciding the type of pond you want to build. You must be clear on whether you are looking to create a water garden or a koi pond. A water garden generally contains goldfish and various aquatic plants.
On the other hand, a koi pond is much more distinct from a water garden. You cannot grow many aquatic plants in a koi pond, as koi fishes are known for eating some of these plants. Again, if you are considering a koi pond, you should ensure that it is large enough as the koi turns big as it grows older.
2. Settle For A Location
While you are building a pond, you should essentially make sure that its location is close to your house. But you should avoid creating a pond right outside your bedroom. Always choose an area where you can see the pond all year round. It will help you to maintain your pond and enjoy its beauty to the fullest.
Also, refrain from placing a pond close to trees. Choosing a shady area is ideal for fish-only ponds, whereas selecting a place that receives at least 5 to 6 hours of direct sunlight would be best if you want to grow aquatic plants.
3. Choose The Correct Size And Shape
Use a water hose or rope to find your ideal pond size, and consider laying the shape on the ground. This way, you could visualize the pond in your landscape. A pond built for water lilies or goldfish should have a depth of 2 ft. for zones five or more. Also, note that the ponds built in colder areas must be deeper to prevent the pond’s freezing.
Koi ponds should have a depth of 3 ft. or more to offer adequate space to these larger fish. Another vital thing involves deciding the shape of the pond you want to build. You should be clear on whether to create a square or round pond. This decision heavily depends on the environment where it is installed and the available room in your garden.
4. Select Components Wisely
The subsequent step involves selecting the right components to employ for building the pond. It is a crucial step, and the long-term success of your project relies on this.
You will need plumbing, ultraviolet light, a waterfall, a filter, a skimmer, a pump, and a pond liner. You can buy the best quality pond liner UK from Butek Ponds. They are a reputed pond liner manufacturer inclined towards offering customized products that suits your unique requirements.
5. Digging Of The Pond
Now that you know the type of pond to build, its shape, size, location and components, it is time to start building. As a part of it, you should start digging the pond. While doing the digging work, you should do it to the desired shape.
Whether it is a good idea to excavate the whole pond with a shovel or utilize heavy equipment depends on your personal preferences, capabilities, soil structure, and the size of your pond.
6. Focus On Installing Pond Filters And Skimmers
The next step you should follow involves positioning any external pond filters and pond skimmers. After placing, you should focus on leveling those in their appropriate location. Burying pond skimmers to the proper level beside the pond is essential. Also, it is recommended to dig a trench for the plumbing from the pond to the external pond filter or waterfall.
7. Consider Installing Pond Underlayment
Now, it is time to line the water garden or pond excavation with the aid of a pond underlayment. Before you install this, you should cut it with a utility knife or scissors.
It is also recommended to tape any small pieces together to prevent them from moving when the pond liner is positioned. To appropriately protect the pond liner, you need to install underlayment underneath all portions where you will place the box-welded pond liner or any other type.
8. Placement Of Butyl Pond Liner
The subsequent step involves the installation of a butyl pond liner, especially in the excavation. Finally, it would help if you unfold it. Also, make sure to place the liner evenly in the pond.
While doing so, you should focus on minimizing wrinkles and folds. Once you have added the water, you will see that most folds flattened. Avoid trimming the excessive liner until your pond is filled with water. Doing so may result in pulling more liner into the hole.
9. Excavate Streams And Waterfalls
As a part of this step, you must excavate streams and waterfalls. You can position a waterfall tank or external pond filter to create the first waterfall.
But make sure to excavate the area as a series of wide stairs if you want to avoid having a stream that seems like a ditch. Finally, for shaping the falls and stream, all that you need is to line the area with the aid of a pond liner and strategically place rocks.
10. Connect The Liner To The Skimmer
The next thing that you need to do is to connect the pond liner to the skimmer. You can do this job by following the directions given by manufacturers. And finally, place stones or other coping around the edge of the water garden or pond.
Wrapping Up
Thus, the above-discussed ones are some of the critical steps you should follow if you are planning to build a pond or water garden in your landscape. We are sure you have found this guide to be insightful.
If you are looking for the best quality butyl pond liner for building a pond, getting it from a reputed manufacturer like Butek Ponds is recommended. With more than 50 years of experience in this industry, they are dedicated to assisting you in selecting the perfect pond liner that suits your unique project requirements.
