Feeling linervous. Need edge-ucation!

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What can I do with this edge to make it look as beautiful as all your pond pictures? I need help with two things: 1) how to work with the liner and edge to protect the pond but also put in nice rocks and plants, 2) how to cover the exposed liner inside the pond. When building the pond, I built up a little ridge of turf (2-3 inches) around the edge, then dug a shallow trench around the outer edge, pulled the liner over that, and weighed it down with rocks and gravel as I filled the pond. I have a shelf all around the inside of the pond, about 8 inches below the ridge. I have read about stacking rocks on the shelf and building up from there. Everyone has been so thoughtful and helpful as I've read through threads and posts. I'm looking forward to learning more.
pond edge 1.jpgpond edge 2.jpg
 
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Support the liner edge outside the pond with more rocks or bricks. Then put rocks on top of the liner edge. Don't cut back your liner any more, it may already be too short for long term stability (I made the same mistake. Then to really soften the edge, scatter some good sized rocks into your landscaping (so the rocks don't "end" right where the pond is). Then plant some plantings close to the pond and plant inside the pond. Then you will get a seamless look where the pond "flows" into the landscaping but it's hard to identify where the exact edge is.
 

j.w

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@averageseed
Plant's, driftwood anything natural looking will soften up your pond edge. Keep looking around in here too and you will get the picture.
Here is mine softened up w/lots of plants creeping into the water.
The yellow flowering plants are called Creeping Jenny or sometimes called Creeping Charlie. The reddish looking viney plants are a type of crawling sedum. Both cheap in most garden nurseries.

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Like @j.w showed in her pics the numerous rocks the same size have smaller rock between as i see you do but it appears you could use some more . And like was also said breaking up any patterns help tremendously . Youll never find a 3 foot evenly spaced border there could be roots fallen trees or even some large boulders. Mother natures beauty is often no pattern if anything its the lack of a pattern it draws your eye to the next item. Youe edges are straight and even maybe bring one of the edges into the pond s shelf breaking up the straight lines. And like j.w lots of plants if there is water beloiw th I se baseball sized rocks then put some marginal plants in there like the creeping jenny, hostas even maybe some soil and ferns. Drift wood.
Go for a walk look at the edges of the ponds not so much if the water level is low but at the banks. Heres a walk down of my pond to give you some ideas https://nam12.safelinks.protection....4ssSA0/r4rbtJApPPWIzr7rdV347lJ27I=&reserved=0
 
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Thanks for your suggestions EricV. Thanks for the welcome Mmathis. We used to live in East Texas, not far from you. Thanks for the tips and pics j.w. I live just up the road in Burlington, WA! And thank you GBBUDD for your suggestions. I appreciate everyone's time and patience with a newbie.
 

addy1

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Welcome to the forum!

All great advice up there! We love helping others make great ponds.
 
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There is a video I found really helpful. It has a lot of these same tips, but you can see how they are done. watch. I hope the link comes through! If not, go to YouTube and search for The Pond Digger - How to Build a Fish Pond. There is a 23 part series and part 20 goes over some edging ideas.
 
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I wanted to show you a few shots from about the same angle but years apart.

The first was taken just after construction. You can very easily see the rocks on either side of the liner and some rocks on top of the liner. I put water in the pond in August 2016. The next one is July of 2017, so you can see things are looking a bit more natural. You can see rocks scattered in the landscape, but you can also still clearly see where the pond ends. The final photo is July 2019 and by now things are growing in enough inside the pond and out that it is starting to look pretty natural.

July 2021 would be even more seamless.

Pond construction-57a184c8.jpgNature & Pond-5962be09.jpgNature & Pond-fnckcnjg.jpg
 
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Thanks for the welcome addy1. bagsmom, I will check out the video series. EricV, thanks for the progression pictures. Beautiful! This gives me an idea of what to do and what to look forward to. Thank you all!
 

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