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Building a Pond!
The plan was simple. Dig a hole in the ground, cover it with a flexible pond liner and fill it with water. So I got a pick, a shovel and a wheelbarrow. But very soon I found out that building a pond wasn’t quite as simple. It was hot August, the ground was dry and after 2 hours of sweating I quit.
Equipment Rental company was a few miles away and I decided to rent a small backhoe. It was delivered to me on Friday afternoon, and for the next two days I had a ball operating this fun equipment building a pond. What a mistake! The ground wasn’t leveled and I didn’t outline the pond before undertaking the project. By Sunday afternoon I had a very wide and a very deep hole that truly scared me. I pushed some of the dirt back into the hole and to the side for future waterfall construction. I knew that building a pond would also include building bog shelves around perimeter. The shelves would house various plants. Well, I didn’t plan bog shelves when I began digging a hole. So, now I had to make those shelves.
I was looking at one ugly mess and all of a sudden I lost my interest to continue. This is not how to build a pond I thought! So I built a wooden horse, bought a large tarp and covered this ugly hole. I was hoping to keep the water out of it. It was positive thinking but by the time I got back to building a pond again in the spring, I had even bigger mess.
I wish I knew then what I know today. All I had to do was to plan simple steps and than follow it one by one. Instead I have wasted time and energy. Ok! But what are those basic how to build a pond steps you ask? Once you know where the pond will be located, decide on pond material. Will it be concrete pond construction or one of the preformed pond liners? Well, I honestly don’t know enough about concrete construction, but I do know about preformed fiberglass ponds. They are sold everywhere. Preformed plastic or fiberglass ponds are inexpensive, have built-in shelves and easy to install. What I did not care for in preformed ponds was the size availability, shape, depth and longevity. They can also buckle under heavy rock, loose edge level and sometimes crack. I didn’t think I would enjoy taking everything apart a few years later. So it wasn’t difficult for me to make a decision for building a pond with epdm rubber that would guarantee pond life of no less than 20 years. 
I would highly recommend considering a flexible epdm rubber pond liner. If you go for it, here is the formula to determine pond liner size for your pond. Now you should be ready for ponds excavating, which includes site leveling, marking pond shape, building a shelf for shallow water plants and preparing walls and floor in for the pond liner… When you are satisfied with completion of the previous steps, you will be ready to install pond edging. To make a level and secure edge that is impervious to foot traffic, lets choose more suitable style and material for your pond design. It will take a little work to get it done right… Running electrical cables, installing electrical accessories and pond lighting is not a difficult project, however, if you are not adept at wiring, it’s best to spend a few bucks and hire a pro. Tip: To avoid serious injuries, before you start digging, check for any underground utility lines. I would love to hear your best experiences and your most interesting information on how your pond was built. Or if you have a general story on this subject, I am sure others who visit this site will thank you, too! Please share your story or tip!
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