Building a pond with waterfall & stream

[palmcurry]

Last weekend I started digging out a pond in my backyard...something I've wanted to do for a long time. Since a water feature like this compliments landscaping so high(IMO) it is superb for tropical plants and palms(hence I think it is suitable for this forum on plants)

So, here is the area I picked out my pond. This was taken Tuesday May 4rth in the NE corner of my backyard.

[palmcurry]

The first thing I did was build a retaining wall for the raised beds around the back od the pond.

C.macrocarpa on the left. Hawaiian green ti plant in 15 gal with Aloe on the right.

[palmcurry]

A week and a half go by untill I get some time off to get back on my pond. Here I have dug out the pond and created the base of the stream which will spill into the pond. The base was slabbed together with pure clay that I dug from the bottom of the pond pit. About 2 feet+ deep the soil turns to pure grey clay - not great for plants but good for molding my stream bed.

[palmcurry]

Here the skimmer(right of the pond hole) is installed. This where the water from the pond goes in, gets filtered and pumped up to the waterfall unit at the top of the stream bed close to the corner of the yard. Most of the work was put in installing the water line between the two and digging the trench to lay it in.

Then I used slate stones to build up a curb on each side of the stream bed to contain the streaming water.

[BS Man about Palms]

A fine project taking shape...

[paulgila]

cant wait to see how it turns out but the palms just thrown to the side make me sad

[palmcurry]

Today I had to re-dig the skimmer & first level of the pond about 3" deeper. Doesn't look like much but I took the dirt from it and laid it behind the waterfall spiller back in the corner(after mending it with mulch, compost and horse manure) Then I cut out and laid in carpet to cover the bottom level and top level of the pond. This is to give cushion to the liner and rocks so there are no tears. I also sectioned off the far end of the stream bed on the right side.

Tomorrow the liner should go in if everything works out OK.

[Tassie_Troy1971]

Good job so far Vince . Making a convincing natural water feature is not an easy task but it looks as though you have put a great deal of thought into this one .

[MattyB]

Wow, that's gonna look great Vince! You've done a lot of work. One thing I learned the hard way about building a pond with stream is that you want to build lips or coffer dams into your stream so that when you turn the pump off, the water doesn't all run back down into your bottom pond. If you don't, you'll fill the pond up, turn the water on and the level will drop below your skimmer/pump intake, so you'll have to add more water while it's running to fix that. Then, when you shut it off, all the water runs down to the bottom and overflows your bottom reservior. I had a hell of a time fixing that problem after the fact. Live and learn. I'll do better next time.

[palmcurry]

Thanks for sharing that Matt. I'm doing all this 'off the cuff' and learning as I go and the only people I've talked to that have pond building experience are the guys on the phone at 'thepongguy.com' They are helpful and all seem to know me already!

Yeah Troy, been wanting to build this thing for years. The last house Kelly and I rented had a pond with waterfall in the backyard and it was great. We spent more time outside on the patio just hanging out than inside. The background sound of the waterfall just make want to kick back and chill. Plus, as a 'palm pro' told me, it adds more moisture to the garden which is a significant factor here in dry ol'SoCal.

If I can find any pictures of that pond at our last place I'll post them.

[MattyB]

dude, that clay is ridiculous!

[palmcurry]

After adding a few things we started laying in more padding & liner today. Then after laying in some boulders and stones to keep it down I quite. Tomorrow I can get a fresh perspective and get the waterfall looking good.

[palmcurry]

Uh-oh.....the supervisor has showed up without warning.

She is going over every detail and feature...

I shoulda never have taken that break, the liner looks so sloppy...

She lets me off with a warning! As long as the liner is nice and pretty tomorrow! She must be in a good mood because it's Friday!

[Walter John]

[John Case]

Vince,

Be sure to get as many folds and creases out of the lines as possible. It will crack much more quickly as detritus collects over time and acidifies the areas in any folds.....fining a leak in an established pond is a task not fit for death row inmates, let alone a homeowner....good luck! I can't wait to see the finished product.

[palmcurry]

OK...Bepah, tried as Idi to get all those folds, here is where it stands today. A curved oval is going to have SOME folds regardless!! It was something I had to walk away with t some point

[palmcurry]

hold on...

[palmcurry]

Here we go. Got the rocks in place today. Getting the liner meshed with the skimmer was the hard part. The black silicon is still on my fingers...need to get acetone or something

[yachtingone]

Vince. Your pond is comming along nicely! I might do that when I retire. As far as black silicon in the skin it will go away after a few days. I work with the stuff, black just does not wash out! I can't wait to see your happy fish and plants in the pond. Are you going to name the pond?

Randy

[Palm crazy]

Looking good, I love water features and had one put in two years ago and I couldn't live with out it. The sound will fill your garden, can't wait to see the finish project, great job and the best is yet to come, relaxing and enjoying it.

Edited May 23, 2010 by Palm crazy

[palmcurry]

Thanks palm crazy.

Today we got some aquatic plants to cover up some of the bare areas where the liner is exposed. Wifes idea entirely.

These did'nt have the latin names on them but maybe someone here can chime in and let me know. Coomon name on this is Red Velvet Canna...I had no idea these could be submersed in water. Coo canna!

This one I have no idea but it's very similar to the canna. Again, maybe someone here can let me know what it is. At the nursery they even displayed these in water.

[palmcurry]

Here is where the pond is at today. It looks done but oh no...far from it. We ran the waterfall for the first time this morning and there are many leaks even after all the clay worked curbs I put in Soooooo we got some more of that black water proof foam made for water features like this and started plugging it in the cracks between rocks. The stuff looks like dried lava flow when it cures. Used 4 cans so far so hopefully when it's dry enough to test tomorrow everything flows smoothly

But with the liner trimmed and the majority of the rocks laid in the final appearance is setting in. Doesn't look like there is much space behind the pond n rocks to plant the landscaping but there is...and the palms have been wait'in patiently

[sick1166]

beauty

[John Case]

Vince,

If you put fish in the water, your cannas will burst out of the small pots by the end of the summer. They are vigorous growers and will utilize the waste products from the fish and feed 24/7. I use 5 gallon pots and have to cut the pots to get the plants out every year (not complaining, I donate corms to my garden club's annual plant sale and they are the first thing to sell out each year). I plant 1 corm in a new 5 gallon pot and watch them fill out the pot. The leaves will be larger and more coloful, they will grow taller and the flowers will be brighter than those just planted in the ground.

Other good choices for color in the leaves are Tropicanna (multi colored leaves and orange flower) and King Humbert (purple leaves and bright red flower).

Good luck and great job!

[tinman10101]

Vince

Your project is looking awesome. My wife has been bugging me to build a water feature in our backyard so your post is not only informative but inspirational. Thanks for posting. Looking forward to seeing the final result!!!

Cheers

Tin

[freakypalmguy]

Really nice, look forward to seeing it with the palms in place. That's another "someday" project I'd like to do as well.

[palmcurry]

Vince,

If you put fish in the water, your cannas will burst out of the small pots by the end of the summer. They are vigorous growers and will utilize the waste products from the fish and feed 24/7. I use 5 gallon pots and have to cut the pots to get the plants out every year (not complaining, I donate corms to my garden club's annual plant sale and they are the first thing to sell out each year). I plant 1 corm in a new 5 gallon pot and watch them fill out the pot. The leaves will be larger and more coloful, they will grow taller and the flowers will be brighter than those just planted in the ground.

Other good choices for color in the leaves are Tropicanna (multi colored leaves and orange flower) and King Humbert (purple leaves and bright red flower).

Good luck and great job!

Thanks Bepah. Will look onto those 2 plants because the more I look at these the more I like them. May get fish, not sure yet. Have a redear slider turtle so I have to keep the plants in pots so she wont eat-em up(they are goats, basicaly) Thanks for the input.

[palmcurry]

Vince

Your project is looking awesome. My wife has been bugging me to build a water feature in our backyard so your post is not only informative but inspirational. Thanks for posting. Looking forward to seeing the final result!!!

Cheers

Tin

Inman,

Good luck with your project and thanks. It was worth the effort for me.

[palmcurry]

Really nice, look forward to seeing it with the palms in place. That's another "someday" project I'd like to do as well.

Freak,

Planning to plant this weekend. Have 5 15 gal palms that have been waiting for a looong time for this. The pond took me a week to do( on a week off from work) My wife helped me on the weekend and provided motivation which I needed bad at the end of the week.

[MattyB]

Vince, don't hesitate to put palms in the pond either. I've grown Archontophoenix, Chamaedorea, Pritchardia, and a few others with great success.

[DoomsDave]

Thanks palm crazy.

Today we got some aquatic plants to cover up some of the bare areas where the liner is exposed. Wifes idea entirely.

These did'nt have the latin names on them but maybe someone here can chime in and let me know. Coomon name on this is Red Velvet Canna...I had no idea these could be submersed in water. Coo canna!

This one I have no idea but it's very similar to the canna. Again, maybe someone here can let me know what it is. At the nursery they even displayed these in water.

The plant on the left looks like a cattail, which, likes the canna, can grow fast and fill up a lot of space. If it is cattail, it can be eaten. (It's a type of grass.)

[DoomsDave]

Palmcurry:

Another good pond plant is the papyrus, which, aside from being pretty to look at is the same plant used by the Egyptians to make paper for their scrolls, etc.

The regular papyrus gets much too big for a pond like yours, though there are dwarf types readily available, which will also grow on land, if kept wet enough.

[Jerry@TreeZoo]

If you put your plants in those fabric grow bags you get much better biologic filtration especially if you place them where the water can flow through them. Put them at the bottom of the waterfall or stream or in front of the skimmer.

[Palm crazy]

Vince since no one has named your ornamental canna here's my guess. The velvet one is called canna 'intrigue' and the dark maroon shiny one is called canna 'australia'.

They are grown in water when they are just plug size. Hope that helps, Oh! They also multiply very fast and can get quit tall with red flowers. Your wife has good eye for water plants.

[paulgila]

looks great,vince. i have learned by experience that any water plants you put in there will eventually fill that pond with roots,thats why my latest pond has NO plants. also be careful about planting palms next to that pond--i had palm roots pierce my liner & grow into the pond.

[palmcurry]

Vince since no one has named your ornamental canna here's my guess. The velvet one is called canna 'intrigue' and the dark maroon shiny one is called canna 'australia'.

They are grown in water when they are just plug size. Hope that helps, Oh! They also multiply very fast and can get quit tall with red flowers. Your wife has good eye for water plants.

Thganks Palm crazy. Want to get more of these amd see what they can do.

[palmcurry]

Palmcurry:

Another good pond plant is the papyrus, which, aside from being pretty to look at is the same plant used by the Egyptians to make paper for their scrolls, etc.

The regular papyrus gets much too big for a pond like yours, though there are dwarf types readily available, which will also grow on land, if kept wet enough.

Dave, I know, I love the history behind these. Alas, my yard is too small.

[palmcurry]

Thanks Palm crazy. Want to get more of these amd see what they can do.

Paul, Had no idea palm roots could do that. If it makes them bigger I can do that!

Matt, wonder how the purperias would do in there?

Jerry, I gotta try those. Want these plants to get big!

[BigFrond]

Great work! Your pond is pretty small though. I recommend planting the cannas, iris, and the taro outside the pond. You will have more maintainance with these kind of plants inside the pond, and they will take most of your water real estate in time. If you plant just outside the pond, you will have the same effect as the plants grow. You can add the water cabbage inside the pond and between the waterfall rocks. These will not overtake the pond because they are not prolific in SoCal. I believe there is a dwarf variety of the papyrus.

[MattyB]

Vince,

A. purpurea would do great in your pond.