Check for bedrock, pipe-work,
electricity or sceptic tanks where you have chosen to have your water
garden.
PLANNING
Plan every single sod of earth you dig
and cost every trowel of cement you mix. Go through the job from start to finish
in your mind working out quantities and costs of materials.
Having chosen the site, choose the shape
that most befits it. ponds closer to the house tend to be more formal, further
away they can be more natural looking. However they can mark the boundary
between formal hard landscaping and a more informal area, for instance when a
pond adjoins a patio or decking.
Lay a rope or hose on the ground to get
the best idea.
Try to draw a plan of it in relation to
the rest of the garden. Ideally do a sketch as to how you would see it from the
position you are most often going to view it from. Or take a photograph of the
site and draw the pond in position on some tracing paper laid over it.
SIZE AND SHAPE
Make the pond as large as your pocket or
your energy will allow. The larger they are, the steadier is the balance they
maintain. The absolute minimum is 32sqft or 3sqmetres.
Unless you plan to keep Koi carp, a
depth of more than 30ins (76cm) is unnecessary. 18-24 inches (45-60cms) is
adequate.
Page 5
If you are using a flexible liner, keep
the shape as simple as possible, as dramatic shapes use excess liner and create
unsightly folds. Water circulates through the pond much more easily too.
STREAMS: Beware of making the stream
disproportionately large in relation to the pond. Remember, the stream needs an
addition of at least an inch (12mm) of water added to its surface to get it
flowing. On top of this there is a backlog of water hidden within the system and
combined together this can mean a considerable loss of water from the pond once
the stream is full flood. The marginal plants in particular cannot cope with the
radical rise and fall of the water (see also Estimating and Avoiding Problems
Streams and Waterfalls).
MATERIALS
Get your materials (liners, pumps, etc)
from a reliable retailer close to hand. Look into what is available and you will
find the competitiveness of the industry has created a range of materials whose
price is related to performance and durability i.e. you get what you pay for. It
would be recommended for the larger projects in particular to opt for the better
quality materials, even if it means having to cut back on the size of the pond.
This book only covers the techniques of
pond construction using flexible waterproof liners and preformed plastic and
fibreglass ponds. Using clay and doing genuine puddling is beyond the resources
of most amateurs and concrete ponds require a certain amount of builders skills
mixed with time, patience and a great depth of pocket!
To further help with the choice of
materials, there is a list of facts and tips related to individual items or
features on pages 6 and 7 (Estimating and avoiding Problems).
FILTERS, LIGHTS AND ELECTRICS
If you are including a biological
filtration unit or lights, make allowances for them at the initial planning
stage. Both will need an electrical supply. A biological filter will need a
submersible pump that will capable of pumping half the volume of the pond
through the filter every hour. The filter will also be designed to cope with the
capacity. Some people have the filtration unit dispensing the outlet of water
into the head of the stream or waterfall. Considering the filter has to be going
24/7 to be effective and you dont necessarily want a stream running constantly,
I always feel it best to have it a separate entity. Check with your local
aquatic stores for the latest filtration technology; there are new products
being constantly developed.
Also the development and standards for
safe electrical installation out of doors are always being updated. The
essential thing is that there must be a highly sensitive circuit breaker (RCCB,
RCD) of the correct standard (at the moment 30ma) between any exterior
electrical items and the domestic power supply. If you have any doubts about
your safety, consult an electrician. At least get one to check your
installation.
All connections to the power supply
outdoors must be made with the most modern connectors fitted with the utmost
care.
HOW TO USE THIS BOOK
In choosing the style of water garden
you have in mind it would be advisable to browse through the rest of the pages
in the book familiarising yourself with the style and presentation employed. In
so doing you can then note the pages relevant to your project and thus build up
what will be your own personal recipe for the water garden you had in mind. You
can use the grid style index to tick off the topics that are relevant to you
too.
Each major project lists tools and
materials whilst guiding you through the tasks, pointing out potential problems
on the way. A guide for estimating quantities involved can be gleaned from next
pages.
Page 6
ESTIMATING AND AVOIDING PROBLEMS
These items are listed in the order that
they will appear in the project.
THE EXCAVATION. Soil doubles in volume
as it emerges from the ground. There is always more than you need for further
landscaping. The average large skip holds 6 cubic metres and always costs more
than you can imagine.
4 inch or 10cm BLOCKS. For lined ponds
in the ground, double the length and breadth of the pond in yards and then
double the number for the required number of blocks.
For raised ponds, take the height in inches and
divide it by 9 then multiply the perimeter number of blocks (see above) by this
number. Allow extra blocks for the creation of the marginal shelf in raised
ponds or ponds set in unstable ground.
Block-work for lined streams or
waterfalls differs from project to project, but a common sense figure can be
deduced from the height of the head of the stream in inches, divided by 9, then
added onto twice its length in feet.
FLEXIBLE LINERS. Remember to add double
the depth to the length and breadth to estimate the size of liner. Economically
it is best to design the pond in one dimension (plus twice the depth) to fit in
with one of the standard widths of liner sizes.
If you have dramatic
indentations in the pond shape, measure round the contour to measure the extra
liner that is required to accommodate this shape.
STONEWORK AND ROCKERIES. I always
estimate the quantity of stone for a rockery by multiplying the height by the
width in feet and regard each square foot as accounting for 1cwt or 50kilos of
stone. This is the same for estimating rockery surrounds for the pond or the
stream face. Good stone walling stone usually covers about 4sq yds per ton;
natural stone paving covers about 11sq yds per ton; gravel or chippings to dust
for footings, 1ton covers about 10sq yds in 2inches of depth.
CEMENT AND SAND. Allow one bag of cement
for every 4 of similar weight of sand.
.
Allow two large bags (1cwt-50kilo) for each 4sq yds of walling face, but more if
there is a lot of backfilling.
Sand under the pond liner.
Sand covers approximately 15sq yds per ton at 2ins.
Cement mortar.
Generally a 4 to 1 sand to cement mix is adequate.
Cement mortar underwater.
All underwater surfaces must be treated with silglaze or pondglaze to draw out
excess lime.
PUMP AND PIPEWORK. Always go for the
largest practical diameter hose. This allows the pump to perform at its most
efficient. Nevertheless for every 10feet of hose it may lose between 60 to 100
gallons delivery power, even on the level. For the same reason keep fittings to
a minimum.
The
performance in pumping vertically (the head) varies considerably from one make
of pump to another. Manufacturers on their products boxes generally give
details on individual pumps performances. Go for more power than you will think
you need. If you are running a fountain from a waterfall pump, it is going to
reduce the performance by up to 500litres per hour (100gallons). On the
performance table, the volume of water you need to move to the required height
should be about half way down its performance curve.
STREAMS AND WATERFALLS. A flow of 300
gallons per hour will flow over a 3inch wide sill at about inch deep; over
6inch sill about inch deep. Allow a flow rate of 50 to 60 gallons per hour per
inch of sill. This translates to roughly 10litres per hour per cm.
To avoid plant disturbance,
turn over only half the total volume of the pond every hour.
BIOLOGICAL FILTERS. Biological filters
need to be able to cope with the flow of half the volume of the pond every hour
to be effective. Therefore a compatible, submersible pump is required to deliver
this. It must be specifically designed for working with biological filters i.e.
capable of handling solids. Many people run Ultra Violet Clarifiers with
biological filters nowadays. This too must have a similar capacity to the pump
and the filter to be effective. It will be fitted in the line of the inlet hose
to the filter.
Biological filters need at least a month
to get fully operational in a digesting capacity. Since biological filters
function with the aid of micro-organisms, which depend on oxygen to do their
job, a continuous flow of well oxygenated water is essential, which must be kept
flowing continuously.
PLANTS. See page 30, but I stress that
oxygenating plants like Laragasiphon major (Elodea crispa) are the
most essential ingredient of the pond. The ultimate aim is to have the pond 60%
full of oxygenators before you are anywhere near guaranteeing a perfectly
balanced system and therefore perfectly clear water. 1 bunch for every 2sqft
will set you off.
FISH. Never introduce too many fish in
one go. Wait for 2 to 3 weeks after planting and take care when introducing them
to the pond. Float them in a plastic bag on the surface of the pond for 15-30
minutes, gradually introducing small quantities of water from their new home to
the plastic bag. This takes the stress out of changes in temperature and
alkalinity. Then the fish can very slowly introduced to their new environment.
The maximum number? Allow only 2 inches of fish per square foot of surface area.
APOLOGY. I apologise for mixing my
measuring units and quantities, but where a unit of measurement has a particular
mentally visual potency like the foot or the hundredweight, I have used it,
particularly when it is still a standard unit of measurement used at the trade
counter.
In the drawings that follow I have tried
to add an idea of how the work is done by including two figures, Eric and Kevin.
Not for good reason do they look as though they are built like brick outhouses.
They serve as reminder that building water gardens can be hard and strenuous
work. So take it easy, mind your back and try to get some help. Good luck.
Page 8
PREFORMED pondS AND STREAMS
Having mapped and measured the potential
area for your water garden at home, you will be surprised that what seem
enormous ponds stacked up at the garden centre are quite small once installed in
the ground.
PREFORMED pondS
and streams seem, on the face of it, to be the easy option when it comes to
installation. But for the D.I.Y water gardener to get the plastic pond precisely
level insitu he may require the patience of a saint! To really reliably
ensure the perfectly level preformed pond, a block work framework or a concrete
collar is necessary. This means you lose any advantage in choosing a preformed
pond since you have to start as though you were installing a liner.
However there are enough tips on the
following pages to keep the chances of getting it right first time firmly on
your side.
PLASTIC OR FIBERGLASS?
Plastic ponds have a size limitation and present technology does not allow them
to be moulded at more than the minimum recommended depth of 18. Fibreglass
ponds can be made deeper but are relatively expensive, but their life expectancy
makes them good value for money. Large ponds must be thick enough to be
self-supporting with water in them.
Cost of plastic preformed? per
sq.ft. they cost the same as liners with a similar guarantee.
PREFORMED STREAMS
are a lot easier to install than a liner stream, but they are
a) difficult to install looking
completely natural.
TIP:
Stone work and pea gravel laid in the units can disguise them to a large
extent. It is effective apart from at the waterfall lip.
b) Preformed units do have a tendency to
move about particularly after heavy rain or frost.
This can be easily fixed if the movement
has not created a spillage that has resulted in the pond being completely
emptied and in turn the pump over heated and burnt out.
TIP:
Instead of laying the units on sand use a lean 6:1 sand/cement dry mix to settle
the units onto. Also backfill gaps in the rockery around and below the unit.
This will reduce the potential for soil erosion.
Page 9
SITING AND FIRST DIG FOR INSTALLING
THE PERFECT PREFORMED pond
DECISIONS TO MAKE
BEFORE YOU START
1) Siting and size and shape (page 4).
2) Is the pond to be set in the ground,
half in the ground or what?
3) Is the site level? If not is the
pond to be rising out of the ground or is the other end to be set in the ground
(page 14)?
4) If the site is level, decide on the
pond edging, e.g. rock edge, crazy paving, formal paving or a mixture?
5) If the pond is set in a lawn, the
paving needs to be set below or flush with the grass. Use a sample piece of
paving to gauge the depth of the pond edge.
6) What are you going to do with the
excavated soil, make a rockery?
MATERIALS CHECK LIST
1) Sand for backfill support for the
pond.
2) Sand for cement mortar.
3) Cement and lime if available.
4) Rock or paving or both.
5) If you are paving- chippings to
dust for footings.
TOOLS CHECK LIST
Spade, mattock for heavy soils, shovel,
spirit level (longer the better), trowel, hose, barrow, lump hammer - for
paving.
METHOD
1) Having decided site and position,
mark out shape of pond in situ using a spirit level and trowel or lime
or sand or marker.
2) Remove turf inside the marked area
and put aside.
3) Excavate the soil in the shape down
to the same depth as the marginal shelf, which is generally about 9 inches.
4) Save the topsoil. Dont bury it under
the subsoil.
Page 10
SECOND DIG AND FITTING THE pond
The earth from the excavation can be
saved to form the basis of a waterfall or rockery. Be careful not to waste the
first few inches of topsoil by covering it with subsoil as the digging out
proceeds.
METHOD
1) Having excavated to the level of the
marginal shelf, fit the pond in the hole.
2) Check the base is level and mark the
shape of the base on the soil with a trowel.
This is the guide for digging out
the lower portion of the pond.
3) As the excavation proceeds, keep
trying the pond in place to make sure of a good fit. It is very important to
end up with a level base and shelf.
4) Once you have the pond snugly fitting
in the hole, the hole needs to be excavated a further inch to allow for a layer
of sand in the base and on the shelves. It is also so the depth of any edging
stones or paving may finish flush with the lawn.
Edging: paving stone or grass.
mortar.
layer of sand.
pond.
grass
Page 11
BACKFILL AND PATH PREPARATION
METHOD
Using the remainder of the sand,
backfill between the pond and the surrounding soil. This is most effective
whilst filling the pond with water, washing the sand down the gap using the
hose. Great care must be taken to ensure that the backwash between the pond and
soil does not rise above the level of water in the pond.
If a path or formal edging is required
remove the turf or soil around the edge of the pond to the required width and to
the depth of the paving plus a footing.
2 (5cm) footing for ordinary human
traffic.
Page 12
LAYING THE pond EDGING
METHOD
Lay 5mm of scalpings or 25mm
chippings-to-dust laid in a dry mix with 6 to 1 cement or compacted into the
path area. This should finish level with the lip on the pond edge.
tube to carry cables
mortar
pile of stones for wildlife exit to
safety
CRAZY PAVING
1) Lay out the pieces in position before
fixing. Use the best pieces for edging the pond. Secondly, place out the
stones for the outside edge of the path. Use the rest of the material to fill
in the centre.
2) Lay the pieces one by one on a bed of
cement, lime and sand mortar (1:1:6). Lay level going round the pond and
falling away slightly coming away from the pond edge. TIP: Start with one of the
thickest pieces, this will gauge the mortar thickness required.
3) Point the pieces with a dryish mix of
cement, lime and sand mortar to prevent it staining the paving pieces.
paving
mortar
fall
ROCK EDGE
Lay rocks on a good bed of mortar or
cement with an inch overlap over the pond edge.
If they are holding back soil, ensure
they knit together well and lean back slightly so that water and soil do not
drain into the pond.
PAVING SLABS on a formal shape.
Place them in position and cut the slab
in the middle of a side to get them to fit exactly (odd number of slabs) or at
each inside end (even number of slabs).
DONT FORGET if you want a pump or
lights in pond, lay a piece of tubing under the paving through which you can
thread cables. Leave a piece of wire as a draw cable threaded through it.
Page 13
PREFORMED WATERFALLS
TOOLS: spade,
small level.
Decide 1) where the waterfall will enter
the pond. It looks best arriving at the most curved out part of the pond.
2) What shapes you will
use? Always have a header pond at the top. This guarantees the falls having an
even flow.
1inch of sand
METHOD
1)
Excavate as near as possible the precise shape of the waterfalls into the
bank. Start from the bottom. Also dig in the hose The hose should travel through the
soil via the shortest route.2) It should be the maximum possible
size for the pump.
3) Bed the preformed waterfalls on an
inch of sand in the excavation.
Be prepared for movement as the soil
settles over time.
Make sure the outlets are level.
4) Rockery stone is placed in front of
and around the top of the unit. The aim is to blend the units into the
rockery. Putting pea-gravel into the bottom of the units also helps.
The hose, where it enters
the pond, can be disguised by a
planted basket of marginal plants. At the outlet into the top waterfall, the
hose can be hidden by flat stones placed upright in the units. Exposed
fibreglass or plastic will weather more quickly if roughened with glass paper.
THE PUMP. The flow rate of pumps is
described in gallons or litres per hour. Estimate 50-60 g.p.hfor every inch of
waterfall sill (10litres per cm).
Page 14
PREFORMED pond RAISED: EITHER FORMAL
OR INFORMAL SHAPE.
The alternative of having a raised pond,
or partially raised, gives a variety of possible basic designs
..It is of course more expensive and
time consuming to build.
MATERIALS: Chippings to dust (20mm) or
chippings and sand. Sand and cement. Brick or building stone. Slabs or crazy
paving. Blocks. Junction box (electrical).
Pump and armoured cable.
TOOLS: Shovel, lump hammer, level,
trowels, cold chisel, spade.
capping
junction box
4 inch or 6inch concrete block
stone facing
4 inch footings
armoured cable 18inches (45cm) down
laid in gravel
soil
pump cable
soil
ornament stand
pond
tubing
sand
pump
slab to support
Page 15
SIMPLE PREFORMED RAISED pond
TOOLS: Spade, shovel, level, trowel,
pegs, lump hammer.
MATERIALS: Sand, cement, chippings,
stone or brick, slabs or paving.
1) Mark a plump line from the edge of
the pond in situ.
2) Dig a trench round the pond 1ft wide,
4deep, using the mark as a guide. take it under the pond the same width as the
pond rim.
3) Hammer in pegs level with each other,
as a guide to level out the concrete for footings.
4) Lay 4inch concrete blocks under the
rim of the pond. On the top row of blocks that support the rim leave 2inch wide
gaps between them. You will use these to feed the backfill of sand as the stone
cladding is built up.
5) The pond is set on an inch of sand.
6) If a pump for a fountain is required
do not forget to lay a piece of piping down in position to be bricked over.
Thread a piece of cable through the pipe by which you can pull through the pump
cable when necessary.
7) Lay building stone. Random stone has
a pattern of large stones around the base. Make sure the stones knit together as
much as possible. Capping stones should all be positioned before they are laid.
Sand
inch pipe
Page 16
POND AND STREAM USING FLEXIBLE LINERS
This sort of feature is best set up
against a strong reinforced wall to avoid the tump look and an excess use of
stone. In fact the most effective method of landscaping a stream is to set it in
a cleft in an existing bank with the strata of the rock showing at the
waterfalls disappearing right and left into the grass of the bank.
Both stream and rockery
should seem to be of solid construction. Therefore more stone is better than
less.
Using the cut and fill method, lay the
rock with the strata as horizontal as possible, except in the stream where it
can seem to be altered by natural forces.
Individual rockery stones must be set
leaning slightly backwards. Rainwater thus drains back into the rockery.
Page 17
DIGGING OUT AND CREATING THE LEVELS
TOOLS: Spade shovel, level, straight
edge, pegs 60cm long, trowel, lump hammer.
MATERIALS: Sand, cement, pond liner,
edging stone, 4inch concrete blocks.
DECIDE: 1) Site and aspect and details
of design. 2) Are you going to face the inside of the pond with rockery stone,
building stone or wood or nothing?
METHOD:
1) Lay down a rope or hose pipe to mark
the pond shape.
2) Cut and remove the turf.
3) Dig out the first 22cm down from the
required level of the water, this will be the level of the marginal shelf.
METHOD (contd)
4) Dig out a further 25cm leaving a
ledge in the required places around the edge. Better to have more marginal
shelf than you think is necessary. The width of the marginal shelf should be 12
inches plus the width of a 4 inch concrete block, plus the width of any stone
facing inside of the liner.
The liner account for this when sizing
up the liner.
5) If the soil from the second dig looks
like lifeless subsoil, make sure it is kept separate from the top soil.
6) Using pegs marked for the required
depth of the pond, bang them in level around the pond, and dig down to the
marks. If there is going to be a paved pond surround, then the proposed water
level should be the thickness of the paving below the turf or soil.
7) The concrete blocks are laid on the
marginal shelf level with the pegs to form the skeleton of the pond. Once laid,
on a normal 3:1 cement mix, they will define the final water level.
8) When the blocks have set, dig out a
footing for any paving. The depth will depend on how much traffic (human or
otherwise) is expected.
Page 18
ALTERNATIVE METHODS FOR MAKING THE
POND FRAMEWORK
1)
Excavate a trench at least 6 deep and 10 wide, the middle of which will
be the
circumference of the pond.
2) Bang in level pegs down a little more
than the depth of the proposed pond surround slabs.
3) Place shuttering in the trench at a
20
angle. Lawn edging is ideal.
4) Pour concrete on the land side and
temporarily backfill with soil on the pond side.
5) Complete the pond excavation, leaving
a marginal shelf and remove the shuttering.
6) The liner can be folded into place as
with the other methods. Paving and rockery stones can be cemented into place on
the liner flap.
turf
level peg
shuttering
soil backfill
concrete
These should end up laid just below the
level of the lawn.
liner
slabs
soil
Page 19
PREPARATION
AND LAYING THE LINER
TIP: Keep the shape simple
METHOD:
1) Cut out and lay footing for the
paving.
2) Lay 6:3:2 concrete mix at least 5cm
deep with a fall away from the pond.
3) Lay a protective 1inch deep layer of
sand on the bottom of the pond. Cover the blocks and hard edges with underlay
or damp newspapers.
4) Lay the liner into place. Gather the
folds and creases together and smooth out as if you were making a hospital bed.
5) Cut the liner shape allowing a
generous overlap of at least 6inches over the blocks. Dont fold over the back
of the blocks.
fall
TIP: Trowel the sand flat with a
plasterers float.
MONEY SAVING TIP: Build your pond to a
size that in one direction plus double the depth, corresponds to a standard
width in the material you choose.
TIP for ponds with radical scallops:
measure the width around the contour of the shape as this will take up extra
liner.
Warning awkward shapes make for extra
folds.
REMEMBER: Calculate the liner size by
adding twice the maximum pond depth to both the length and width of pond. Take
care to measure overall pond dimensions ie. at the widest point.
TIP: Drape a tape measure through the
excavation to check you have the right size before you unpack the liner.
Page20
DRESSING THE INSIDE OF THE pond WITH
WALLING OR ROCKERY STONE
To give the appearance that the pond is
constructed from solid stone, either with a wall or rockery stone, by dressing
the inside of the pond down to the marginal level.
1) In the construction of the pond
leading up to the fitting of the liner, it is necessary to allow for the average
width of the stone in gauging how wide the marginal shelf should be.
2) Width of concrete blocks 4
Width of walling
Width of large plant basket
3) In the initial planning of the pond
the width of the materials laid (ie. walling stone, brick or rockery) must be
added to the liner size when ordering, plus 2 X depth, in order to end up with
the required size of pond.
If it is intended to use cement to
stabilize the rockery or walling, use waterproof liquid or powder in the mix.
A rockery can be made to appear as
though it continues right down into the water.
Dress gaps with gravel or pea gravel.
Page 21
OTHER
ALTERNATIVES: Using..
A) Brick to disguise the liner and make
a very high water level.
A) Brick facing to the upper side of the
pond from the marginal shelf level. This can be brick or dressed stone laid
using a cement mix with a water-proofing additive. BEWARE: large quantities of
cement exposed need to be treated with silglaze. This product is painted onto
the cement that is going to be under water and then washed off. This is done in
prescribed amounts and rinsed off after certain intervals.
B) A rock facing to form a planting
trough for marginals.
B) Here flat bottomed rockery stone sits
on the marginal shelf and is built up to, or just below, the water level of the
pond forming a trough which is lined with underlay. This creates the marginal
planting area.
Water level
Marginal shelf
4concrete blocks
Underlay
Water proof pointing
Liner- P.V.C., butyl or rubber
Underlay
Liner
Underlay under liner and to line plant
trough
4concrete blocks
Chemical free soil
Gravel dressing
Page 22
THE NATURAL
pond :CONSERVATIONISTS
DREAM
The pond is created using the basic
techniques, but a hump is left on the inside edge of the marginal shelf.
Underlay is laid on top of
and below the liner in order to protect
it. Soil (a rough sandy sub-soil is best) is laid on top of this smoothing out
the levels cut by the excavation, to a dish with gently sloping sides. This
creates a natural look and easy access for wildlife.
Bear in mind:- even the most balanced
pond or pond eventually needs to be cleaned out. This means that all that mud
will have to come out and plants will have grown into massive clumps.
White lily or yellow Nuphar lutea
Soil
Underlay
Liner
Underlay
If possible keep liner turned up above
water level to help prevent leaching or siphoning by capillary action.
Hump on marginal shelf to retail soil in
pond margin.
ALTERNATIVE: German method
Slab or kerb edging
Footing or block
If the soil is not particularly
argillaceous then this hump can be created out of a filler of cement or
concrete.
Dispensing with soil in the bottom
lilies etc. can still be planted in containers or hessian bags.
Some native marginals: Acorus calamus
(sweet flag), Caltha palustris (flowering rush), Iris pseudocorus (yellow
flag), Lysimachia nummularia (creeping Jenny), Lythrum salicaria
(loosestrife), Sagittaria sagittifolia Arrow head), Veronica baccabunga.
Page 23
FRAMEWORK FOR WATERFALLS WITH LINERS
Dig out the waterway from the spoil heap
or bank next to the pond.
For steep waterfalls:
1) Divide it into a series of ponds, one
dropping into another. Make sure the soil is well compacted (see below), allow
space for a skeleton of concrete blocks to be laid that will define the
watercourse. At each the blocks must be laid level (see below) apart from an
outlet, at least 4 below the block level, for the water to flow out into the
next level.
2) After cement is dry, backfill behind
the blocks.
3) A 1inch layer of sand can be laid
throughout the streambed. lay overlay over blocks.
4) Lay the hose for the pump along the
most sensible route. Excavate a trench for it but do not backfill until you
start to build the rockery.
TIP: Work up from the bottom, ie. water
level of the pond. Dont get to ambitious, streams work out very expensive.
Make sure the face of the waterfall is
well back behind the end of the side blocks at that level.
4or 6 concrete blocks
sand
stream liner
pond Liner
Water level remember when the water is
flowing the level can rise by an inch in the ponds and over the outlet shelf.
The watercourse can in theory be lined
with pieces of liner overlapping. You do use a lot less and it is fail safe to
use one piece, draping it right into the pond.
Beware:
if this slope is created from the spoil
of the pond, unless it has been consolidated for 18 months or more there is
bound to be a further drop in level. Soil doubles in volume on excavation.
Therefore 1) consolidate the soil as much as possible. 2) when constructing the
waterfall framework, tilt each unit towards the outlet ie. build each pond
higher in the back. OR build the blockwork up from solid unworked ground
or footings.
Sand
pond
Blocks
Brick or blocks
Hose should be as large as the proposed
pump can take.
Page 24
FRAMEWORK FOR STREAM AN SHALLOW
WATERFALLS WITH LINERS
1)
Mark out the course of the stream bearing in mind the performance of the
pump you intend to use. Estimate 1 of sill per 50-60 gallons to the destined
height, and add on the width of the inside facing stone.
IF USING HEAVY STONE
2) Dig out the stream making it 8 wider and 4 deeper than is needed. The fall
must be at least 1 in 80. Start from the bottom. Finish with a header pond at
the top that will help to steady the flow from the pump.
3) Using 4inch concrete blocks and a 3:1
sand/cement mix define the sides of the stream. Follow the contour of the slope
if it is gentle. If it becomes steeper step it down (see page 23). The sides
must be level with each other.
4) When the cement is dry, backfill
behind the blocks with soil.
5) For every 4inch drop, a level line of
bricks or a frog of cement must dam the causeway at the same level as the base
of the previous row of bricks. Therefore point A is the same level as Aa and B
the same level as Bb etc. This makes sure a water level is maintained throughout
the stream.
6) Line the stream with sand and
underlay over the block work.
Cross section
Bricks damming water
Static water level
Water level when water is flowing
Stream block work
Header pond
The water stays above the rocks or
stones in the bottom of the stream obscuring the liner.
Page 25
STREAM
LINING
Estimate the
stream liner length as length on the horizontal + 2 x head. Width is governed
by liner strips. 5ft wide liner produces 2ft to 2ft 6ins header ponds, with 9
to 12 outlets. 10ft liner 4ft to 6ft header with up to 2ft outlets.
TIP: If you want to cut down on the use
of cement bedding stone sown into a thick bed of pea-gravel is possible. It
also makes for easy repair work in the future.
Top of wall level with outlet block work
allowing enough room to be capped with slab or slate.
1) Lay underlay over the block work.
2) Lay the liner in place with a
large overlap right into the pond.
3) Carefully
push and fold the liner into place gathering as many creases as possible
together and making sure the liner fits into the contours of the block work..
4) Thoughtfully trim of some of the
excess liner.
5) Line the stream with stonework..
TIPS: a) Start from the bottom of the
stream and work up.
b)
Concentrate on the face of each waterfall and work outwards into the rockery or
wall retaining the earth.
c) Always
think in terms of retaining the water in the stream within the liner, you are
just facing the liner.
d) Tuck stream liner up between side
facing stones to prevent water travelling sideways.
Liner
TIP: Stone laid straight onto the liner
can be cushioned with off-cuts or underlay.
Final fall
Birds eye view of structure
Stream block work
pond block work
Stream
Stone
pond
Stone of waterfall face
pond Liner
See 5(d) below
Page 26
WATERFALL FACING TECHNIQUES FORMAL OR
MIRROR WATERFALLS
1
2
3
4
fall
groove
stream liner
pond Liner
JAPANESE RIBBON WATERFALL
Footing required
White water boulder cascade
BASIC INFORMAL FALL
SIMPLE JAPANESE PATTERN
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
(A) Mirror stone
(B&C) Flanking stones
(D&E) Base stones
(F) water dividing stone
(H) Header stone
TIPS:
1)Place the stones in order of letters
2)Backfill behind the stones with cement
making sure the liner flaps stand out preventing sideways seepage.
Page 27
SMALLER FEATURES WITH ECONOMY AND
SAFETY IN MIND
THE CHILD SAFE PEBBLE pond
1) Excavate a hole 3ft or 1metre in
diameter. Lay in a framework of 4 concrete blocks.
2) The blocks are covered with underlay
and then liner material.
3) A grill of galvanised steel mesh or
rigid plastic netting is held in place with hooks or masonry nails. This will
support the layer of cobbles.
4) Large pots or old buckets or bricks
and stones
can sit in the bottom with the pump
lending support to the mesh. The excavation has been made just deep enough to
allow the tip of the pump to emerge through the cobbles.
An ever flowing Grecian Urn:
Hose into the urn held and sealed in
place with silicone, mastic or plasticene
A bubbling boulder:
Plants planted in groups in the
surrounding gravel. Boulders can be purchased ready drilled. See you local
stone merchant.
A watering watering can:
The main problem and probably the most
expensive aspect of this sort of feature can be getting the power to it.
Page 28
DESIGN FOR A
FORMAL pond: 15 x 7 6 x 18 DEEP, LINED WITH
P.V.C. SET IN A PATIO OF YORKSTONE PAVING SLABS
In planning:
work to standard liner widths.
1) Dig hole to correct size plus 10 to
allow room for concrete blocks.
2) Lay 4 x 18 x 9 concrete blocks on
a 4 footing. (see Raised preformed ponds)
3) An inside row of concrete blocks is
laid and backfilled with 6:1 concrete mix to form a marginal shelf.
4) 2 of sand is laid in the bottom.
5) Underlay is to be laid over blocks.
6) Liner 20 X 11 laid loosely and
folded into position. Backfill behind blocks do not tuck in liner behind.
7) Slabs laid on top of liner using
backfill as a footing.
Front edge of pond may be above lawn
level therefore face with suitable stone or brick.
ALTERNATIVE Stone facing obscuring the
first 10 of liner. For this method, the concrete block framework must be built
allowing for the width of this. Double the width of the stonework and add it to
the length and breadth of the liner to gauge how much extra liner is required.
TIP: Build the pond to the size 15 X
76 on the internal diameter of the block.. The exact size should be
determined by the size of the edging slabs bearing in mind that it is best to
have 1 overhang of slabs over the pond. Eg. If the slabs were exactly 18
including the pointing then the ponds internal diameter should be 152 X 78
Sand or underlay
Underlay
Liner
Slabs
Marginal shelf
Slabs
Liner
Blocks
Slab
1 overhang
Marginal shelf 12
Slabs
Footing
Liner
Sand
Footing
Block
Backfill lean mix 6:1 cement chippings
to dust
Marginal shelf
Block
Block
Backfill
Page 29
FEATURES IN THE WATERGARDEN LANDSCAPE
Although these features fit in perfectly
with general principles employed in this book, it is imperative that if they are
required they be incorporated in the plan right from the start especially the
beach.
Jetty
Beach
Bog garden
Stepping stones
Jetty
Pressure treated timber
Liner wrapping
pond framework blocks
4x4
4x2
Edging stone
Marginal shelf
Edging stone
4x2
Pebbles
Block
Sandy infill
pond
Brick
Underlay
Liner
Underlay
Stepping stone , lower edge set
slightly below water level
A box of 4x9x18 concrete blocks
filled with concrete, can be sealed with G4.
Liner
Liner
Underlay
Bog garden
pond
Marginal shelf
Underlay on pond liner
Aquatic soil or chemical free soil
Block
12
Soil with leaf mould and course sand
Bog garden liner with holes spiked
through all over
Drainage holes
Clean rubble
Drainage holes in the liner
1 inch pipe to take water to the
roots.
Drainage holes in pipe
18inches
up turned turves
Page 30
PLANTS THE ESSENTIAL INGREDIENT
A pond or pond cannot survive as a
self-sufficient world without plants. Most of the wildlife, apart from fish,
will make their own to a new pond.
As can be seen in the diagram all plants
in the pond form an essential link in the ecosystem. More importantly, the
oxygenating plants or pond weeds help provide the necessary oxygen for the
conversion of nitrites to nitrates. If the plant life fails to maintain the link
in the chain, anaerobic conditions and denitrifying bacteria will cause the pond
to become stagnant.
MOST IMPORTANT:
1) Oxygenating plants Elodea crispa
(Lagarosiphon major) is one of the best. Potamageon crispus (Curly pondweed) or
Water Crowsfoot for streams. Just push bunches of 4 or 5 strands into baskets
of pea-gravel. 25 to 50 bunches per basket, one for every 25sq.ft. of surface
area.
FOR pond COVER & FOCAL POINT :
2) Lilies and deep water aquatics.
Allow 1 lily for every 25sq.ft., beware cheap lilies are vigorous.
FOR ALGAE CONTROL
3) Floating plants. They use up the
mineral resources that algae consume. Allow 1 for every 10sq.ft.
FOR SOFTENING EDGES AND USING UP MINERAL
RESOURCES
4) marginal plants. Allow 1 marginal
for every 5sq.ft.
Beware: many marginal plants spread and
take over very rapidly, so do your homework on species and varieties. In small
ponds, plant mixed baskets with varieties of leaf shape, colour and height.
Food
Uneaten food
Decomposition by fungi and bacteria
Plant debris, dead animals etc.
Ammonia (NH3/NH4+)
Oxidation by nitrifying bacteria
(nitrosomonas) Nitrites (NO2)
Aerobic conditions (need oxygen for
this)
oxidation by nitrobacter bacteria
Nitrates (NO3)
Incorporated into plant protein
Most water plant containers need liners
(hessian or coco fibre).
Fill with chemical free soil.
Top off with pea-gravel
18-24
Lily
Oxygenators
Floating plants Brick
Deepwater marginals
Marginals at water level 9-1
Page 31
INDEX
SITING
INFORMAL FORMAL INFORMAL FORMAL CONSERVATION
pondS pondS pondS
pondS PONDS
PREFORMED PREFORMED WITH LINERS WITH LINERS WITH LINERS
GROUND
LEVEL
RAISED
ROCK
EDGE
PATH
EDGE
INSIDE
FACING
STREAMS
& WATER-
FALLS
FOUNTAINS
PLANTING
Colour in the
boxes relevant to you. The resulting numbers will be your recipe for your pond.
TIPS AND FORMULAE
Calculating your liner size.
Liner Length m/ft = Maximum pond length m/ft + (2 X maximum
pond depth m/ft) + 0.3m( 1ft) overlap
Liner Width m/ft = Maximum pond width m/ft + (2 x maximum
pond depth m/ft) + 0.3m (1ft) overlap
Before you go to buy a submersible pump for your pond for a
fountain, waterfall, filter or a combination of any of these, you must know the
volume of your pond.
Volume of your pond in litres.
Average length in metres x average width in metres x average
depth in metres x 1,000
A metric cubic metre of water weighs 1 tonne.
To convert to U.S gallons, multiply by 0.26.
To convert to Imperial gallons, multiply by 0.22
Volume of your pond in gallons.
Average length in feet x average length in feet x average
depth in feet x 6.25
Volume of a circular pond. (
the diameter in feet x the diameter in feet x depth in feet x π)= Volume of a
circular pond in cubic feet.
Volume of a circular pond in cubic feet x 6.25 = Gallonage of
a circular pond
Estimating stream liner length
Length on the horizontal x ( 2 x head). The width is governed
by the standard widths of liner. A 5ft wide liner, for instance would produce a
stream with 2ft 6ins header ponds with 9-12ins outlets. A 10ft wide liner gives
you 4-6ft headers with possible 2ft wide waterfalls.
Estimating size of pump for streams or waterfalls.
Estimate roughly for 60 galls (300 litres) per hour per inch of sill or
waterfall width (just over 100litres per hour per cm ) that can be delivered to
the height you require.
Estimating the number of skips required for the removal of
spoil from the pond.
((Volume of the pond in feet) x 2) 27 = Volume of spoil to
be disposed of
Volume of spoil 6 = Number of large skips to be filled
Estimating the number of blocks for
ponds with liners in the ground:
(2 x Length in feet)+(2 x width in
feet) 2/3
OR take the measurement from your
draped tape measurement around the circumference in feet and multiply by 2/3 for
the approximate number of blocks required for the pond.
If you are building in support for
the marginal shelf, measure this in feet and add two thirds of the number to the
total.
Estimating the number of blocks for
raised ponds:
(Height above footing in inches 9)
x number of blocks for perimeter (see above) for number of blocks required for
the perimeter. Allow extra blocks for the creation of the marginal shelf areas
and ponds set in unstable ground.
Estimating the number of blocks for
waterfalls and streams. (Approximate rule of thumb)
Head of the stream, i.e. its
starting height above pond surface level (in feet) added on to its length and
then doubled.
SUMMARY of the ideal site:
It will be in full sun. Nearly all plants associated with
water need some direct sunlight to flower, especially lilies.
Away from trees but not too exposed to cold or prevailing
winds.
Can be seen from the house.
Where electricity and water supplies are accessible.
Not on low-lying boggy land.
Size and Shape
Keep it simple and more than 30sqft (3.3sqmtrs) and 20ins
(half a metre) deep with a shelf for plant support 9inches (23cm) down below the
proposed water level.
Further points to remember using flexible liner materials:
Economically it is best to design the pond in one dimension
to fit in with the standard widths of liner sizes.
Avoid dramatic indentations in pond shapes and streams,
measure around the longest contour to take in the extra liner that is required
to accommodate this shape.
Estimating quantities of sand for lining ponds and streams.
A metric tonne (1000kg) will cover (very) approximately 10sqmetres at 5cm depth.
Underlay (cheap material for
laying under the liner). Take pond liner sizes and add on 10%.
Estimating rockery stone.
Height x width in feet = 1 cwt or 50kilos.
This is the same for estimating the rockery surround or rock
edging and the stream face.
Estimating footing materials for blockwork and walling.
Gravel chips of varying sizes down to dust: cement for
concrete in a 6:1 ratio,
OR 15 to 25mm gravel chippings, sand, cement in 4:2:1 ratio.
The foundation depth should between and 1/3 of the wall
height, and twice the wall width. Estimate 2 tonnes to the cubic metre.
Sand for building. Allow
100kilos for each 4sqmetres faced walling and one 25kg of cement, but more if
there is a lot of back filling.
Estimating paving.
Most paving is priced by the square yard or metre apart from
crazy paving.
Estimate 1 ton will cover 11 square yards.
Estimating plants
1 bunch of oxygenators for every 2 sqft of surface area.
1 lily or deep water aquatic for every 25sqft of pond surface
area.
1 floating plant for every 10sqft.
1 marginal for every 5sqft.
