Building garden ponds
15 Garden Pond Building Tips
By
Lee Wallender
Lee Wallender
Lee has over two decades of hands-on experience remodeling, fixing, and improving homes, and has been providing home improvement advice for over 13 years.
Learn more about The Spruce's Editorial Process
Updated on 01/12/22
BasicB / Getty Images
A garden pond adds beauty, elegance, and lively interest to a yard. Whether a fish pond, a receiving basin for a waterfall, or simply a placid body of water for meditation and reflection, a garden pond provides a focal point that enhances nearly all yards.
To successfully create a garden pond that looks natural, it helps to follow a few basic guidelines to make the building go smoother, and for easier continued maintenance of the pond.
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01 of 15
Level the Garden Pond Perimeter to Close Tolerances
When digging the hole for the garden pond, remember that a garden pond's water level is only as high as the lowest point of the pond perimeter.
In other words, the entire perimeter of the garden pond needs to be as near to the same height as possible.
This might be a point that seems obvious from afar, but when you are digging the pond it can often escape attention. Since an exact level is not possible, think in terms of deviation and tolerances.
For example, if your chosen pond depth is 24 inches, the perimeter's deviation from that height should be as little as possible: just an inch or two.
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02 of 15
Decide Whether the Pond Will Be Shallow or Deep
The depth of the garden pond is an important decision that affects both the cost and the eventual appearance of the pond.
As the pond gets deeper, the bottom becomes less visible and rock cannot be seen. Fish might tuck themselves away, hidden. Deeper ponds also require the use of additional expensive pond liners.
Shallow ponds are better for displaying decorative rocks on the bottom and fish are more prominent.
But shallow ponds tend to build up algae faster because the light can reach more of the water with greater intensity. -
03 of 15
Protect the Pond Bottom Against Burrowing Animals
Burrowing pests such as groundhogs and moles can dig up holes in a lawn and garden. When you have a burrowing animal in your yard, it seems like you're always filling in holes.
But the problem goes well past the point of annoying when the burrowing animal exits under your garden pond, chewing away the pond liner in the process.
The solution is to lay down a metal mesh called hardware cloth as a base for your pond bottom before shoveling a few inches of dirt over it. Then underlayment and liner go on top of the dirt layer. If your sides are dirt, not retaining wall block, then you should lay hardware cloth on the sides, too.
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04 of 15
Reconcile Eventual Pond Size With Pond Liner Size
A garden pond can only be as large as the size of its underlying pond liner.
So, long before any shovel meets the dirt, you'll need to figure out how big the pond should be, in conjunction with the size and price of the pond liner. Quality pond liners made of ethylene propylene diene terpolymer (EPDM) are very expensive. PVC liners are expensive but less so than EPDM.
In a project that involves the use of free or low-cost materials such as rock, concrete slabs, retaining wall blocks, and the lowest cost item of all, water, spending hundreds of dollars for a sheet of the liner can seem like a major purchase.
If your budget is tight, then the cost of the pond liner will always dictate the size of the pond. On the other hand, you might find that it is worthwhile to put a little extra money into a high-visibility, curb appeal project such as this.
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05 of 15
Early Shape Nuances Are Often Lost
When you initially create the shape of the pond, you may find yourself adding special curves and inlets that you feel will give the garden pond a unique look.
But these early delicate nuances often get softened and obliterated with each subsequent stage of the pond-building process. Adding underlayment, liner, rocks at the bottom of the pond, and especially rocks along the bank of the pond all contribute to this softening process. Think in terms of basic shapes.
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06 of 15
Add a Top Spillover Drain in the Design
Unless you live in a parched, arid climate, your pond will inevitably overflow. Yet even in dry areas, this can happen when you are filling with the hose and let the time slip away. Rather than having the pond spill over and race toward your house foundation, create a predictable spillover point so that water can go to a safe spot.
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07 of 15
Avoid Tall, Vertical Garden Pond Walls
The more vertical and tall the walls of the garden pond, the harder the job you will have when you apply stone to the pond. Loose, natural stones are difficult to stack vertically.
Not only does the rock tend to fall, but a greater amount of rocks or larger rocks are also needed to cover this area. Small rocks are less expensive but hard to stack. Large rocks cover vertical spaces easier but are costly and difficult to move. Try to keep the garden pond banks at a 45-degree angle or less, if possible.
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08 of 15
Install a Permanent External Water Filter and Skimmer
Unless you make provisions for a permanent water filter mounted in your pond's wall, your only options for filtration will be manual skimming or floating filtration devices.
Hand skimming is a constant job while floating filters take up a lot of water surface and are unsightly. A permanent water filter mounted on the side of the pond stays out of the way.
Since it is automatic, it will turn on at set intervals. While a permanent filter is more difficult and costly to install at first, it makes for easier pond maintenance over the long term.
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09 of 15
Terrace the Pond Bottom
Sloped garden pond banks, if angled sharply enough, result in sliding rock at the bottom and sides of the pond.
Instead, terrace the garden pond's sides and bottom, much like farming terraces or stair risers and treads. Keep each terrace riser no more than about 6 inches high to avoid stacking rocks too high. Create terraces by cutting them directly in the dirt with the shovel, as long as the dirt is packed tight enough to hold shape.
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10 of 15
Plan to Cover the Pond Liner
Every single square inch of pond liner must be covered up. Even the best, most expensive pond liner is subject to the sun's punishing UV rays and will break down.
The way to protect against deterioration is by covering up all of the liner with something permanent, like rocks up the sides, river pebbles, or smooth gravel on the bottom. It's better to think ahead about how you want to cover up the liner. Doing so in hindsight often means overloading the pond liner.
For example, if you keep the pond terraces low enough, you can use smaller rocks. High terraces demand larger, more visually intrusive fill items.
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11 of 15
Be Inventive About Sourcing Your Rocks
Garden ponds require a lot of rocks on the bottom and the sides to cover up the liner. If you were to purchase all of the rocks, the cost of the pond would increase substantially.
Instead, look around for rocks that you can use whenever you are out. When you go on a trip and find a legitimate source of rock, toss a few in your car. Rivers are a good source for rounded river stones.
Beaches, too, provide an endless source of pebbles, round stones, and sand. Just make sure that you can legally take the stones.
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12 of 15
Think Ahead to Cleaning
One of the more dreaded aspects of owning a garden pond is cleaning it. Garden ponds collect leaves, dust, dirt, and all sorts of debris. Eventually, you need to empty out the pond and clean it.
One way to make cleaning day easier is to create a pond bottom that is smoother and easier to clean. Heavily rocked pond bottoms and those that are heavily textured are more difficult to clean.
Lay down only as much rock as is needed to cover the pond liner. -
13 of 15
Use an EPDM Liner If Possible
Even though PVC pond liners are vastly cheaper than EPDM liners, EPDM liners are usually worth purchasing, if you can afford it. EPDM liners are thicker and far more durable than PVC liners.
EPDM liners resist UV rays well, and even chemicals such as chlorine are no match for EPDM. Also, when warmed by the sun, EPDM liners become pliable and fit well into the pond hole.
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14 of 15
Use a Variety of Terracing Methods
Terraforming the earth below and around the garden pond is naturally the most popular way to give the pond its shape. Earth can be sculpted into a variety of shapes.
But for yards with sandy soil or other earth that doesn't form so well, it helps to employ other shaping methods. Cans of landscaping foam, similar to insulation foam, are perfect for adding form to curves.
Large sheets of insulation foam can be creatively cut and stacked to provide a garden pond's basic terraced shape.
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15 of 15
Consider the Effect of Sunlight on the Pond
Sunlight creates algae in garden ponds. Moving or angling the garden pond away from sunlight can help to mitigate the problem.
If you want sunlight on your garden pond, then you'll want to look into natural algaecides or inhibitors. Some pond owners simply drain their ponds during the most light-prone times of the year to avoid algae altogether.
How to Create a Backyard Pond
Project details
Skill
1 out of 5 Easy It's all digging and small-rock moving, though you might need a hand pulling the liner taut
Cost
$100 to $300 for a 40-square-foot pond
Estimated Time
6 hours
Dan Gibbon may have spent the last three and a half decades around Wisconsin's flat farmlands, but the lapping waters of Lake Superior, where he grew up, were always on his mind. So recently he got out the shovel and started making a pond.
His wife, Gloria, had her doubts ("I wasn't that excited with the idea of digging up the backyard," she says). But her hesitance melted away when she saw the fruits of Dan's labor.
Dan's pond attracts birds, frogs, butterflies, and crickets (no mosquitoes, though, thanks to the moving water). It also attracts Dan and Gloria. The couple often sip their coffees there while watching the sunrise, and lounge by the gurgling water after dark. "My wife is actually really glad I did this," says Dan. "And so am I—it's so relaxing."
Related
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Now, we figure if a retired schoolteacher can build a pond in a weekend, so can you. So we asked This Old House senior technical editor Mark Powers to show you how to make the one you see here—just like Dan's. All you need is a shovel and a few materials, and before you know it, you'll have your own little "great lake" to enjoy.
Creating a Backyard Pond: An Overview
Gregory NemecA free-form pond like Dan Gibbon's can be customized for any landscape, with different rocks, plants, shapes, and waterfalls.
But we'll give you some helpful points on placement, size, and materials.
Where to build your pond
Before you start, call 811 or your local one-call center to have electric and gas lines marked so you know where to dig to steer clear of them. Then, when you map out the location of your pond, put it where it will be noticed—visible from a window, off a patio, or along a walkway—but away from the play areas of small children or pets.
Keep clear of major root systems or mature trees, which can block too much of the sunlight plants and fish need. You'll also need to be within reach of a grounded exterior outlet so you can plug in a pump, an essential tool for keeping the water aerated; most pumps come with a maximum cord length of 25 feet, and extension cords are not recommended. You may need to bury the power cord a few inches down in PVC pipe to hide it.
Space permitting, you need at least 40 cubic feet for your pond—about 7 feet by 4 feet—to keep the water clean.
An initial shallow terrace just inside the perimeter of the pond holds rocks that conceal the liner edge and keep it in place. A second, deeper terrace supports plants that live in the water and help balance the pond's ecosystem.
As you dig, you must slope the sides of the pond so that if the water freezes, the ice will push up instead of against the liner. Even in warmer climates, small ponds can change temperature rapidly, so if you're adding fish you'll want a deeper pond that will maintain a more consistent temperature and accommodate the fish—18 to 24 inches for goldfish and at least 3 feet for koi.
Additional materials
To maintain the consistent depth of the water, you need to line the pond. A thin layer of sand and old newspapers or burlap bags softens the jagged edges of rocks and roots. But over that, you will need to put a waterproof skin.
There are several types of flexible liners meant for small ponds—made from polypropylene and EPDM, among other materials.
Look for one that's weather-resistant, so it will stand up to UV rays and freezing temperatures. It should also be rated "fish-safe" if you plan to stock your pond and come with a warranty of 10 to 20 years so your pond will be watertight for many years to come.
How to Build a Backyard Pond: A Step-by-Step Guide
Step 1: Excavate the area
Kolin Smith- Layout the size and shape of your pond with a rope or garden hose. Using a spade, dig down 3 inches in a 1-foot-wide ring outside the outline to create the stone-border shelf.
- Next, create a plant terrace by digging a 1-foot-wide shelf 8 inches deep inside the rope outline. Only dig the terrace in areas where you plan to put plants.
- Continue digging inside the plant terrace to make the bed of the pond—a minimum of 18 inches deep, with a slight slope.
Step 2: Level the pond's edges
- Set a 2x4 across the excavated hole and lay a level on top of it.
Roughly level the pond's edges. Then carve out a 6-inch-wide, 1-inch-deep channel on one side to redirect overflow. - Also dig a shallow trench to the nearest electrical outlet for the PVC conduit, which will hold the pump cord.
Step 3: Prepare the base
- Beginning in the center of the hole, distribute a 1-inch layer of sand around the entire base and on the terraced shelves.
- Cover the sand and the sides of the hole with a ½-inch-thick lining of newspaper to provide a protective layer under the lining.
- Smooth the entire surface by hand and remove any roots or stones that could bulge through the lining.
Step 4: Line the pond
- Cut a piece of liner to be 4 or more feet wider and longer than the pond.
- Center the liner over the hole so there are 1 to 2 feet of excess on one side and the rest of the excess is on the opposite side.
- Set two stones on the shorter excess to hold the liner in place.
Beginning at this end, press the liner down along the inside edge and then along the bottom of the hole, working your way around the pond. - Smooth out creases and folds and push the liner tightly into crevices.
Reader Tip: "Avoid building your pond directly under a tree or you'll find yourself cleaning quite a few soggy leaves in the fall." —Dave Martin, Natick, MA
Kolin SmithStep 5: Fill the pond
- Using a garden hose, fill the pond with water. As it fills, continuously pull the liner taut on each side. If necessary, have a helper pull from the opposite direction.
- Fill the pond until the water reaches the top border shelf.
Reader Tip: "Whenever you water your plant beds, also 'water' your pond to make up for any liquid that has evaporated over the week." —Dan Gibbon, Medford, WI
Step 6: Install the pump
- Thread the pump's cord through a section of PVC conduit cut to length.
Place the PVC conduit in the trench and backfill the soil. - Hold one end of the recirculating hose as you set the pump in the deepest part of the hole.
Step 7: Create a rock border
- Fill the overflow channel with pea gravel for drainage.
- Arrange flat rocks along the border so the liner's edge is covered but no more than one-third of each rock hangs over the water.
- Then, cover this first ring of rocks with a second one. Stagger the seams between the stones, and set them back from the edge of the first ring a bit. Arrange and rearrange the rocks until they sit in an interlocking position. Experiment with your outcropping until you have a natural, staggered look.
Step 8: Secure and conceal the hose
- Where the hose exits the water, wedge it between two rocks without crushing it. Conceal it with a third rock. Arrange and secure the hose through the rocks and over a stack to position the waterfall.
- Once the pump and hose are secure, plug the cord into an exterior GFCI outlet. Watch the water flow and make sure it looks natural leaving the hose but still spills back into the pond.
Step 9: Landscape your pond
Add plants in and around the pond. Keep the pump on during daytime hours, but shut it off at night so it doesn't attract nocturnal animals.
Materials
- Garden hose
Tools
Tools & Materials
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Shovel
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Level
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Tape measure
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Utility knife
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In the past, a large garden pond either did not have waterproofing or it was constantly torn. Previously, ordinary polyethylene film was used for these purposes. But today, more modern materials have appeared that have high strength and reliability, have chemical inertness and a protective coating against ultraviolet exposure. The construction of a large pond has become much more efficient, there is no water leakage, silting and water pollution.
Benefits of using geomembrane as waterproofing for large ponds
Today, geomembrane is used as the main material for isolating pond contents from the environment, including groundwater and soil. A large-sized pond with such material is created as quickly as possible, while reducing the cost of transporting materials, their purchase, and installation. The properties of the membrane allow it to be used for several decades without the need for repairs to a large pond in the country.
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