A garden pond is a quiet zone: the eye can linger here, watch the dragonflies dance or the frog hunt for flies. Therefore, ponds should always be within sight if possible, for example near a terrace or other seating area. A natural-looking and therefore perfect combination is that of a pond, stream and rock garden.
How to design a rock garden with a pond?
A rock garden with a pond harmoniously combines natural elements such as water, stones and plants. Choose a partially shaded location, plan different depth zones and design the bank area individually with suitable stones and plants.
Location and material
However, if possible, the garden pond should not be in a full sunny location and should be in the shade at least during midday. Too much light promotes the formation of algae, which pollutes the pond water and makes further life difficult. Experts therefore recommend a location where there are around five to six hours of sunshine on summer days. It is best to use foil to seal the pond, because the prefabricated pools available on the market are too small.
Dig up the pond and seal it with foil
Basically, the bigger a pond, the better. Larger ponds are able to maintain themselves without major technical support - smaller ponds cannot and therefore always need a filter and pump system. However, if you want to combine the pond with a stream anyway, you can hide the pump required for the stream in or on the pond. Also make sure that there are no cables or pipes running under the planned pond. When digging and sealing the pond bed, proceed as follows:
- Plan the shape and dimensions of the pond and mark the intended location.
- Lift the turf and gradually remove all layers of soil.
- The pond basin should not be dug to a uniform depth, but rather have different zones.
- On the very outside there is a swamp area 10 to 20 centimeters deep.
- This is followed by a 40 to 70 centimeter deep shallow water zone.
- The deep water zone should be at least 90 centimeters deep.
- The gradient between the individual zones should not be more than 30 percent.
- Now remove stones and roots from the pond bed.
- Add a layer of sand and cover it with garden pond fleece (€9.00 on Amazon).
- Lay the pond liner on top.
- Let this overhang the edge and cover the edges with earth and stones.
- Now add substrate and pond gravel to the pond
- and fill it with water.
Now you can plant the pond yourself (e.g. with water lilies or sea jugs) and design the bank area as desired.
Tip
If the garden pond is deep enough (approx. two meters or more), you can also keep Japanese carp (Koi) and goldfish there. Koi in particular can even become quite tame.
