How to Build a Pond and Fountain

Learn how to create a backyard pond and waterfall; includes details on pond placement, liner installation, pump installation and operation.

Ron visits a beautiful old Victorian in Oak Park, Illinois, to help construct a pond and waterfall to improve the view of the garage from the house and to also bring the soothing sound of falling water into their backyard. Click Here For a list of what you will need in order to complete this project.

1. Select materials The first step is to purchase the necessary materials that you will need. It may be helpful to get extra materials so that you can try several different pond sizes and configurations while determining what will look best. Precast, plastic ponds (also called pond liners) will form the basis of the new fountain. The ponds come in several sizes with smaller and larger versions designed to be stacked so that one cascades into the next, emphasizing the waterfall effect. 2. Pond location Before selecting the exact location and position of the base pond, it is necessary to remove any foliage growing where the new pond will be located. Experiment with the location by physically moving the pond until you have decided on the most desirable position. Outline the pond liner with chalk, and then dig out the marked area. Since most of the pond liner will remain above ground, it is only necessary to remove about three inches of soil.

3. Concrete block wall If the pond is situated up against an existing wood structure, it is recommended that you build a concrete block wall between the fountain and the wood structure as a precautionary measure to protect the wood from water damage. Dig away a few inches of soil along the wall and then compact the soil with a tamper.

Pour a bag of leveling sand onto the ground and spread it out evenly with your hands so that there is about an inch of sand. Place the blocks a couple of inches from the wall. Wiggle each block in the sand to level it. Getting the first course straight and level is critical to making the entire wall stable, so continually check and adjust each block as you move along.

Before laying the second course, apply a bead of landscape block adhesive. Stagger the joints of the bottom course with each new course. This, along with the adhesive, will give the wall its structural integrity.

4. Pond foundation Spread sand around in the area you dug out for the pond liner. There should be about one inch of sand after it is spread out. Use a level and smooth out high spots where necessary.

Work the pond liner into the sand and then do a rough check for level. Continue checking as you add water, which will make the liner settle more deeply into the sand. After a final check, pack sand into the voids around the base of the liner.

5. Retaining wall A decorative block retaining wall around the outside of the pond will help conceal the liner. Begin by positioning about a dozen blocks around the liner maintaining a minimum 16-inch gap between the blocks and the edge of the pond liner. Create a level line with stakes and string to represent the outside of the wall. Replace each block with a flag on the string line. The string line will ensure that the wall is level. If the ground rises in either direction, it is necessary to dig some dirt away under the blocks. The garden spade is the perfect shovel for this job. See Ron's tip of choosing the right shovel.

Begin by cutting through the sod to define the outside edge of the wall. Use the spade to cut into the sod and soil and then push the handle down to pull the dirt and sod up away from the ground. After digging out the sod, begin setting the stones in place, adjusting each one so that the tops are level with the string. After the first course is in, apply landscape block adhesive to the top of each block and then begin setting the second course in place. The lips on the bottoms of the blocks allow them to interlock with the row below.

6. Back-fill The next step is to back-fill by putting gravel and sand in between the back of the stones and the liner, which will build the area up around the pond so you can stack more stones on top, and also to provide support for the pond.

First fill the area with gravel, which will help with drainage. Next, cover the gravel with a few inches of sand and fill to the top of the second block. Finally, fill the remaining space between the wall and liner with bark mulch.

7. Upper pools Position the second tier of pools on the back-fill area surrounding the pond. Experiment with different positions. Pile a row of stones adjacent to this pond to create a platform upon which to place the top tiered pool. The blocks will also serve to conceal the side of the upper liner. As you build up the next layer, fill the open areas with mulch.

8. Test water flow Water always flows downhill seeking the path of least resistance, but you can't be sure that it will flow according to your plan until you try it out. When you position the smaller ponds, don't make anything permanent. If you do not glue the blocks down, then you can change the configuration of the pools later.

9. Cut blocks On the upper walls, you will probably need to cut a few full blocks into smaller pieces. This can be accomplished with a 3 lb. sledge hammer and a brick chisel

10. Pond mechanics The mechanics of the pond are simple, consisting of a pump and a filter with two hoses coming out of it. The hoses go to the two upper pools and the pump is submerged in the water in the large pond below. The pump is designed to be fully submersible so that it can run underwater. Allow the pump to fill with water and then conceal the hoses by snaking them through the rocks to the upper ponds. Do not plug in the pump until it is in position. As an added precaution, plug the pump into an electrical outlet protected by a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFI.) Also, use an outlet that is housed in a waterproof box.

Place potted plants around the pond and water lilies in the water. Fish can also be added to the pond, if desired. To create more visual height, consider installing some type of trellis behind the pond. Potted plants can be hung on the trellis, or made to grow up over the trellis. If at any point you grow tired of the pond layout, you can easily redesign the upper tiers of the pond to suit your changing tastes.