As for myself, I had inspiration. I think most of us start out this way.  We see the artful way in which an individual or group has created something that we would like to do ourselves.   This was the hook that reeled me in to home gardening, and especially water gardening.  This is what my husband heard about for three of the four years that we had lived here.  A pond similar to the one my neighbor Karen has in her back yard.   Gotta have the pond!

THE POND STORY, PART I

Karen has a skill for garden design that is the envy of the neighbors. Her pond is a beauty:  a large oval shape, surrounded by white flagstone and shrubbery...fantail goldfish swimming around, frogs jumping in when you walk past, a fountain bubbling quietly.  Whenever I stop by to visit, it is by this pond that we would talk.  In my mind, I could picture my boys feeding fish and catching frogs in our own home garden pond and how they would tell their children about it someday.  It was too much to dream about ... but last year that dream became a reality.

The concept of building a pond is simple.  The work of digging is not so easy, but my husband dug it out in two days, and we finished it up on the third day! 
I first outlined the shape and size of the pond with a rope, then viewed it from different angles in the yard.  I wanted to make it proportional to the rest of the landscaping around it, so it wouldn't appear too large, or too small.  Before you start to dig, check on sizes and prices of liner...you want to make sure the right size is available for the size pond you want! 
My husband took over from there. He started by edging the outline with a shovel and then removing all the sod.   He then began to dig out the soil.  Once a depth of 12 inches was reached, he measured 10-12 inches in from the edge of the pond and continued digging. This created a nice shelf that is wide enough to set plants on, but not deep to prevent reaching the plants from outside the pond.  The sides of the top edge and shelves should slope inward at about a 75 degree angle to help support the liner when it is installed. Check pond depth with a tape measure. 
 The pond should be 18-24" deep (if you want to have fish survive winter).  We monitored the depth of the pond by stretching a string across the pond along with a string level.  This served as the reference point for all depth measurements. It also provided a way to make sure the upper rim of the pond was level. When he reached the desired depth, we checked the shelves and bottom of the pond to make sure they were smooth and flat.  Check for protruding rocks and sharp edges.  We then installed underlayment purchased from the hardware store to protect the liner from damage.  One inch of sand can also be used as a cushion.  The liner was then put in. You may need to do some folding in order to get it to fit the shape of your pond design.  We then placed stones around the top of the pond to hold the liner in place while the pond was filled with water.

When the pond is filled with water, you will need to ease the stones off as the water pulls the liner into place. Fill up the pond, and trim off the overlap, leave about 12" around the entire pond.  We used stones to set around the outer edges of the pond, to conceal the liner and add a natural look. From there, the pond was ready for plants..it was done! 
 

     NOTE:  A pond should be at least 75% covered with plants, to control the growth of algae, and provide oxygen for fish. 
This picture was taken soon after the pond was completed (in fall), and it wasn't practical to purchase additional plants at that time of year.

PREDATORS...Watch your stock closely as your pond matures.  If fish disappear, be aware that snakes, raccoons and cats can catch fish and eat them for late night snacks.   Havahart traps work well for raccoons and cats, with a can of tuna as bait.   (Personally, it pained me to use tuna as bait.  We were literally  serving gourmet dinner to a thief!)  If you don't have a trap, the Animal Control center in your county will come out and set traps for cats, and the Department of Conservation will set traps for wild animals such as raccoons, skunks, and the like. 

Snakes are natural predators that you should not eliminate in the garden, for they do more GOOD than harm!  You should not be surprised to see them in your pond occasionally.   But know that snakes eat fish!!   Karen mentioned finding a snake with a fish in its mouth leaving her pond.  She exclaimed, "I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it!"  Some species of fish move more slowly and can become easy prey, so you may take note of this when stocking your pond; ask at your pond center or aquarium.  

THE POND STORY...PART II

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Any suggestions or questions?
Send them to Fran at homegardener@yahoo.com