Digging your Pond

Digging your pond is the first step in transforming your pond building ideas into a reality. You need to make sure to gather all the necessary tools;shovels,a wheelbarrow,a level,planks,stakes,and materials for marking the outline of your pond. Liners and edging materials should also be kept close at hand in case you need to refer to their measurements,or test how they fit in your excavation.

Grasp a good shovel...

Excavating a hole for a pre-formed liner is relatively straightforward. Outline the shape of the liner according to your pond design,and then dig to the required depth. You don’t need to be too exact in your measurements,as you will back-fill the extra space later on,when you are installing the liner. Make sure to keep a good amount of the soil near the site.

When you make a pond with a flexible liner,digging becomes a little more complicated. The first step is still marking your pond’s shape,but depending on the shape of your pond,you will need to use different techniques.

If you have a rectangular pond,you’ll use stakes and string to mark out the corners and sides. For an irregularly shaped pond,a rope or gardening hose will do the trick. Round ponds can be measured out by making a compass with two stakes and a string. You can also use marking paint so that the line doesn’t get erased while you’re working on the site. Make sure to check all your angles,curves,and dimensions before proceeding with your pond building project.

Digging should be done in layers. Start with the ledge for the edging,and work your way down through each shelf,carting away excess soil at every step. Constantly measure the depth of the pond,and check that each layer is soundly tamped and leveled. Apply the proper slopes and gradients to the sides and bottom of the pond. Also make sure that the coping of your water garden,once installed,will be high enough to block water runoff. Work diligently and carefully so that the walls will hold firm once you install the liner.

Here is an interesting video addressing this important step in building a pond.

Following are some other articles related to outdoor ponds that you may find interesting:

• Plan Ahead Building a Pond | Preformed Pond –yellow,black and white provide a brilliant contrast to the dark waters of the pond and the deep greens of aquatic plants. Category:Uncategorized | Tags:adding fish to a pond,building a pond,designing a pond,garden pond design,… …
• Pond Pumps | Garden Decor –If you are new to gardening and keeping a garden pond please take my advice and double check even triple check that the advice and pond building instructions you are following are meant for your area . And even when that is said and …

• Improving Plant Life » Easy ways to build home ponds –Before starting pond building the first question you have to solve is in relation to the type of pond that you want to build. Solving this question will help to find answers for where to locate the pond,what features to include,…
• » The Barrel Water Garden,Zen Style @ Green Gardenista –Spring and fall are great times to establish a water feature in your yard. The barrel water garden is a quick way to incorporate a water garden in a small space. A pre-formed 30 gallon pond liner (from Depot or Lowes) can be substituted in place of the Pond Armor,and should fit inside your barrel as your waterproofer.