My little hole in the ground

[Aaron S]

Ok I admit it, I got really bored and came up with a couple of cheesy pics in MS Paint.
This is how my pond area looks right now except in real life the grass isn't as green and the water looks more wet. The two large brown circles are the pecan trees that have to go. The single brown circle by the waterfall is a crape myrtle that stays. The black box is the skimmer.

After meeting with the family and much discussion we came up with this

The gray is made of cement stepping stones made using one of those molds. The cement will have dye in it to make it look more like rock. The funny looking pond near the top of the pic is a large stone waterfall made to look like something from the Aztecs. The large black circle where one of the trees was will be a fire pit. Not shown in this pic is where the large tree by the fire pit is, will be a small multi-use shed. It will hold my telescope so that it can be brought out to the patio and used, and it will also contain some of my Ham Radio equipment so I can relax by the pond and talk to folks all over the world. The biggest problem is getting rid of the trees. The lowest estimate that we have had was $1,500 just to drop them. This is because of the houses, fence and power lines. Since you folks have much much more experience with pond then I do, let me know what you think. Also let me know if you see any problems or have any questions.

 

[tbendl]

Wow that looks like a pretty extensive back yard redo. I don't know enough about the plants you have laid out but the physical layout is impressive. Is the gray squares at the top of the picture an existing patio and the red the house?

 

[Aaron S]

Is the gray squares at the top of the picture an existing patio and the red the house?

You got it backwards. The gray boxes is the house. The line that separates them is the peak of the roof and the little light gray square is the AC unit. The red is the existing patio. It is made of terracotta colored paving stones. The previous owner of the house installed it as paving stones instead of concrete because the natural gas line runs right below it. The pond is already in place. It is 22' X 11' and 3' deep at its deepest. From here on out it will be an endless string of one project after another as I'm sure most ponds are. It will probably take several years to finish it all but it will be a great family project. I probably should start a Showcase and share the evolution of the entire project.

 

[tbendl]

Dang it, I was planning my next summer vacation to come see the finished project.
I think you should absolutely showcase it. Seeing the transition makes all the difference when you start feeling like it's never going to end and I know seeing other peoples projects help me stay motivated.

 

[Aaron S]

Dang it, I was planning my next summer vacation to come see the finished project.
.

Hey I love to have a reason to fire up the smoker. Not many things are better than smoking some meat and messing around the pond.
Yeah the people on this forum are nothing less than solid gold.

 

[pugle1]

Aaron, you'll have your own little paradise when it's all done. Heck! It looks great now. As for everyone gravitating to your yard, the same has happened here. My neighbors always seem to end up in our yard. ("Hey Andy! Hey other Andy! Want us to come over for a while?" "No, we'll pop over to your place! We'll bring the beer!" .... a discussion over either fence. LOL) Can't wait to see the finished product

.. and you're right.... the folks here are gold!

 

[Aaron S]

Thank you, its been a lot of fun times!