Whether it's a small, quiet reflecting pool tucked in a far corner of the yard or an elaborate waterscape complete with gurgling fountain, water lilies, and fish, a well designed ornamental pond will provide hours of pleasure. Selecting a Site

Having chosen a site that you might belive is the perfect spot consider one or two alternate sites. Some thoughts to consider might be: What is the purpose of the pond? Perhaps it might serve as a secluded retreat or greet visitors as they come to your house or as an attachment to compliment a deck or patio. How accessible should the pond be? It could be a pond that you stroll to over a rambling path , or simply step out to it from your back door. How will the sun, shade and wind patterns of your property affect the placement of the pond? Plants, fish and wildlife need to be considered when choosing the site. The pond site will require plenty of sunlight if you plan on growing plants that flower. The more direct sunlight the pond receives each day, the more choices of water plants you will have. If fish are incorporated then a balance of the sun with some shade during the hottest part of the day. Shade can also be provided by plants such as the water lily or lotus pads, tall plants or shrubs around the pond border , a nearby fence or structure. One thing to avoid when providing shade for your pond are large trees, since they drop leaves and needles that will cause the water to become foul and once at the bottom of the pond can clog the filter. Another factor that needs to be considered is wind since this can reak havok on your pond by blowing dirt and debris into the water. Plants along the edge or a border of some sort can help aleviate this.

The best area for your pond is on a flat, level, well-drained ground. Hillsides can be fun to use when designing your pond. These provide a great opportunity to create beautiful ponds with one or more cascading waterfalls, especially if you can use large boulders or rock that already exist in the landscape. However, a water feature built on a hillside can present a greater challange for the builder. This might be something that you might want to consider researching before jumping into.

Low-lying areas provide a more natural setting for ponds, but if you place one there you increase the chance of water runoff entering the pond form all sides. This could be helped by surrounding the perimeter of the pond with a gravel filled trenchleading to a dry well in a lower part of the yard. There are many other ideas that people come up with to help with this problem such as, raising the stone cropping 3-6" above the surrounding soil or surround.

Utility Access

You will need t run electricity to the site if your waterscape will include a pump and/or underwater or perimeter lighting. Depending on what type of connection you choose, three prong electrical outlet or a "hard wired", you should wire a switch into the the circut so you can control the lights and pump from inside the house. If you are not familiar with electricity you should allow an expert to install the electrical components of your pond otherwise follow the directions carefully.