The idea of a backyard pond appeals to a lot of homeowners. A pond is beautiful, relaxing and makes a great addition to your landscape.
Things get dicey though, when homeowners go browsing on thisoldhouse.com and decide they’re up to the task of building their own backyard pond.
Don’t get us wrong — plenty of homeowners are capable of completing this project. But are you?
Be Safe with Your Backyard Pond
When scouting for a location, make sure you’re not going to dig up any gas or power lines, your septic tank or some big tree roots. You want your pond to be far enough away from everything to be safe, but not so far that you can’t plug your pump in. (You need a pump, otherwise you’ll quickly have a fermenting petri dish where your backyard pond once was.)
Thisoldhouse.com says you can build your backyard pond in six hours, but their first direction is to excavate 40 cubic yards of soil. This is no easy task, especially if you have to break sod first, so this part is likely to take quite a bit of time.
Plenty of Fish in the Backyard Pond
If you’re planning to have fish in your pond, determine the right size and depth for the type of fish you want.
If you make it through digging the hole, the next step is making sure the sides are smooth and putting in your liner. The liner, made of heavy plastic, is what keeps your pond a pond and not a soggy spot in your back yard. If your liner isn’t placed correctly or gets punctured, all the water will leach into the surrounding soil.
This is not an infrequent occurrence. Backyard ponds located under trees are more prone to punctures from falling branches. If your dog likes to jump in and splash around, its toenails could also cause a puncture. Other uninvited nocturnal guests like raccoons can do the same type of damage.
Once you get the liner in properly and fill your backyard pond, it’s best to finish the edges right away by creating a border with rocks and plant life. This may help discourage some critters.
Installing the Pump
It seems like a bad idea to introduce electricity to water, but we do it all the time in fish tanks, so it’s OK to do it with your backyard pond too — as long as you do it correctly. The cord stretching to the outlet might not look that attractive, so consider burying it or covering it with rocks or plants.
When adding fish, remember to keep an eye on the pond’s ph level to keep them healthy.
If all this sounds like too much work, call the experts at Earthworks Landscaping. We don’t even mind if you call us halfway through digging the hole. Many homeowners do. We just want to help you get the beautiful backyard pond you’ve been dreaming of to make your property’s landscaping complete.
