HAVING A BACKYARD WATER GARDEN

The Enjoyment and Tranquility of having a water garden in your backyard.  Think about it, water gardens can turn your backyard into a wonderful peaceful and enjoyable atmosphere. A water garden can bring your backyard to life with birds, butterflies, frogs, fish and best of all, you and your family can even have a nice get together with friends and family.
Your water garden can be any size you want, you can even build them in barrels or other pato containers. 
Water is a natural way to draw wildlife to your backyard.  It is also relaxing, and scenic, providing a lot of interesting additions, beautifying the atmosphere and enhancing the enjoyment of your backyard. 
Let's consider where to put your water garden.  It needs to be located near a deck or patio so that you can see it and enjoy everything the water garden has to offer.
It should also blend in with its natural surroundings.  Make sure that any drainage from the pond is away from your house.  Plan to landscape around the pond to provide habitat for the frogs and birds that need land and water.  If you plan to use a pump to re-circulate water, use a filter, and light the area, be sure electrical service is available.  There will be less maintenance if your pond is not under a bunch of trees.  Most aquatic plants will grow better in full sun.  
If you are short on space for the build-in earthen pond, why don't you consider a "tub" pond or large water bowl?  These can be placed on the patio and provide many of the same benefits as built-in Pond including dressing up your patio or deck.
There are also numerous tub kits available that can be as simple as adding water, a pump, and some plants.  They can also be moved inside in the winter as long as good lighting is provided for the plants.
Let's look at Pond Liners, they will keep water from seeping into the soil.  Even in heavy clay soils, a liner is necessary.  You can buy rigid pond liners in many shapes.  These are durable and may include built-in waterfalls.  Many are quite small.  If you want a larger pool or would like to design your own shape, consider using a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) liner.  Use a liner specifically designed for pools.  While other plastics may be initially cheaper, many are not resistant to ultraviolet light and will break down quickly.  Some plastic may also be toxic to fish.  Liners also come in different thicknesses.  A thicker liner tends to be more resistant to punctures.  While expensive, and requiring more expertise to install, cement is also an option as a pool-liner. 
If you use PVC, you will need to get a liner large enough for your pool.  To determine how large a piece you will need, determine the maximum  width, length, and depth of your pond.  Multiply the maximum depth by 3.  Then add this number to both the length and width.  This will allow enough plastic to be securely held down around all pond edges. 
 Installing your pond or water garden can be done anytime the ground is not frozen or overly wet.  If using a preformed liner, dig a hole to the correct depth and slightly wider.  Insert the liner, making sure it is level and sits securely in the ground, backfill around the sides, add water, pump, and plants.  Then complete landscaping around the pool.  
If you use a PVC liner, plan on at least a weekend to install and landscape. 
If you are interested in this do it yourself project, we have the instructions free of charge for you to pick up at any time.