Building a little yard pond

[Farmgirlpastandfuture]

2 years ago I paid for a dump truck load of 'good garden soil' to be delivered. Apparently my definition of 'good garden soil' and the truck company's definition differed greatly. What I came home to find is poor top soil with clay in my front yard.
I've put a lot of it into my compost area to amend it but I'm still left with a lot of useless dirt.....in my front yard....that holds water.

My 12 year old wants to turn it into a pond so we're going to give that a try. It can't look any worse than it does - right?

 

[big brown horse]

Take before and after photos!

 

[Wifezilla]

I used a pond as part of a gardening system. I did a small planting last year. This year I added 3 more trays.

http://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=146829&p=1

 

[redux]

I built a pond all by my lone self many years ago. All I can tell you is that however big you think you want it, make it bigger.

I used to love sitting by the pond; and I got loads of peepers and other frogs. It is a wonderful addition to a yard.


Plus, there is a real sense of satisfaction in building one.

 

[FarmerDenise]

I say go for it. Let your 12 yearold take it over. Half the fun is in making it. I had a low spot in my back yard and decided to just dig it up and turn it into a little pond. It was fun. Eventually I lined it with an old wading pool, the kind you fill with air.

 

[SKR8PN]

Wifezilla, Thank you VERY much for posting those links in your thread on your BYC post!
You have NO idea how timely this is! The Wife and I are in the planning stages of our new backyard pond, and that one link with the home made filter made from a milk crate, RAWKS!!!

Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!!!

 

[Wifezilla]

Hey, I make the mistakes so you don't have to! LOL

I love my little pond

 

[Farmgirlpastandfuture]

We did it in 6 hours. Its 8x11.

The boys had already dug the big hole in the pile of dirt so at 10 a.m. Alex and I cleaned up the hole to the depth and size we wanted. We put two old 8x5' carpets in the bottom then the pond liner. The rest of the day was spent hauling rocks. We live in a very rocky area so that was no problem - just a lot of muscle work. Broke the bottom of my faithful 18 year old wheelbarrel. I've been moving rock around my property that long. We built the rock walls and edging and filled in the bottom with some fine gravel. Then moved a bench over near it and started filling it with water.

We'll need to terrace the back side of the pond a bit and add plantings but I think for an Ozark-style pond on the cheap we did o.k.

I haven't read up yet on how to add photos to posts on this message board but as soon as I do I'll add a photo or two.

For right now....I think I need a 2nd dose of Aleve.

 

[Farmgirlpastandfuture]

Before adding water.

 

[Farmgirlpastandfuture]

The 12 year old checking the water depth.
Next weekend we'll work on adding better dirt and some plantings around it. Also plan to get some pea gravel for the shallow end. We'll also see if we can get some goldfish to live in there.