| Have you ever dreamed of your own water | | | | common method is to dig a hole and line it with |
| garden pool? Rushing waterfalls, glimmering koi, | | | | concrete, rigid pre-formed liners, or flexible liners. |
| and crystal ponds in your own backyard? Sounds | | | | The pre-formed liners tend to be on the small |
| great, but judging from professional installation | | | | side but flexible liners come in small, medium and |
| websites and glossy magazines, building one is a | | | | large sizes. With concrete lining, the size of your |
| time-consuming and expensive plan best left to | | | | water garden is completely up to you. (And the |
| the experts. This is true in some cases -- but | | | | size of your property.) |
| definitely not in all. | | | | 2. Submersible pump/pump fountain combination. |
| Complex water features, koi ponds, large sizes: | | | | Most water gardens need some sort of water |
| you might want to employ a professional for this | | | | movement for clarity and health for plants and |
| level of project. But even large ponds can | | | | fish. Submersible pumps will be more or less |
| certainly be done by skilled do-it-yourselfers. I | | | | expensive depending on the volume of water |
| personally know two engineers who built the most | | | | your expect it to move. You can also purchase |
| beautiful and complex water gardens for | | | | pumps for waterfall systems if you want to get |
| themselves and their families. One of the | | | | fancy. This is a glorious feature of course, but |
| engineers is my cousin. Sadly he's my cousin by | | | | don't feel that you have to put it in immediately. |
| marriage so I did not exactly inherit his brilliant | | | | You can always go slower and add features as |
| engineering genes. Luckily I didn't have to in order | | | | you go. |
| to create my own little pond. I am living proof | | | | 3. Filter. You can choose from mechanical or bio |
| that if I can do it, anyone can do it. | | | | filters. These do not have to be expensive. As |
| For your first pond, you can hire a company to | | | | with the pump, they maintain water clarity and |
| make you a spectacular one. You can do a | | | | health. Note that in a small pond you do not need |
| bang-up job yourself with some strength, willing | | | | both. My small pond (4' end to end, 2' depth) does |
| helpers, and building skills. Or you can make a | | | | just fine with a small and economical pump |
| small and lovely little pond by yourself. You don't | | | | fountain. Note: Do add fish if you can -- they |
| have to spend much money either if you would | | | | make for some of the best natural filters |
| rather not. Think goldfish instead of koi, small-sized | | | | anywhere. |
| flexible liners instead of large expanses of poured | | | | 4. Electrical source. You'll need electricity for the |
| concrete, or a patio container garden that you | | | | pump and mechanical filters. If your water garden |
| can build and fill in a day. The possibilities, as they | | | | is in a container on the patio you can make do |
| say, are endless. | | | | with an outdoor extension cord. (Watch for small |
| A few of the elements that most water gardens | | | | children and dogs though.) If you are running the |
| need are the following: | | | | electricity into your garden, you'll want to use a |
| 1. Container or liner. A container is free-standing | | | | 120-volt outdoor outlet with a ground fault circuit |
| and can be a half whiskey barrel, a porcelain tub, | | | | interrupter near the pond. Don't worry, any |
| a planter -- anything that is waterproof and will | | | | handyman worth his or her salt will be able to do |
| not poison the water with chemicals. (You can line | | | | this for you. |
| the container if you are unsure of this.) The more | | | | Happy building! |