A Pond I can Live with?

I can!

It's Official. It is in the ground, level, filled, and (mostly) all done.
'It' is the pond my husband and I started to build, each thinking the other was the one who wanted it. We are still laughing about it. How did we each think the other wanted a pond? It's just one of those things I guess.

It was a lot of work, but has turned out surprisingly well, considering we've never done this sort of project before.



Here is the 'dry run'. We placed the largest stones where and how we wanted them. The mound of dirt we started with was packed down, and then the levels were carved for each drop.

The more space between each drop of the waterfall, the more sound. Figuring there would be plenty of sound when it dropped into the pond itself, the other 2 drops are about 2" and 3" each.

When we had the stones like we wanted, I took this picture so we could remember it, and recreate the effect. It was a good thing I took the photo, because we looked at it several times!

We added the liner the waterfall was to go down. The liner is a very heavy rubbery kind of thing, and it was 5'x15'. The flat stones for the falls were mortared in and made level. This is the second of the 3 drops being installed.

Hubby put the 3 large flat stones in, mortared them, and made sure they were level. We let the cement dry overnight.

The next day I played with the placement of the stones while Hubby was at work, so we would have a head start. I ended up liking it after a while, and then I took the plunge! I installed the rocks along the edges using the expanding pond foam that keeps the water from running under them.

Hubby couldn't believe I did it all by myself. Me either! I didn't tell him until I was all done. I'm so glad he liked it. I'm even more glad I like it! (is that terrible?)

I trimmed the excess liner. I left about 12" around the stones and hanging into the pond.

We added a few plants for accent...a 'Pacific Blue' Juniper, a Pieris Japonica, a Red Rhododendron, and a Japanese Maple.

So...

Here is the great unveiling...

>

(music swells in the backgound...lots of horn action)

>

(don't you hate when people do this?)

>

>

>

TA-DA!!!

(the effect is lost a bit with the hose still filling...but you get the idea)

The waterfall end with the Juniper, Maple, and Pieris.

Here is the other end. It is where the Red Rhodie, and oops, forgot to mention the new Hosta 'Fragrant Dream', were added.

After running the waterfall for the first time we discovered one side leak. So we filled the pond, but let the fall dry out. I will add more of the pond foam tomorrow when I get home from work, and let it dry once more.

To this end of the pond we still will be adding a stone shelf inside to put some water plants on. I have of course already got my eye on some at the market. (did you doubt that?)

Yes...this is a pond I can live with...even if at one time I didn't want it. As Hubby and I sat outside this afternoon on the deck near it, we decided we do indeed like it. It is so relaxing, so calming, so cool, so attractive...yes, we like it.

Maybe we didn't either one choose to have the pond, but the pond chose us?

The Unwanted Pond

The Saga and the work continues...

It is in the ground and level.

A view from the opposite side. The edge and surround gets filled with pea gravel.

Trying out some possible edging blue stones.

The waterfall gets started with a pile of dirt at the back edge of the pond. There was not enough dirt excavated from the unwanted pond-hole to make the waterfall...so we brought in extra bags of top soil. It is a much bigger mound of dirt now. This is a LOT of work!

My Aching Back

Truth be told...
"My Husband's Aching Back" should be the name of this entry.

It could also be called "The Ballad of the Pond No One Wanted". Maybe, "The Hole that Hubby Built"?

Somehow we came upon the idea to have a pond in the back yard. The pond form was in the yard all winter (a cheap buy from the market as it had spent quite some time in the barn). Hubby brought it home in the back of the pickup. The space was chosen last year. Most other yard work this year has been done. The weather was bound to get disgustingly hot any second, so it must be time to break ground on the pond.

All along I've thought the pond idea was his idea. He thought it was my idea.

As we sat down and were discussing some stone choices for the waterfall feature we (OK, I) decided to add, I said "I don't know why you wanted this pond in the first place."
His response? "Me? I thought you wanted it it?"
Well, by this point the hole was dug, bags of pea gravel and sand in place, the preformed pond in place and leveled, a pallet of stone purchased, water pump, cement, pond foam, and let's just say the whole shebang. It was to the point of no return we agreed. We now are working on a pond we neither one apparently want. (it WAS his idea)


This is the 'pre-hole' we didn't want. It was roughed out tracing the upside down pre-formed pond liner. It rained the night before, so the digging went better than first thought.

This is the spot for the pond, just off the back edge of the deck. Just enough room to have a few plants and walk on each side of it once the form goes in.

This is the preformed pond liner moved out of the way so the 'unwanted pond' could get dug. It wintered in the back yard upside down so it wouldn't fill with water. When we lifted it up from the 'winter spot' there was the ugliest patch of grass/weed/ick underneath you ever didn't want to see. I didn't take a picture of that...but believe me when I say...you just don't want to know.

This is Hubby digging the hole for the pond we neither one wanted. (He did, I'm telling you!) This picture was taken at the beginning of the project, when he still had a back. That back is now under one of the huge pond stones that were moved several times in the making of the undesired pond.

He is such a great guy.

I supervised, he dug.

I gave my 2 cents, he said "Whatever you want Babe."

I said "How about moving it over there a couple of inches?" He said, "Don't you need to put a few more bags of mulch out front???"

It's still a work in progress. Even a pond that isn't wanted needs to be done right, or its more work to take care of. I'll have more pictures to come...but right now... my back hurts, too.