Subject: Re: Man-made Garden Ponds

From: [email-masked] ("C:WINSOCKKA9QSPOOLMAIL")
Date: Wed, 22 Mar 1995 12:57:42 +0000

Your approach may seem 'simplistic' but actually it will work very 
well. There are many different ways of creating a pond, using liners, 
clay, cement etc. I have a large pond which I have managed to create 
in a very natural way by diggig it out and then 'paddling' clay in 
the bottom. It is fed by a natural spring (I have many in the valley at 
the bottom of my garden) and I have made an overflow over some pebbles 
which lead down into the stream which runs through.

I realise most people are not as lucky as me to have such an ideal 
setting for developing a water garden, so a liner is probably the next 
best way. BE CAREFUL - some (cheap) liners are little more than plastic 
sheeting and will crack within a few years, particularly if they are 
exposed to the sun or the water level is allowed to drop revealing the 
sides of the sheeting. It is really worth spending a bit more on a 
rubber lining which will last you decades.

If you are serious about making a really nice pond, I would 
strongly suggest you think it through very thoroughly before actually 
doing anything. You will certainly find a whole new element of wildlife 
comes to your garden - birds that you didn't previously have visiting 
will come to drink, butterflies, those lovely fluorescent green/blue 
damsel flies etc. (We have visiting ducks and moorhens).
 Try to make 
the pond and surrounding area as attractive to wildlife as possible and 
you will really reap the rewards.

If you're going to use a pump - think carefully about how to construct 
the pond so that power can easily be run down the garden, and so that 
the pump equipment is carefully concealed rather than being an eyesore.

---------------------------
Carole Henson
[email-masked]

---

From: [email-masked] (Michael81)
Date: 22 Mar 1995 09:24:12 -0500

Glen,

Recently you wrote about your desire to build a pond, and you thought you
could dig a hole and line it.

Bad idea.

Ponds fall into three categories: naturally occuring or manmade that
depend on the local water table height, runoff, and rainwater;
masonry-lined structures, similar to swimming pools, and lined systems.

Lined systems are usually the best solution for the homeowner because they
give you control over water quality and depth. There are several reputable
suppliers. 

In fact, the trickiest part of using these 'kits' is treating the edge so
it looks naturalistic, but there are ways to solve that, too.

If you are still interested, send me email and I will give you the names
of some suppliers.

There is a whole world out there of mail order ponds, supplies, fish,
aquatic plants, etc.

Hope this helps.

Michael Spencer ASLA
Michael Spencer