I had a pond post in the old forums, about how when the sewer contractor was here back in November, he very kindly dug out a hole for me to have a very nice sized pond. The hole has been just sitting there, filling up with snow and water over the past several months, and Don and I finally got outside today and plotted out the shape for him to fix it into:
I know it's hard to see the yellow rope that Don used, but this is only the beginning. He has to rebuild some of the sides that caved in during the winter months, and also build plant shelves into 2 of the sides. Plus we are going to have a waterfall in the back, and raised gardens on either side of it, and gardens on the sides. And the front part is going to go more in towards the center a little bit. I'll also have garden on either side.
You can see the tiny bathtub pond that I've had for the past 2 summers - it will be pulled out, because we'll need that area for the walkway in the front of the new pond.
Soooooooooooo much to do - I'll update as we go along...
Don spent most of this afternoon digging around the outside border shape. The very outer edge will be rocks, and the inner edge will be plant shelves. The back end will have a waterfall and raised gardens on either side of it. You can see the first 3 rocks that he placed for the waterfall! Too much detail??? It will be built up into the mound of dirt back there.
Sorry the picture is crooked - I took it while standing on the deck stairs.
Oh... have I mentioned that this pond is taking on a life of its own??? What we thought was going to be a 3,000 gallon pond, is now closer to 8,000 gallons!!! Which is wonderful on the one hand, but [color:#CC33CC]EVER SO MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE WHERE PUMPS, FILTERS, ETC are concerned! [/color]
OMG! that is going to be huge! it's wonderful though! this may be a stupid question, do you buy a liner that big or have to piece on together? i wish i lived closer, that looks like a good place to dump my koi! still wish i could find a good home for him, he is wwwwwwwaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyy toooooo big for my pond now!
The pond store near us has liners that are very wide - we will be getting one that is about 15x30 feet. I can't even think about the cost - as I said... this pond is taking on a life of its own!
How large is your koi, and how long have you had it? I'm going to start out with the very small, cheaper ones - we have too many predators here to spend too much on the fish - have to see if they can survive!
Oh lynne, that's going to be too cool! I'm so excited for you! From one small pond owner to another(soon to not be another).
The cost will be bad, but think of all the years of enjoyment you'll get out of it! What will you use as an underlayment for the liner? We used old porch carpeting in our small one.
Mark is currently looking for a big piece of rubber to use for our new pond! So it stil might happen this year!
Pink - you'd be surprised at how many bathtubs I saw by the sides of roads just after we put ours in the ground!!! It was about this time of year, 2 years ago - seems that many people were re-doing their bathrooms and had put them out for trash. It was soooo tempting not to take another one at the time! (of course not knowing then, that I would someday have a REAL pond!
loz - Don got a delivery of sand to put in the bottom under the liner. He also shook out all the dirt from the grass that he dug up around the sides, for an added buffer. He's being very careful about smoothing it all out before getting the liner.
I hope Mark finds some rubber soon, and that you get your larger pond this summer too, so we can compare notes!
It's so cool. I can't wait to see it all filled in with water and plants around it! Will you have a seating area nearby? Maybe you said something about that and I missed it.
loz - the deepest part will be 3 1/2 feet. I had read on several pond forums that it should be that deep for the fish to overwinter under the ice we'll get here. BUT... when we were in the pond store last weekend, the guy said it only needs to be 2 feet! Oh, well... it's too late for that!
I am definitely planning on planting around the 2 sides, and around the waterfall. I'm going to move the black wrought iron arbor bench to one side for seating. I finally figured out what I need to do with it - you see... the birds have been perching on the top and doing their "business" on the cushions on the bench, so last summer I didn't get to sit on it at all - it was too disgusting! I bought a vinyl tablecloth, and am going to sew a cover to put up on the arbor part - it will both protect the cushions, and shade the top of the bench!
It will look so nice Lynne! Heck that deep? You could go swimming in it! Our small one now is about 18 inches to 20 inches deep---that's why I brought my fish in last winter because we didn't make it deep enough. Well I thought I got all the mosquito fish out last year, we drained it and everything...Well this spring, lo and behold there were some I must've missed and they made it thru the winter just fine. When we redo it, it will be at least 3 ft in the middle.....
Good idea with your arbor bench. The birds do like to "do their business" all over our pretty stuff huh?
my koi was bought by mistake at walmart 2 years ago. i was new at ponds and fish, i picked out a real pretty fantail goldfish and not knowing it, i let my husband pick "JAWS" out. it was about 2 inches then, and now he (or she) has to about 8 inches now. the pond is only 165 gal., and i have 3 other goldfish in there. it is a constant battle to keep the water clear. i found a pet store in town that would take it, but now i feel sorry for him. it is not his fault he is a monsterfish. he seems so happy.
Thanks Wendy - I feel like you are the cheering section!
The latest accomplishment is that Don built the deeper shelf on the left side. This will hold the hardy water lilies that need to be between 18-24 inches deep - the shelf is about 18 deep. He's now working on the shallower, right side shelf, as I type!
Don didn't get a chance to work on the pond much the past week, but made up for it this long weekend. He put in the pipes for the bottom drain, and continued to dig out the shelves, and a recessed edge for the lining rocks to go on. He was out there with his lazer level tonight, and saw that he still has much work to do before the liner goes in...
Yippee, an update!!!! Very cool that you are going to have that pipe in there like that.
Things are looking great!!!! It's so exciting when you fill it and the water is so nice and clear and you can see the fishes every move around the pond. I've been sitting by mine for hours just watching them.
Looking forward to more updates...and Lynne, don't leave me hanging again.
I might be begging you for a few of those mosquito fish when it's all said and done - they are REEEEEEEEEEEAlly bothering me, and Amy came home from a BBQ down the street tonight, covered in bites!
Sure thing, once they pop out babies no problem. They can have 100 babies at a time....live babies.
They haven't mated yet, but one looks very pregnant so it could be soon. I bought mine on ebay originally--9 of them and only 2 didn't make it on the trip from Oregon to Maryland....so I think they'd ship relatively well.
I'm still super excited about your pond!!!! I'm a ponder now.....I just love them. Everyones, and anyones!
SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO... Most everyone here knows we live in [color:#333333]ROCKland county, riiiiiiiiight??? And it wasn't named that for no reason, riiiiiiight?
So, what does my husband go and do the other day??? He went to a stoneware place and ordered a pallet of ROCKS for $200!!!
Thank goodness he had some birthday money saved up, or he'd be wearing those rocks on his head right about now!!! He wanted flat rocks to line the inset edge of the pond, and he said he'll put the more "shapely" ones on top of those. I'm hoping this is going to come out they way I invisioned it! (it wasn't with flat rocks!!!) [/color]
Ohh Lynne this is going to be one fantastic pond!! It sounds like Don is just as enthusiastic as you are , and he is doing a terrific job at putting it together,, I'm sure it will be as your designed it.. He just has his way of getting to the results you invision :wink:
"Grace without perfection is more to be desired than perfection without grace."
I see where a lot of big clay fishing ponds/farm ponds have drain pipes.....
I guess that one there is in case Lynne wants to totally drain out the pond for some reason....How will that be hooked up to a drain so the liner doesn't leak?
Are you getting Koi fish? I did read that drains are important in a pond if you keep Koi.
Ok - I didn't want to answer your questions until I got the facts right, from Don. He said that the drain takes the water from the bottom of the pond, through the pipes and then through the pump. Then through the bio-filter, and out through the waterfall to return back into the pond. "In addition we are going to have a skimmer filter".
PHEW!!!
He also said about the drain itself... "They make a special gasket and fitting that creates a water-tight seal through the liner" so it won't leak.
Thanks for all the nice comments and questions. This certainly is a learning experience for us all, isn't it?
ooops - almost forgot - yes, loz - I am DEFINITELY hoping to get some koi fish, but will get the very small, young CHEAP ones, in case a critter decides to make a meal of them!!! I've read that they grow pretty fast also, so it will be fun to watch that too.
ok, that makes more sense. it isn't really a drain at all, but just the line to the pump.
i like that set up, but i will have mine about 6 inches above the bottom, 'cause i've accidentally drained my pond one too many times, and i don't want dead, dried out fishes! :loL:
Well... technically... it IS a drain, looks like a drain (walks like a drain? )
Just had to add that - getting a bit slap-happy these days!
walks like a duck, talks like a duck, must be a duck?
i suppose it is a drain, but in terms that a drain carries the water away from the pond for discard, and this carries it for recirculation... but, like i said, i'd be afraid i goofed and dried out my fish
Do you ever see any heron down there Lynne? They love to eat out of peoples buffets ponds. If you get a heron statue they tend to stay away. they think the territory is already 'taken'.
Wrennie - I haven't seen any heron around here - YET!!!
But my friend who lives up in Chester? All her koi were eaten/killed by herons last summer - it was so sad - she was beside herself! Her yard is fenced in, so it couldn't have been any other critter, and she has seen a heron there before...
I'm more concerned about the 'coons - I've read that they can really make a mess out of ponds in their attempts to get to the fish - knocking over the plants and caving in sides - we haven't tried to trap them yet - it has to be overnight when Don isn't working the next day, so he can transport them up to the preserve. That's HIS job...
Will try and take some pictures tomorrow morning before we leave for the wedding we are going to in NJ. Don started working on the waterfall area today.
Thanks, Diane, although this is really not MY design - it is ending up to be Don's! I told him the basic shape I'd like, but he is doing the rest his way. I didn't really think about the waterfall stepping down like that... he says it will not be as harsh a fall if it does - fine with me - I didn't want it to be too loud sounding in the house - I had a hard time sleeping with the bedroom window open and hearing the tiny fountain in the bathtub pond - I am SUCH A LIGHT SLEEPER - hate that!!! So it's a VERY good thing that he knows more about the technical apsects for the pond - I just can't wait to plant around it and have some fishies, ya know???
Took these pics this afternoon - don't know why they came out so yellow - Don worked like crazy on it last weekend cutting it down a step and putting in the biofilter on top of the waterfall, and the skimmer down to the right. I think it looks much better at this height, and not so much like a Mayan Ruin anymore.
The skimmer is about 3 feet down in the ground - you only see the top - It has to be in the open, but he said I could put a movable plant pot on top or something to help conceal it.
Don made GREAT headway this past weekend. Though he didn't have a good time of it - first getting stung badly on the forehead, just above the bridge of the nose, and then again later on, on his wrist!!! The one on his forehead is really bothering him today - the other not much at all...
Despite that, he smoothed out the edges in the pond, and put the sand down on the bottom to keep it soft under the liner. I think it was rather like a zen experience for this man who is very into his yoga - raking the sand into perfection!
all nice and clean and ready for the liner!!! YEA!!!
OK - so our neighbor, Dick, offered to help Don carry the very heavy liner to the pond and insert it. I could barely help the 2 of them roll it so they could carry it - my old bones have not been very nice to me lately, unfortunately.
Here is the liner all layed out so Don could take a look at it first. Dick is fixing it here...
Turning the liner over so the red words don't show in the pond!
Centering the liner in front of the pond before rolling it in... Don in the foreground, Dick in the back... that's Dick's house in the background.
Patting it into the shelves and lower rock level, and placing heavy rocks on it so it doesn't move anywhere!
Don trimmed the liner today - it will be trimmed a bit more once the rocks are all placed on top - another BIG job!!! See the garden in the lower right side where the large black pot is? The oval shaped dirt spot? That is where my tiny bathtub pond was the past 2 summers - quite a difference in sizes, huh???
Ahh ha!! The skid of flat rocks are finally finding their place!! YAYYYY
Can you use a pump and get it out!!!????? Ohh man that would be a mesquitos Breeding heaven if you can't pump it out! Do you have any of thos mesquito biscuts that you put in bird baths so there won't be any larva??
"Grace without perfection is more to be desired than perfection without grace."
HMMMMMMMM, Diane - I didn't even think of mosquitoes!!! I'll have to mention that to Don!!!! We don't have any of the dunks - better go look for some tomorrow!
It is isn't it Christy!! I think maybe we should all go visit Lynne and go for a New York Swim , when it's finished .. It looks like the size of an olympic pool!! I know it isn't that big but still it's big! It will be soooo cool to see it all completed!!
How the progess coming Lynne???
"Grace without perfection is more to be desired than perfection without grace."
Okay...I just found this thread, and now I feel like I'm waiting for the birth of a baby...NO PICS IN NEARLY 2 WEEKS!!!!!....did Don hurt his back???....this is harder than waiting for the Harry Potter book!!!!!!
"Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs." Jonah
Sorry all... I have been so exhausted driving my daughter all over the county this week, that when I finally got here I was too tired to size my pictures.
Hang on and I'll post some in a few minutes! (Don HAS been working slowly on it, as he does not want to hurt his back again, plus we've had a lot of rain recently... but it is coming along slowly but surely! Thanks for you interest!
(and I know what you mean about the Harry Potter book too - my daughter wanted to get one last night when Don picked her up from the diner right next door at 12:15a.m., but the line was riDICulous!!!)
And... here is the waterfall filter on the backside of the pond. It took about a day for him to piece all of it together from bits and pieces that he bought in assorted places:
We have a very busy day today, and he's out mowing the lawn right now, so I don't know if he'll get anything done today. Ohhhhhhhhhh, and by the way... he got ANOTHER pallet of flat rocks delivered as he had run out of them!
It's coming along nicely. I like the rounded rocks in the water fall. I think once the water is flowing over them it gives it a much more natural look than all flat.
Thanks again, all! Yes, Diane - he will be using larger, rounder, more "natural" shaped rocks for the top layer around the entire pond - he just wanted to use the flat ones for the base of the heavier top row.
ooooh Oooooh I heard a guy talking about putting a pond on his property yesterday. Long story short he's going to put some certain type of pipe in it. That way the fire dept can use the pond if they need it for a extra water source. You just might get a BIG savings on your homeowners. this guy is going to save on taxes with it too.
That's a great idea, Wrennie! I don't think our pond will be big enough for that though. My cousins in Connecticut have twin ponds on their 5 acre property, and their township always uses all the ponds in that area - there are MANY! But I don't think they get any tax breaks for it...
With all the pouring rain we had today, the pond filled up more than ever! Don did a lot more rock work on it this past weekend, but it's hard to tell... (picture was taken through the bathroom window screen - it was too wet to go out!)
if mothernature does proceed to fill up the pond on your behalf, i have just 2 words for you........MOSQITO DUNKS! plop a few in there or you will be sorry!
Don pumps the rain water out everytime it fills up - he's not nearly ready for there to be water in the pond yet. He still has lots of rocks to place, and then he has to do all the electrical connections. We are supposed to get more rain this weekend through Monday, so it looks like he'll be pumping once again...
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Too much detail??? 
It will be built up into the mound of dirt back there.![[Linked Image]](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v161/LynneNY/ponding/pondhole25-09-07.jpg)
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He wanted flat rocks to line the inset edge of the pond, and he said he'll put the more "shapely" ones on top of those. I'm hoping this is going to come out they way 
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,, Gotta hand it to Don He's been terrific!!!! ![[Linked Image]](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v161/LynneNY/ponding/pond6-27-07.jpg)
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