How to Build Garden Ponds & Fountains

Pool Construction

• 1

  Sketch out your design for a garden pond, noting any features of your site that you will have to plan around, including rocks and tree roots.

• 2

  Determine the size of pool liner you will need to purchase by doubling the maximum depth and adding this number to the maximum length and width of the pool.

• 3

  Dig a hole in the shape that you have marked out. Make the sides gently sloping rather than abrupt and vertical. Include shallow water ledges for plants.

• 4

  Make sure that the surface is level by covering it with a plank. Place the level on this plank. If your floor of the hole isn't level, raise the surface level by adding dirt from your excavation.

• 5

  Remove sharp stones and roots from your excavation, and cover the bottom with an inch of sand. If the walls are rough, spread damp sand over them.

• 6

  Spread the your liner over the pool. Make sure that the sides of your liner overlap the side of the pool by about 6 inches. Weigh the liner down with rocks.

• 7

  Fill your pool with water.

Installing a Fountain or Water Cascade

• 8

  Place the submersible pump in the pool beneath the water line.

• 9

  Attach any hoses that connect with waterfalls, cascades or streams, and run these hoses to the mouth of the water feature. Conceal this hose with rocks, or beneath the plastic liner of the water feature.

• 10

  Attach nozzles for a fountain spray directly to the submersible pump.

• 11

  Run the power cord for the submersible pump directly to your power supply. You may hide the power cord with rocks, under landscaping fabric or beneath the foliage of landscaping plants.

• 12

  Adjust the height of your fountain head to prevent water from splashing out of the pool.