A stream can flow gently through the garden - and finally rush down a mountain with a rushing noise and then end in the garden pond. Such a waterfall is not only a visual highlight, but also significantly improves the water quality: the strong movement enriches the water with plenty of oxygen, which makes pond maintenance much easier.
How can I build a stream waterfall in the garden myself?
To build a stream waterfall in the garden, first create a mound of earth, model the waterfall, connect it to the stream and garden pond, and design the hill with pond liner, fleece, stones and plants.
Instructions
There are many ideas on how to build and design such a waterfall. You can form it out of concrete, use soil and pond liner, or use a wooden substructure. It can be built steeply sloping down or cascading down in gentle steps - it's entirely up to your personal taste and local conditions. In these instructions you will find an easy-to-implement variant that can also be implemented by inexperienced DIY enthusiasts.
Materials needed
To build this waterfall you will need the following materials:
- Pond liner and fleece
- Soil / topsoil / excavation from pond construction
- Sand
- Stones, such as quarry or field stones
- Mortar / Cement
The quantities required depend on how big the waterfall should be and are therefore not listed here.
Creating the hill
Since a waterfall always falls from an elevated place, you obviously have to create one first. To do this, pile up a mound of earth, for which you can, for example, use the excavation from a possible pond construction. The earth should be well compacted so that the hill does not slip later. Also remember that the hill must not be higher than the inflowing stream - water does not flow uphill, at least not without technical support. Therefore, the stream should flow towards the hill from above, with a gradient of two to three percent being completely sufficient. The garden pond into which the water flows is again at its lowest point.
Model a waterfall
Once this preparatory work is done, you can now start building the waterfall:
- Create a depression at the top of the hill.
- Lower it towards the stream.
- Build a connection to the stream.
- Lower the recess toward the front.
- Dig a stream down the hill.
- Lay it steeply or in terraces.
- Create a connection to the pond.
- Build the substrate: layer of sand, on top of fleece
- Now lay the pond liner on the substrate.
- Finally, you can design the waterfall hill, for example with rubble or field stones and plants.
Tip
Do not lay the return hose below the mound - if this needs to be repaired, you will have to remove the entire mound including the waterfall.
