Many garden owners have a small or large pond in their garden. This can be wonderfully expanded to include a babbling stream, which doesn't even require a steep gradient. Only between three and five centimeters per meter of height difference is completely sufficient to allow the stream to flow gently through the garden. Read what you should pay particular attention to when planning and building the stream.
How do I build a stream in the garden?
To build a stream in the garden, you need a gradient of 3-5 cm per meter, pond liner or concrete, a pump with at least 40 liters per minute output and suitable bank plants. Plan the route, excavate the stream bed, seal it and install the pump.
What you should pay attention to when planning
Before you grab a spade and pond liner, you first need to carefully plan the future course of the stream. Maybe you already have an idea of what the stream should look like: the length, width, course and planting of the stream bed largely determine the natural or rather unnatural overall impression. When planning the course of the stream, these aspects should be taken into account:
- A meandering, curvy stream appears more natural.
- A perfectly straight stream is more suitable for well-planned, “artificial” gardens
- Ideally, the stream is 30 to 60 centimeters wide and 20 to 30 centimeters deep.
- A length between six and ten meters is optimal.
- The stream can arise from an (artificial) spring stone and flows into the garden pond.
- If the garden has a steep slope, dams should be installed.
To save water, you should position the stream in partial or light shade if possible, as a lot of water evaporates in full sun. A completely shady location is also a disadvantage, as the selection of suitable plants for bank planting is very limited.
Digging the stream and fixing the subsoil
It's best to first draw a plan of your stream on a piece of paper and measure the specific dimensions. Finally, transfer the sketch to the garden using a string - this shows the desired position and the course of the stream. Now you can start digging the stream:
- Show the position and course of the stream using a cord/rope.
- Dig the stream bed with the spade.
- Make sure the depth and width are even.
- If the stream bed is deeper on one side than the other, the water will build up here.
- Add another five to ten centimeters for the substrate to the desired depth.
The subsoil of the stream bed must be sealed watertight so that the precious water does not simply seep into the earth. You have three options for this:
- Line the stream bed with pond liner: very flexible solution, but the liner must be weighed down with stones or similar
- Line the stream bed with plastic trays: practical, but inflexible and often looks artificial
- Pouring the stream bed with concrete: long-lasting, reliable, but difficult to dismantle or correct
If you decide to use pond liner, plan on 25 centimeters more liner on both sides than actually needed for the stream: the material is used as leakage protection, and the liner must not slip into the stream.
How to build a stream
Once the planning is done, you can now create the desired stream yourself:
- Seal the stream bed, either with foil, plastic trays or a concrete foundation.
- Pond liner must be laid out without wrinkles and is weighted down with blunt stones.
- You shouldn't forget the capillary barrier either.
- If using foil, place the ends over the edge.
- You can later make it visually disappear under gravel, stones and plants.
Why the pump is so important
The pump is also fundamental to the construction of the stream, without which the water will not flow. Position the pump - according to the gradient with an output of at least 40 liters per minute - in the garden pond. However, do not place it directly on the bottom, otherwise mud will be sucked in and the pump will clog. However, a water depth of around 80 centimeters or more makes sense so that the device does not freeze over in winter. Alternatively, you can of course expand them during the cold season. If you have a swimming or fish pond, you can install an integrated pump with a pond filter to keep the water clean. The necessary water hoses run either above or below ground along the stream bank. Underground hoses can be easily hidden, but they always have to be dug up for repair work.
Note gradients
The gradient of the stream is ideally between two and five percent. If it is lower, the water in the stream cannot flow; if it is more, the water becomes too fast and can carry away both stones and plants, especially after a heavy rain. If there is a naturally steep gradient - for example because the garden is directly on it is located on a slope, built-in barrages help to reduce the speed of the water. You also have the advantage that the pump can be switched off temporarily due to the accumulated water, thus saving you electricity.
Tip
For natural planting on the bank area, choose native plants that tolerate moisture well. These include, for example, ferns and flowering plants such as meadow knotweed, irises, jester flowers and three-master flowers.