How to Create a Woodland Pond in My Backyard
- 1). Select a parcel of land for your woodland pond that offers the most idyllic setting. Eliminate areas that house buried gas, electric or cable lines. Call your utility companies if you have any doubts about underground lines and, importantly, steer clear of the area on which your well or septic field resides if you don't have municipal services providing these utilities.
- 2). Choose between having a natural wood pond with no water movement feature or a pond fitted with a pump that can circulate the water or offer a waterfall element. If you opt for the second, you will need to put on your electrician's hat and run power to the site.
- 3). Call your local zoning official to find out if you need a permit to install your pool. Grab your gardening tools to remove grass, rocks and organic matter covering the area of your lawn that's earmarked for your woodland pool.
- 4). Shape the hole you're creating using your preformed plastic pool form as your guide. Shovel out a hole a bit larger than the shell and center the plastic vessel into the earth. Refill the area between the hole and the form with rocks, then pack in the soil you removed to create a snug fit.
- 5). Spread a rubber pool liner across the interior of the pool form to add another layer of protection against water leakage. Place a pump into the pool, if desired, and test it out to make certain it works. Fill the pool with water.
- 6). Decorate the area surrounding the pool with plants, large rocks and other organic material. For a lush border, plant flowering ground cover around the periphery. Set up hurricane lamps to add to the magic of your pond after the sun goes down.
- 7). Perform upkeep on your pond so your pleasurable woodland oasis doesn't turn into an aquatic waste repository filled with leaves, dirt and other matter. Skim your pool regularly. Look into environmentally friendly pool additives that can keep algae at bay while not harming furry visitors -- especially once they start showing up to add the final touch to your woodland fantasy.
Source...