Backyard Pond Landscaping

Those who wish to embark on the exciting world of backyard pond landscaping, shouldn't do so without a great deal of careful planning. Garden Ponds are a truly enjoyable feature to add to your landscape design, however you will need to take into consideration whether or not you are receptive to the amount of work and maintenance that is involved with this landscape feature.

Don’t get me wrong, garden ponds are a beautiful addition to the home landscape design, they bring a lot of visual interest to the landscape, and when coupled with a waterfall feature, the sounds are very soothing. However, I look at the idea of backyard pond landscaping similarly to the way I view the decision to get a swimming pool. Just because you like swimming pools, doesn’t mean you want to have one in your backyard that’s crying out for regular maintenance and seasonal cleanups. Maybe you’d rather just make friends with someone who has a pool in their backyard. (That’s what MY friends did!)

So in this sense, perhaps you’d rather just make friends with someone, like a neighbor, who has a water garden that you can enjoy without all the hassle. Of course, if you’re certain that this is what you want, than you’re ready for the maintenance that will be involved.

Begin by educating yourself about what's involved in the backyard pond landscaping process. This is a "do it yourself" type of project if you're ambitious enough.

I was able to find this wonderful article on the web, that gives step by step instructions on this process: Water Garden Installation (opens new window). This site also contains links that discuss the types of plants that should be used in the pond, and what type of fish or koi, should be added.

Another terrific website I found for Natural Water Gardens (opens new window), not only gives step by step instructions on how to install a water garden, but also has pond kits available for purchase in small, medium and large sizes. The small kit will work for a pond as big as 11’ x 16’ and the large kit will work for a pond as big as 34’ x 34’. Certainly much larger than most backyards will accommodate!

I have not purchased any products from this site yet, however I have had contact with the owner who was very responsive to my questions and really quite pleasant to work with. When I start my own backyard pond landscaping design (which I'll probably install in the front yard), I will order through him. Not only is the owner of this site pleasant, but he really seems to know what he’s doing!

I know there are many local lawn and garden centers where you can purchase water garden supplies, however I would recommend seeking out someone who is an expert at backyard pond landscaping for 2 reasons:

1. You want to do it right the first time, and
2. you want to make sure you have EVERYTHING you need to complete the project.

When I had my pool installed, there seemed to be a never-ending list of “one more things” that I needed to get to complete the installation. Of course, no one told me all of these details when I purchased the pool, that was a “discover as you go” type of deal. Do yourself a favor, go with a pro so that you have everything you need to create the water garden feature that you want.

Garden Ponds Ecosystem

Now that you’ve built your water garden, you’ve got to fill it!

The pond is a delicate balance of plant and animal life - certain plants providing food and shade for the animals, and certain animals making sure that the pond stays clean, or free from algae. If you have standing water in the pond (in other words, no water fall feature) then you'll need to add animals to eat the mosquito larvae. Standing water is a breeding ground for mosquitos, however certain fish will eat the larvae. If you keep the water moving with a waterfall, then the mosquito larvae will not have a chance to develop. If you do add fish, even though they might eat the mosquito larvae, they'll still need other plants to eat from, they'll need plants for shade, and you'll have to make sure you've made the water garden deep enough for the fish to survive the winter.

As you can see, the combination of plants and animals needed for your pond is an important step in the planning process.

Be sure to do your research, and know what you’re getting into before digging. Most importantly, be sure to call Digger’s Hotline before you do any excavating for your pond.

For help with difficulties or challenges that can be encountered with this landscape feature, follow this link for backyard pond landscaping - trouble shooting (opens new window).

Happy pond installation!