A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2006 My new BIG pond!

Okay now... first and foremost let me warn you.... Our backyard paradise is in a shambles right now! The winter season along with some much anticipated but slow in coming additions and changes have left it looking pretty ratty! The beauty of this is, you will have the opportunity to watch our garden grow as I am going to try to keep progress pictures posted. Anyways, on to the good stuff! Here is what our backyard used to look like. The large pile of dirt is what was scraped off of the patio area to grade it for drainage away from the house. We used this pile to make a levy for the BIG pond. I have started building a retaining wall to hold back the levy. Here is another picture of the wall to give you an idea of where it is in relation to the rest of the yard. Then we started diggin\' , and we dug , and we dug some more.... Okay, Okay, so it looks more like we were drinkin' I know, but really, we were diggin\'. And then for a change of pace, we dug just a bit more! Okay, enuff of that... I will post more pics as we get more done! Oh... and here is a quick shot of our small pond from a couple different angles. More to come later!

See Ya in the garden!

Hi Eclo...i have a quick question for you..what type of liner are you using?? I found this website..that this lady has and she said what she did has worked great (and very cheap) she used silo cap for the liner..and then she said to get carpet from like your lowes that they took out of someones house for the underlayment..i know it sounds cheap and strange..but heck if it's that cheap i might try it..just a little nervous..ya know? any suggestions

I heard the same think Lang!! this guy's gonna have the garden of eden in his back yard!

I think that is gonna turn out incredible Eclo!

I was thinkin about going to "Bend Tarp and Liner"... Google them... they sell by the square foot... looks pretty good to me.... they sell to Fish Hatcheries and Golf Courses....

impermeable fabric liners.... big as you want and seamless! as cheap as .39 cents per square foot...

Gunite I thought was $$$$ But that is here supply and demand right? If you can afford it they will hike the price somehow.... The pics of you and your buddies "working hard" its awsome!! I'm sure you had a blast!

Langford... What website were you refering to?... I am open to all suggestions and am shopping around... the old carpet thing sounds good cuz I see rolls and rolls of it laying on the curb all the time! And I LOVE to sidewalk shop!

Eclo..the website ..yeah let me grab that for you..she says she has had this pond for 5 years..the silo cap is only 2 ml..but i'm thinking for that cheap..shoot..i'll triple that stuff up..ya know? i mean for real ..ok let me get that. www.littlecountryvillage.com/pond.shtml
now after you read this, please tell me what you think..cause i'm thinking about starting the search this week for this stuff..just want someone else to say..go for it !! hehe...or at least for someone else to say..it sounds like it will work..i don't want my garden paradise ruined by buying cheap(it's still only in my head, i'm sure it will turn out wrong or ruined) but for now..it's my pond paradise..i'm dreaming of animals flocking to my yard..nevermind the 1000 kids in the school they just built directly in my back freakin yard.....oh the joys..

That is really cool lang... I am gonna mark that spot for future ponds..

spring,
Do you think it will work though? i mean it seems really cheap..but dang if it works..right? what do you think?

Eclo knows more about it than me ... I am sure he will respond with his idea

That is what i was thinking...i mean 5 years and it's ok..i mean if it only last five years that is even fine..ya know...i can redo it then..i hope this works..i'm going to search online today at work for this stuff...oh ya..fun fun fun fun fun

Should work really

Ok...the search is now ON...oh ya....

eclo, that guy there digging at your place looks familiar. My hubby wears bibs and a dew rag on his head just like that. What I want to know is how did you get him to do... ANYTHING? HA HA. Although the pic is about right. Sitting down.
just funnin with you. But that guy could really be him.

Wow, wouldn't that be interesting..i mean for real..hehe..I forgot my dang pictures in my truck that my husband took to work with him..and so i can't post those right now of my watergarden...i also have some of the front of my house..and my back yard..which i thought about posting..but i'm not sure everyone cares to see that crap..hehe..then i was going to show everyone what they did to my backyard..by putting the freakin school right next to my property line.ughghghghghg

POST them lang everyone likes to see the pics!

Will do...sounds like i have a project for tomorrow..hehe

That'll give you something to do at work anyhow!

I looked at that link quite a while ago about the silo cap.........I lived in a rural community and couldnt find a silo cap anywhere.....which considering there were silos all over the place was odd. If you are able to find one let me know where.

I could not find one either .. I looked online.

I did too. I couldnt find anything not even the grain elevators or cargill knew what I was talking about!

I did find it online..but here is something real interesting...did you see where she said..you could also use sheet plastic..that is very easy to find..and comes in thicker ml..really nice perk of this is..my husbands company has roles of the stuff come to find out..and well he just brought me home a roll for free..said i needed more..he'd get it..wow..cool..ya know? The sheet plastic..you can call ace for ..it comes in up to 10ml..i got 6 ml..so if i have to i'll double the crap..for free..right?

I did it with that the first 2 years it was great and actually it would have gone on for another year if the kids hadnt knocked the rocks from the sides in to it and caused a leak. I went to a pet store that 2nd year they had a 14ft by 14ft liner on clearance for 79 bucks I got the liner the light and the pump in a box. It worked great for my 8ft by 10 ft pond I had built. What part of Indiana ya from Langford? I just moved from Indy to Tennessee.......I have a better growing zone but man am I home sick.

I am about 3 hours north of you..i'm right off lake mighican...! Karrie, what size ml was the first liner you had? i hope this works..my only concern right now is..i am going around a tree..it's an ornamental tree and very small..so i'm not sure how i am going to do this..is there a way to connect the liners?

Their is a water proof tape you can buy for the regular pond liners I dont know if it would work with the plastic stuff though. We put in 2 layers of 10ml. All I could find that thick was the clear stuff after we filled it with water it looked like a glass bottom. We put in 2 goldfish and those 2 fish have ended up stocking the pond to about 100 plus now. They have also withstood the cleaning and changeing of liners. Make sure you dig it deep enough and keep the water circulating if you plan on putting fishies in. I think around the tree will be beautiful. I just wonder if the roots will cause a problem with the liner of it he liner and digging will cause issues with the tree?

Heyas All.....

I looked and looked and never did find the 'SiloCap'. I have since talked to a friend of mine who used the 'rubber roofing material' that they use for underlayment on tar and gravel roofs.
It comes in rolls as wide as 50 feet and 100 foot long. It is 42ml thick and at .31 to .44 cents a square foot is about half the price of liners at the water garden supply places. AZPonds has some pretty good prices on a lot of stuff but I need to look into shipping prices.

My husbnad is a roofer....no wait---he was a roofer....for almost 10 years...he just started a new job today!

Anyway, we dug my pond out last night and he used really thick roofing rubber to line the pond with....that stuff will never get holes in it..... And it was free, that's the best part!

Well i wish i would have known about the roofing rubber..although at that price (.34 cents a squar foot) might as well buy the pond liner..for as much as i need anyhow..right? but, we did get the other liner from hubby's work. it's 6 ml..thinking i'll just double it..right? i mean it couldn't hurt..then for the underlayment..we are using tarps. yes semi tarps..think that should work? i mean that **** is thick..maybe i should put something under that as well..i did consider the dang tree roots..but that tree is soooo small i'm thinking there aren't many roots..and if i kill the dang thing by digging..i won't cry i promise..it blooms these white flowers in the spring..and then they are gone for the rest of the summer..what the helk kind of tree is that..ya know? i have a tulip tree in my front yard..anyone seen one before..they are this states tree..whatever..and no one has seen this thing bloom before..(at least no one around here) and mine blooms..they look like tea cups..when it blooms this year i'll take a picture of it..very cool tree.but very ugly when it's not in bloom..hehe..anyhow.yes i do plan on putting fish in it..i've already got them in my little pond waiting to go to the big one..hehe..can't wait..

I built my first house in a yard with 2 huge tulip trees in the front yard. One on each side of the living room. I loved it when they were in bloom. They are my favorite tree, we plan on planting 2 in my back yard on mothers day. I do so miss my tulip trees. I even had yellow sideing put on the house to mesh with the tulip blooms on it. Back on subject.....I believe I read somewhere that the black roofing rubber is not safe for fishies. Its not EPDM I believe. I am not 100% sure on that though but you might want to look in to it before putting in some fishies.

Well then i guess i'll stick with what i have. hehe..Free plastic is good enough, right? So I was hoping to start that this weekend..IT"S GOING TO RAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think i'm just going to quit my job! Yeah that sounds good!

haha that is funny Lang ... you should be fine !

Alright...now remain calm..i'm about to tell you something that will drastically change my life...HAHAHAHAHAHA..the rain is off the forcast for the weekend...OH YA!!!!!!digging my pond saturday...hubby can play downstairs if he wants..but ME..i'm DIGGING...WOOOOOHOOOOO (I'll bet after this is posted..i check the weather again, and it's back on..hehe)

Well how did the digging go today? Hope you got some of it done. I wanted to start hauling rock in to place to frame out the new beds I am working on but between the rain on and off I never got a chance to work on it. I gotta get it done soon I got about 50 day lilies on the way this week.

Ohhh my Karrie you gotta lot of work to do!!

Does the water have to be chlorine free, like for goldfish bowl fish? I'd like to get a tiny fish for the bowl I use as as a squirrel water feature and mini-pond, but I'd flush and fill with the hose, UNLESS fish have to have nonchlorine water. ???

Deborah if you go to the pet store the sell the de clorinator drops so you can just add it to the water and plop in the fish .. I get the econo size cause I have the fish in the house and outside as well..

You mean those big koi ponds have dechlorinated water? I never knew that.
Maybe I'll just get a small waterlily or something.
If I hadda pick up a fish in a cup or something, I'd faint.

YES they have to!
you could just let the water set for 24 hours as well it takes out the Chlorine Deb .. Chlorine is bad for fish it disolves the slime coat on the scales and allows bacteria to get in .. It is easy to do just get a net fish are easy friends ...

Eek, shiver, can't hang with it.....
Thanks though !

not loving fish?? Try a little turtle or frog?
I love frogs !!

Well..i actually have been very busy at work, and although that is really no excuse right now as to why i haven't been able to post..it's the only one i have..no progress..my husband hasn't even looked at digging the pond..he refuses to acknowledge that i'm getting ready to do it myself..and that is not a good thing..he thinks this weekend he will finish the basement and then put up the new pool...all in one weekend..and my ? to him was just this...WHEN IS THE POND GETTING DUG??? right,, simple QUESTION...his remark..NOT THIS WEEKEND...so i'm doing it myself...I have decided i am sick of waiting..no more..nope..nada..he can do what he wants..i'll go rent the back ho..and start digging..(this ought to be interesting me..using a back ho..hahahahahaha)..i figure once i start tearing up the lawn..he'll step in..oh ya

What part of Indiana are you in Langford? I just moved from there not too long ago. With all the clay in the soil in some areas you may need no liner at all. If you getting a backho you must be planning on going in pretty deep. You just might find a natural liner under that top layer of dirt.

Hey Karrie, Again, it's been some time..i didn't use a backhoe..and i got regular visqueen liner..i'm hoping it doesn't tear..6ml..i'm from laporte IN..i have a bit of a dang problem though..i went around that tree..now i have to figure out how to connect the two sides under the water fall that will not leak..anyone..any suggestion would be helpful..i'll be back in the morning (to the site) i'm going to see my sister now..she just had a baby this morning!!!!!!!!!!!YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just thought I would update you all on my big pond progress! I got a roll of woven black fabric type stuff from a friend of mine and am using that for an underlayment. Im not sure exactly what this stuff is but I have seen them use it for erosion control along side the highways. It is tough as nails and should make a great protective layer for my liner. Here is a picture looking north and here is a shot looking southwest ! I think I am going to go ahead and spend the money to get a regulation liner. I dont want to have to do this again in 3 or 4 years Alright then, here is one more shot before we got all the underlayment set! Ill keep you all posted on more progress! and Gratz on your neice or nephew Langford!

Holy Cow, that is one heck of a big pond!!! I can't wait to see it all full up!! I'd love to have a pond that big!

I would love to have a pond with a water fall feature, but we have a very small yard. So I come to this site to have my dream through you guys. I like reading about your adventures. And of course, I love to see the pix. Keep the pix coming. Sue

Eclo, thanks for the congrats..it is a nephew..hehe..very adorable little guy..but of course he is..he has my genes..hehe..anyhow..how do you attach the liners so there is no leaking? this is my main concern.i haven't filled mine up because i can't get a darn answer from any stores or anything on how to prevent the leaking and like seal the liners?? any suggestions? anyone? it isn't the regular pond liner.it is visqueen..

Lang, there is a tape you can get, it will bond the liner. You can get it at pond stores. There is a great store in Monrovia Indiana. We got some there a while back.

Eclo, that is so impressive, give yourself a big pat on the back you deserve it. I think its best that you put in a good liner with that amount of work, do it right the first time, it would be ashamed to have to mess with the established ecosystem in that pond in a few years. I am sure it will be flourishing.

Karrie, Do you think that that tape will work with the liner i have?? i am so nervous to use this liner..but i think it will be fine for a good 5 years..and by that time i'll want to change it anyhow..ya know?

What exactly is your liner, is it the thick black plastic stuff? If its that I cant be sure. Ya know if it is that...........this may sound crazy but heck I will go on with it any way..........You could get some wax paper put some below it and above it, you would have to work slowly on this... place a small board on the bottom then the wax paper then the liner then the wax paper and iron it. That would seam it. I mean if its plastic just melt it together. My kids and I do this with thick pound size baggies. We put crayon shavings in them make a design out of it I put it between wax paper and we iron it. This is how we make our stained glass windows. lol Might be a crazy idea but it was a thought I had on the matter. Us Hoosier Gals are always a lil crazy any way!

Yeah it's a thick black..it's a visqueen liner..that's a good idea...i'll have hubby get some more at work..and see if we can do that...we also have a heat gun..that might work in the same manner as the iron..what do you think? That we are (hoosier girls) ..seem to do everything strange...

Even if we do it strange who cares so long as we get it done. I sure miss Indiana, you just don't know what ya got till your gone. I just finished mowing my back yard. I had my son sit in the garden wagon on the back with the hand held seed spreader and just go crazy as I mowed real slow.. That is one way to seed the lawn. lol.....He loved it.

I believe we just might have a means of tacking that pond liner for you. Great minds at work here on the garden helper forum. Keep me posted on your progress. I am anxious to see how it goes.

I am very anxious to see how it goes..but then again..i'm sure something will go wrong..hehe..maybe i should have a bit more faith in myself..my fish are so anxious to move to there bigger surroundings..yes i do know this..they told me themselves..haha..i will definatly keep ya posted..thanks for the help too..definately appreciated..so how long ago did you move? and why?
i'll bet your boy had a blast..!!

I moved in November of last year. My husband was offered a wonderful job more money, more respect, and much much more time at home. I do have to say I don't miss Indiana as much as I missed him in Indiana. His former employer were slave drivers they sent him to japan for months at a time, and when he was here he worked a minimum of 12 usually 14 to 16 hours a day. This place offered him more money more self respect and more time with us. So we packed up and took off to Tennessee. I had lived on the same road for most of my life 24 of my 31 years to be exact. I do love it here, but I sure miss my yard. My sister is in my old house and she could care less about the yard. I go up when I can and do the yard weeding and such, its just not the same. I had a call from a neighbor wanting to know what a certain kinda flower was in my yard, he said everyone is coming by to look at my yard. That broke my heart. I had planted 36 different types of day lillies last year and my king author Delphinium is what everyone in town is throwing a fit over. My clematis took off like crazy for the first time ever. I just am trying to look at it like this I am beautifying the world one yard at a time. Now I have a new canvas to "paint" this year. I have some pics I am gonna post this weekend. This yard didn't have a single thing in it, other then some ugly green bushes. Well now its got color!

Yeah i'm thinking that job would have to go as well..Tell hubby congrats as well..my husband just got a promotion as well..and we now have more of a normal life..well as far as normal goes who really knows..but to us it is much much better...wow...now do you ever go pick any and take them back to your house? i'm thinking i would be digging the stuff up..Where do you think i could get these king author delphiniums...the house we bought a few years ago..the lady that lived there previously was a gardening freak.i thought i was bad..but this lady had so many freakin flowers..i could keep splitting them forever and still not have any room..i am going to split some of them up in front to go around the pond.just not real sure what to put back there..i want it too look like a pond..not a flower garden, ya know? i just went and picked up some free perrenials from this lady here in town..got them off that free site..that was nice..hubby was like..and now where would these be going? i said..ummmm around the pond?? hehe..he's like great..MORE..just what we needed..i said variety is what we need..hehe..so where abouts in tennessee..nice area?

We are in wayyyy west hubby actually works in Missouri............lol you should see the faces folks make when I said were moveing to Tennessee so hubby can work in Missouri......lol. I plan on going back this fall and digging up those lillies. If I catch the delphinium in seed, I will be happy to share them with you. Wish me luck on that one.

Good Luck! as for tapimg the liner together.... lemme send you some suff.... I have some shrink wrap stuff I use at work.... you have to heat it with a heat gun..... but it seals visqueen... its kinda like stich witch stuff..... but for plastic...... how muych you need?

Oh that would be awesome thank you Karrie and good luck with that...And Eclo..WOW..that's awesome..thank you so much..i would say i need oh geeze..i'm not sure..i haven't measured..ummmm is it something i could buy in a store? cause i will just pick it up if i can..so you don't have to send it..and then i can go back and get more if need be..if not..i would say about 10 feet..maybe more? i don't know how it's made..i have to seal it at the top and probably at the bottom..i'm going around a tree so i have to attach the two sides at both top and bottom..i would say that should be good..do you think?

Heyas Langford.....

We buy this stuff here locally and I'm sure you can buy it somewheres close to where you are. It's the same stuff that you see the brand new bass boats on the semi trailers wrapped in.... but it takes more than a hair dryer to heat it up enuff to seal good. Lemme see if I can find a distributor for the same stuff in your area. Might be tommorrow or so b4 I can get back again to post. Lots of stuff going on! I just found out my youngest daughter is pregnant! This will be grandchild #4 AND IT'S A BOY!!!!!

Congrats Eclo. That is wonderful news, now papa will have a garden helper in a few years.

That's GREAT, Eclo. Sue

wow, congrats eclo!! And thanks for looking into that. Very much appreciated.

Here is a link to pond liner repair sealer tape but geeze is it expensive Scroll down and on the left side is a link to the "Repair" section. The link didnt hook up to the exact page I wanted it to! I tested the stuff I have using visqueen plastic and the heat gun used to shrink this stuff is too hot... it melts the visqueen

Alright, so back to square one...what do you think i could use? I mean there has to be something..right? Maybe i should call the store i got the visqueen from (hubby got it from a dealer through work) maybe he should call..and i'll see if they have something or some sort of suggestion...I am thoroughly at a loss with what to do next.. How is that new grandbaby?

Hey all...

Been really busy both at work and at home so I haven't been able to post our "BIG POND" progress and then my digital camera quit working so I don't have any update pictures but we got the pond filled!

Wow...congrats...can't wait to see the pictures!! I haven't had time to do mine yet..i've been so busy with the kids..which i don't think there is anything more fun watching than kids having fun...so i guess the price is worth the wait..heehe

I am totally green with envy! Beautiful job, Eclo!

Dianna

Oh man, I can't wait to see pictures of the finished product, it looks fantastic!

What I just saw rendered me speechless! Its going to be a beautiful place. I am so jealous! Naaaa Happy for you though! What a glorious place that is going to be! Keep pic's comeing!

This is so marvelous, eclo, I can't wait to see more photos also!

Merme

WOW! i like it!

AMAZING! A beautiful spot you are creating there!

Awe!! I just read the whole thread..got all excited to see the finished product. The earlier photos looks BEAUTIFUL Eclo. Can't wait to see the finished pond!

Hello!

You mean I just read through five pages with great anticipation and the storybook isn't finished yet?? AARRGGHH!!!

Kinda like reading a who-dun-it. . . and just as the great detective is to reveal the murderer, you find out that page is missing!!! :rolleyes:

CONGRATS on the new "assistant gardener" on the way!!

By the way - in one of your pics of your smaller pond you have a purple iris of some kind - what is it???

Calean

Hey all....

So sorry that I haven't posted recent pictures of the new big pond but my digital camera has shot craps and I have again been working lots of overtime and haven't made it to the post's recently. Seems I can't get anything done for having to work all the durn time! I will tell you that we now have thirty or so goldfish, shubumkins and comets. A dozen mosquito fish, a couple of bitterlings and about 200 guppies! Oh, and a couple of frogs that we believe are bullfrogs. Got two waterfalls going and three small fountains. Unfortunatly we have gone through two big pumps already and are on our third one now. Dr's Foster and Smith have been very good about replacing the defective ones so far. I hope this one lasts a bit longer than the previous ones. Will try to get some pics posted soon! Oh, Caleon, those are just plain old run of the mill Japanese iris! They do really well with the rhizomes just at the surface of the water!

I can't wait to see!!!

Looking very forward to more pics as well!