Planning for a Pond
Creating a Japanese Garden
$46.95
The key to a successful do-it-yourself project is to gather as much relevant information that you can. Conveniently, this website is organized in such a manner to provide you with all the information that is required to build your own do-it-yourself (diy) garden pond.
The Easy 3-Step Backyard Pond
Our simple three-step guide will teach you everything that you need to know about backyard ponds. All you have to remember is to choose the design YOU want, create the pond that YOU want, and customize your pond with the accessories that YOU want!
For your convenience, all the pond supplies that you will require can be found in a kit. If you are inexperienced at building a pond, a kit will cost you less because they leave less room for error. If you want professional pond supplies, our professional skimmer kits will provide you reduced pricing off retail pond supplies!
Questions to consider include:
- How difficult of a garden pond installation are you able to handle?
- How experienced of a water gardener are you?
- How much help do you have?
- Are you willing to seek the help of a contractor?
Sound simple enough? That's because Gardensupermart is here to help you! All we ask is that you ask plenty of questions. Feel free to ask questions along the way; this guide is meant to be interactive.
Let us start by reviewing the easy 3-step process to guide you through your own garden pond installation.
The Easy 3-Step Backyard Pond:
- Choose the Backyard Pond
- Create the Backyard Pond
- Customize Backyard Pond
Step 1 - CHOOSE
What type of garden pond do you want?
- Natural style garden ponds are built to create the illusion of a mountain stream with waterfalls. Larger boulders and flat stones can be used in combination to create the look of a naturally formed stream. The sound of falling water can be fine-tuned through the careful arrangement and placement of stone.
- Koi ponds must be able to accomodate fish that can grow to about 2.5 feet in length. Many koi ponds have no plants because koi have a tendency to eat certain types of plants. You must plan for an extremely large pond, and provide adequate surface area for the absorption of oxygen into the water. Ponds for koi must be at least 3 feet deep to provide room for mobility. They also require filtration to keep the water clean.
Green Tip:
Don't spray your driveway, sidewalk, deck or porch with either your sprinkler or hose. If it's dirty, use a broom to remove dirt and dust.
If neither of these is quite what you're looking for, a pondless waterfall might be what you'd like. While you want to incorporate water into your backyard, you don't want the maintenance of a traditional pond or water garden. A pondless waterfall requires little maintenance, and is great for those looking for a easy solution to add water to their yard.
Preformed Pond or Liner Pond?
Preformed ponds
- Come in a variety of shapes, usually with plant shelves built in
- Ideal for first-time pond builders because they are extremely durable, and less susceptible to tears and punctures
- Sturdy pond lips ease the task of leveling during installation
- Easy to install and clean
- Require more skill to fit the hole in the ground with the shape of the pond.
Flexible liner ponds
- Ideal for the more experienced water gardeners
- Allow for easy and very forgiving installations, promoting greater creativity
- Possible to construct larger, and deeper configurations (when compared to preformed ponds)
Skimmer (liner) pond kits
- For the professional pond installers and landscapers
- Installation of a skimmer and a bio waterfall filter requires extra planning - additional external cavities need to be dug beside the pond
- Installation of a skimmer also involves seaming the liner to the opening of the skimmer
- Tubing considerations are paramount to proper skimmer and biofalls installation
Concrete garden pond
- Require a professional installation
- Tends to crack as the ground freezes and thaws
Before purchasing the materials required, use a garden hose to lay out your garden pond shape on the ground. This will allow you to experiment with the size and shape of your backyard pond. Once you have a plan for your backyard pond, it is important to get your design on paper. The design drawing is paramount because it will help you to make an accurate estimate of the material you will need. The diagram also will allow you to plan for the placement of all the accessories. Be sure to take into consideration the space that rocks and aquatic plants will take in the final design.
Step 2 - CREATE
Pond Liner Repair Kit
$54.99
Build your Garden Pond
Choosing the right pond pump
Once you've decided the size of your backyard pond, you will need to calculate the size of pump. If you are building a liner pond, you will also need to calculate the size of liner that you require using our Pond Liner Calculator The choice of a pump is extremely important to circulate the water, because mosquitos will breed in stagnant water. The pump is also important to circulate oxygen in the water, if you decide to have fish in your pond.
Pumps are sized by gallons per hour (GPH) output at one foot of lift or height. Larger capacity pumps are rated by horsepower (hp). Manufacturers offer charts that break down the power of each size pump according to incremental heights of one foot. Some companies label pumps by GPH while others assign letter or number designations that require cross-referencing to charts.
To determine the correct submersible pump for your backyard pond, you should determine your garden pond's volume. It is recommended that you circulate your pond's water once at least every 2 hours. Hence, your pump should have a GPH (gallons per hour) rating of at least half of your pond size.
Garden Pond Filtration Considerations
It is important to keep the pond water clean, especially if you have fish. There are three types of pond filtration that you should consider: Mechanical, UV Clarification, and Biological filtration.
While using a UV Clarifier would be a solution for those looking for a more professional solution, there is also the option of going the environmentally friendly route. Line your pond with barley straw, or use barley extract in your pond instead of chemically based algaecides.
Step 3 - CUSTOMIZE
Maintain and Accessorize your Garden Pond
Now for the FUN part! You get to choose what accessories you want to add to your pond, as well as the surrounding landscape. Lights, spitter, plants, fish, fountains, waterfalls... the possibilities are endless! Let your creativity show through with as many or as few accessories as you want.
