Contemplation is the way to restore one’s inner strength and to distance oneself from fuss. Admiring nature in any of its manifestations - whether it be a leaf, a blade of grass or even a small pebble, we fall into a kind of trance, delving into our "I" without reference to the events taking place. Perhaps that is why there is a massive “flight” of citizens away from noisy habitats, closer to Mother Nature, where you can relax and rest your soul on your own, even a very tiny piece of land. How to create a relaxing atmosphere in your garden? Nothing is easier! Instead of a couple of three beds of potatoes and tomatoes, break a small pond at your summer cottage - now you will have more time to relax and contemplate the water surface - and this, as you know, is the best cure for stress and loss of strength. Do you think that such a complex hydraulic structure is beyond your power? With our recommendations, you will be “knee-deep sea”, not to mention a small pond, the laying of which you can easily master yourself.
Where to start creating a pond?
So, you realized that your life is more inconceivable without a nice pond designed to delight your eye and calm your nerves. How to create a pond in the country with your own hands, so that it harmoniously supplements the landscape of the garden and lasts long enough, and does not become a problem area requiring constant care?
An original feature of a small pond decorated with boulders can be an unusual path made of flat stones
Let's start by choosing a pond style and selecting a place to bookmark it. Then, we will tell you how to technologically make a pond and equip it. Selected in the right style and laid in compliance with all the subtleties, the artificial pond will become a real gem of your garden and a great place for pacification.
A small digression into history
The tradition to equip their estates with ponds came to us from the East, where water has always been valued more than gold. Miniature pools with fountains of regular geometric shapes were a must for any Muslim courtyard. In China, the development of landscape gardening went a slightly different path - the gardens were laid in a landscape style that resembled the natural look of the natural landscape.
A feature of the arrangement of the pond in the Chinese garden is the mandatory presence of a stone lantern
This style required its continuation in reservoirs that had irregular bends, were quite extensive in area, and were necessarily equipped with a bridge and a stone lantern in the coastal zone. It is interesting that in the middle of the Chinese pond there was necessarily a tiny island, not connected in any way with the land, the so-called dream island. The “salt” of such an island was an expressive stone or a lonely tree.
The pond in the Japanese garden, as a rule, is restrained in shape and has a well-thought-out composition of stones without any bright plant forms
Japan, due to the limited nature of its territory, has always tended to minimize the area of the garden, where a vast body of water did not always have a place. However, due to the traditional concept of the Japanese garden, which implies the presence of all the elements, the reservoir existed in the form of tsukubai - a small vessel with water. A mandatory attribute of such a mini pond was a stylized stream flowing from hollow bamboo pipes, and dwarf trees along the banks. Sometimes the pond took the form of a square or rectangle, which further emphasized a certain asceticism of the Japanese garden style.
The pond in the landscape garden looks very natural, as if it was created by nature itself
Subsequently, the grain sown by oriental culture gave magnificent shoots in Europe, and more precisely, in England and France, where park art went completely opposite paths. The English garden was exactly like Chinese and was a natural corner of nature with lush vegetation and landscape ponds.
The pond in the regular garden has the correct geometric shapes and is not decorated with lush vegetation.
The French garden was decided in the so-called regular style, the crown of which is considered the garden and park ensemble of Versailles. A regular layout of the garden in the French style is characterized by a clear breakdown, the correct geometric shapes and ponds that rise above the surface of the earth.
Ponds in avant-garde gardens are laid out similarly to formal ponds in regular gardens - with linear outlines and a minimum of vegetation
In our era, the pond of a regular garden acquired the name formal and was further developed in avant-garde garden landscapes, where the verified forms of the pond are adjacent to plastic, metal, glass in the form of unusual structures or even imitations of vegetation.
Choosing a Pond Style
How to make a pond in the country in such a way that it does not break out of the canvas of the existing landscape and is correctly aligned in style? When choosing a style solution for a pond on your land, take a break from the architectural design of a country house and the existing layout of the garden. Supplement the bowl of the reservoir with a decorative stream or waterfall, draw up the coastline and blind area paths in the same way as the landscape concept of the entire garden.
You can equip the waterfall in the country with your own hands, read about it: //diz-cafe.com/dekor/vodopad-na-dache-svoimi-rukami.html
The smooth pond and decorative vegetation adorning the water surface give a special charm to the landscape pond.
A natural pond with a natural outline will always be appropriate in the depths of the garden next to the gazebo or near the terrace of the house - you should be able to sit comfortably in order to observe the water surface.
The design of the reservoir can be more restrained by the Japanese principle - boulders of various sizes, conifers, lack of multi-colored forbs. Or in the Chinese style - more magnificent and bright, with a mandatory accent in the form of a tree with variegated foliage and a curved bridge. The landscape pond can also be created in the style of "natur garden", which implies the planting of only local plants characteristic of the region, and the absence of all kinds of plant exotic.
The most concise in shape is a formal pond with rectangular outlines
A formal pond of geometric shape - square or rectangular configuration looks advantageous next to the house, emphasizing its vertical and horizontal lines. Such a pond is not bad for combining with a patio or patio, especially if rectilinear flower beds are laid nearby or linear paths are laid.
An unusual color can be given to the pond by a path passing over its surface - either in the form of a bridge, or with separate stones or plates
An interesting technique that is widely used in modern landscape design is the laying of paths laid out by a terrace board and thrown in the form of a bridge through a reservoir of broken geometric shape. A similar path through the pond can also take the form of a concrete path or separate square slabs, as if soaring above the water. Cascades of small, different in size ponds look original, where water flows from one bowl to another through small waterfalls.
The system of cascading ponds at the cottage will not only give its landscape an unusual appearance, but will also fill the garden with a pleasant murmur
Formal ponds of a round form will decorate a patio or dress group of your summer cottage
Round ponds along with rectangular shapes also belong to formal ponds and can become a decoration of a lawn or an open lawn, stylistically complement the garden area with a pergola or be located near a picturesque group of trees. Round-shaped mini ponds in the garden can be done with your own hands much easier than any other configuration, using ready-made concrete rings, wooden tubs, plastic containers and even car tires.
You can learn more about how to make a mini-pond section from a tire from the material: //diz-cafe.com/ideas/mini-prud-iz-pokryshki.html
Choose a location, size, material
A correctly chosen place for a reservoir will be the key to its long-term functioning without seasonal “blooming” in spring and summer, when green algae are activated under the influence of ultraviolet radiation. A certain period of daylight hours the pond must be in the shade, so that algae do not multiply so intensively. On the other hand, the placement of a reservoir in a completely shady zone will delay the development of ornamental plants. It is important to observe the middle ground.
Having located a recreation area with barbecue in the immediate vicinity of the pond, you can always admire the beauty of the water surface
It is important to know that the pond should be illuminated by the sun for about 5 hours a day and be open from the southwest. It is undesirable to place a pond under shady trees - falling autumn foliage will pollute it.
As for the size of the pond, ideally, the pond should occupy 3% of the area. When the garden is small - with a standard area of 6 acres, not every summer resident is ready to allocate 18 m2 for a pond. Of course, the smaller the dimensions, the easier it is to make a pond with your own hands - and not so much material will be required, and labor costs will be minimal. Therefore, determining the width and length of the artificial reservoir, take into account your physical capabilities and the harmonious perception of the pond as a composite spot on your site - that is, how much its size is combined with other elements of the country landscape.
The ascetic decision in the design of the reservoir using only stones is a specific feature of the pond in the Celtic style
The design of the pond with a waterfall flowing from a small wall of beige sandstone fits perfectly into the landscape style of the garden
The depth of the pond is recommended to be divided into three steps: a zone for coastal plants, a shallow zone for the queen of the pond Nymphaea - winter-hard water lilies and a deepening for wintering fish - if you intend to breed them.
You should not make the pond too deep, just dig a winter pit for fish with a depth of about 150-180 cm (below the freezing mark), so that it occupies about 1/5 of the pond.
You can equip a nice rectangular pond in a small summer cottage, and the edging from a terrace board will add unusualness to a pond.
The highlight of the avant-garde pond can be an extravagant installation of wood, resembling an exotic animal or plant.
Continuous water supply to the pond can be equipped with an old column or a group of brightly colored glass bottles
When you have decided on the location and approximate dimensions of the reservoir, it's time to think about what materials to use to make the pond as simple and quick as possible. The most capital and expensive option for equipping a pond is a concrete base, requiring the construction of formwork and reinforcement. A less expensive way to bookmark a reservoir is to use a finished plastic container.
The pit under the pond is formed by characteristic ledges - curtains for planting
To ensure water circulation in the pond, a pump is installed at its bottom, from which water enters the treatment filter and returns back to the reservoir
And, finally, the most convenient and affordable way to make an artificial pond with your own hands is to use a special moisture-resistant film, which puts the bowl of the pond. We took this method of laying a pond as a basis for a detailed description.
Phased pond technology using film
1. Initially, it is necessary to outline a plan for the future artificial pond on a scale indicating the depths and width of curtains (shelves for planting plants), and it is also desirable to draw an approximate sketch of the decoration of the reservoir. Such an approach will help to avoid various alterations during the construction of the pond and at the stage of planting. At this stage, think about what will serve as an emphasis in the composition of your lake - it may be an original stone, tree or sculpture.
Before starting the laying of the pond at your summer cottage, draw a plan of the reservoir with an indication of the depths and the placement of the main elements of the arrangement
2. Using a regular water hose or sprinkling sand along the perimeter of the reservoir in the form of a line, outline the proposed contour of the pond. Be sure to check that the shores of your future lake are on the same level.
Having marked the outlines of the pond with a hose, dig a pit according to the drawn plan
Periodically measure the level of the shores of the pond during the formation of the pit. If you do not have a water level of the desired length, you can adapt a regular long board and set a small 50-cm level on it.
3. We begin excavation work - we dig out the foundation pit to the depth of the coastal layer and mark out the line from which the pond is buried at the next mark. Having received the second tier, we draw a line for digging the deepest part of the pond and take out the last portion of the earth.
The process of digging a pond is quite difficult, so it is better to resort to the services of earthwork professionals, accompanied by a mini-excavator. However, if you still decide to do this labor-intensive part yourself, be prepared for the fact that water can accumulate at the bottom of the pit and you will have to mess around in the mud. A pump specially adapted for pumping water with impurities and solid inclusions will help you remove water from the bottom of the pit. Nearby you can dig an auxiliary hole and dump water into it.
4. After the foundation pit is completely dug, we measure its dimensions with a cord, taking into account the depth, adding allowances of about 50 cm on the sides of the bowl - this is necessary for acquiring a film of the right size.
The problem that you will inevitably encounter in the process of excavation is where to put the earth, taken out of the pit under the pond? A good solution to this problem is to raise the level of the site by evenly distributing the soil throughout the garden. You can also use the ground pit as an embankment for a stream or as a base for an alpine hill.
5. The pond bowl is lined with a durable, moisture-resistant film. As a rule, in order to protect the main film from damage by stones and plant roots, an additional layer of geotextile is laid under it. For this purpose, old linoleum or roofing material is also suitable, or you can simply fill the hole with sand and compact it.
When the pit is formed, lay the geotextile layer, and then the film, tucking the edges of the panels into a specially dug trench along the perimeter of the reservoir
To make the film for the pond more flexible, it is better to choose a sunny day for laying it - then it will heat up a little and will stretch better, easily bending around all the ledges of the foundation pit.
6. To equip the edge of the pond, an auxiliary trench breaks out around its perimeter - to tuck and fix the film. Having laid the edges of the film in the trench, sprinkle it with gravel - so it will be securely fixed.
7. Reinforce the edge of the pond with stone blocks or plastic pipes nailed to the pegs - this will prevent the soil from shedding from the coastal zone into the bowl of the pond. Lay the edge with natural stone and decorate with a beautiful lonely block or a group of boulders.
8.Place the prepared plants in special plastic containers and place them on the curtains, lay out the bottom of the pond with stones and gravel.
9. Now you can pour water into the pond. In order to make it more convenient to select pumping equipment and volumes of hydrochemistry for pond care in the future, do not be too lazy to take readings of the water meter before and after filling the reservoir.
10. So that the water in the pond does not stagnate, it is better to equip the reservoir with a stream - it will ensure constant circulation of water. To do this, the source of the stream rises above the level of the pond, and water will be supplied to it from the pond bowl using a submersible pump. Be sure to think about how to decorate the mouth of the stream - use stones, planting, clay or glass containers.
Fill the pond with water, equip a stream, install and connect a pump with a filter, plant aquatic plants
11. Install a submersible pump at the bottom of the pond, pull the pipes to the source of the stream and connect them to the filter for water treatment. It is better to take a cleaning filter with a pressure filter (with a reverse cleaning system) - it is more efficient than a flow filter.
Also, material on the construction of an artificial stream in the country will be useful: //diz-cafe.com/ideas/iskusstvennyj-ruchej-na-dache.html
Your pond is ready, now you only need to carefully look after it - clean it from pollution, sometimes use preventive measures to revitalize the water and prevent the spread of algae, and take the plants to the basement of the house for the winter.
The main mistakes in the arrangement of ponds
Creating something with your own hands is not easy to avoid some mistakes, especially such as compositional ones, so to make your pond right, consider some standard mistakes that are inherent in our gardeners:
- The design of the shores of the pond with pellets of the same diameter, which makes the pond somewhat dull. Large stones are best combined with smaller ones, but do not overwhelm them with the entire coastal zone of the reservoir.
- The ponds are dug very deep, have sheer walls and resemble a kind of stone bag. A small investigation showed that it is beneficial for earth-moving companies to dig deep ponds, as they are paid for the number of cubes of excavated land. Pay attention to the depth of your pond - do not make it too deep, especially if you are not supposed to breed fish.
- The craving for container gardening, which impedes the normal development of plants, and the fear of filling the pond with land for planting. On the one hand, container planting allows you to quickly change the plant design of the pond by moving and rearranging plants. Probably gardeners are also scared by the prospect of a dirty pond after filling the ground, but there is nothing to be afraid of - the soil for aquatic plants is a heavy mixture with a high content of clay, which is not washed out by water, and eventually hardened by the root system of plants.
When you think of creating a pond with your own hands, do not forget that it is not easy - practice first by creating a miniature pond at home.
If the dimensions of your site do not allow you to equip a pond in the country, create a miniature pond in the most ordinary cup
If possible, feel free to embark on a large-scale project to lay a full-fledged pond in a summer cottage. We are sure - you can do it!
