A schematic drawing shows a molded plastic pond configured with its 1/15 hp pump, UV water cleaner, 1.5-inch leaf trap and waterfall filter. The total hardware package is advertised for about $4,000. Photo: wlimproducts.com

Many articles about ponds stress the ease of installation and the fact that many compact ponds can be set up in a single day. In many cases this is true, but it would be wrong to overemphasize how easy it is to install these increasingly-popular landscape features.

???The pre-fab products can crack and develop serious problems if you don???~t backfill properly,???? she said. ???Careful installation is the key to avoiding air pockets that can cause you trouble.????

Like liner-constructed ponds, products molded of plastic or fiberglass can be ???rocked-in???? with rocks and foliage that cover and soften the edge. This view also shows how proper leveling is critical to allowing the pond to fill up to the rim.

Dig it Right

The answer is to very carefully dig your hole to match the depth and outline of the pre-fabricated pond. Flexible liners have the advantage of hugging the contours of the hole you dig. Rocks and other sharp edges still need to be avoided, but the overall setup can be more forgiving.

With that in mind, few jobs can be as rewarding as watching your pond take shape and transform an existing site where dirt or turfgrass sat before. What follows below are a number of factors to consider as you plan and build your compact ponds????be they liners or pre-fab products.

Carefully digging the hole for a molded, prefabricated pond is even more important than creating the hole for a flexible liner. Once the hole is done, place the pond inside to test for a precise fit. Gaps and loose areas should be filled in with sand or a sand-aggregate mix.

Design Considerations

Water features and ponds can be prefabricated, partially prefabricated, or totally custom built. Almost anything imaginable can be done with ponds and water features limited only by your imagination, available space, and pocket book.

As with ponds themselves, waterfalls can be pre-fabricated or custom built utilizing materials such as pond liners, preformed waterways, waterfalls, and fountains. Custom-built waterfalls, boulders, and rocks can be made to look like real rock or streambeds.

The worker at right is using his hand to test the fit for gaps. At left, another worker shovels sand and soil into the open space. The pond is partially filled to seat it against the hole bottom, which should be covered with sand to protect the pond against sharp edges.

Installation Tips

Things to consider regarding water features and ponds are:
?????EUR??,,?? Take your time in design, placement and execution. Since these can be a real investment of your time and money, plan carefully to ensure you get all the benefits you and your client are seeking.
?????EUR??,,?? Space limitations and time requirements should be considered to determine if a prefabricated unit or custom built version best suits your needs.
?????EUR??,,?? Prefabricated units are affordable and easier to implement and can be further landscaped to mask that they are indeed fabricated.
?????EUR??,,?? Prefab units will also limit your pond or water feature???~s maximum size.
?????EUR??,,?? Lavish ponds, streams, and waterfalls take time and effort to build if doing it yourself and can be costly if contracted.
?????EUR??,,?? Availability and manageability of materials (specific rock types, boulders, creek bed gravel, etc.) need to be considered.
?????EUR??,,?? Unless you have that special knack, creating a realistic and natural looking feature can be difficult, time consuming, or require a lot of trial and error. If you???~ve got some training and guidance, however, go for it!
?????EUR??,,?? The type and size of a pond or water feature will dictate what other items you may need such as pumps, pump sizes, filters and filtering options, water plants, and other associated landscaping materials.
?????EUR??,,?? Water feature construction and care is much more involved than most people think or realize. Become as educated as you can before jumping in. Read books, magazine articles, research the Internet, talk with family, friends, and neighbors and talk with the specialty stores and service people beforehand.

Pumps and Hardware

?????EUR??,,?? If moving water is part of your water-feature plan, pumps and pump sizes need to be evaluated.
?????EUR??,,?? The amount of flow, amount of elevation change or height and filtering options need to be understood in order to achieve the desired result.
?????EUR??,,?? Lifting water to different elevations as well as the flow rate desired, require specific pump requirements. Water is heavy and it takes a certain amount of power to lift it over specific elevations and at specific flow rates.
?????EUR??,,?? Pumps can be submersible or external each with different benefits and requirements.
?????EUR??,,?? There are recommended GPH (gallons per hour) flow rates for various pond sizes and differ on whether or not fish are included in your pond.
?????EUR??,,?? Remember that you will need an electrical power source close at hand to run your pumps as well as for some of your other pond equipment. This electrical connection needs to be a protected circuit or connection (ground fault interrupted) to provide for your safety and for the safety of others as well.
Source: www.landscaping-directions.com, wlimproducts.com, Aquascape Inc.

Water Facts

8 to 12: Inches. If using a prefabricated pond, the easiest way to achieve the perfect hole is to turn the pond upside down on your lawn and loosely trace the outline, extending it out 8-12 inches from the actual dimensions of the liner. Source: Associated Content

40: Dollars, the approximate cost of a whiskey barrel type water garden. Source: GardenGuides.com