I live in NW Pa and two years ago I decided to add a pond to my vegetable garden. I knew very little about how to go about it, and when attempting to find advice from local merchants, who sold some pond supplies. I either found them about as knowledgeable as I was, or they weren't very forthcoming with information. I dug a hole about 10 feet long , 4 feet wide and approximately 3 feet deep, threw a liner in it, surrounded it with rocks and filled it with water. That somehow worked.... I eventually bought a small filter and pump with a fountain, some plants, and a friend gave me some koi that had grown too large for her aquarium and voila I had a pond! The following year I could not maintain it due to health issues and basically let it go. On one occasion last year I discovered a blue heron dining on my fish.
Health issues over, this year I decided to make my garden even more special by adding a 5 ft waterfall, with a 20ft stream leading back to my pond. . I once again started in the spring not having an idea of what I was doing by creating a mound of dirt, framed by many rocks. Numerous questions arose, such as what size pump would I need? Would it prove too powerful for my small pond ? What glue should I use in the stream to connect the liner? Who was going to carry all these rocks? etc etc. Many times I was brought to tears, realizing that perhaps I'd bitten off more than I could chew. However, this time I searched the internet and it kept bringing me to this site, answering many of my questions along the way from your forums. They helped me survive this ordeal and at present, although it still requires some tweaking, I have a working waterfall and stream that actually drains into my pond,,, and it's not sucked dry by my pump! (I'll share some photos in the near future)
Along the way, I feel I found a wonderful community of helpful people, and by joining your group it first gives me opportunity to thank you. I also realize that at times I will also need more advice and where better to ask? Who knows perhaps someday I may even be able to help someone who finds themselves in a situation as I did over the past few weeks.
Health issues over, this year I decided to make my garden even more special by adding a 5 ft waterfall, with a 20ft stream leading back to my pond. . I once again started in the spring not having an idea of what I was doing by creating a mound of dirt, framed by many rocks. Numerous questions arose, such as what size pump would I need? Would it prove too powerful for my small pond ? What glue should I use in the stream to connect the liner? Who was going to carry all these rocks? etc etc. Many times I was brought to tears, realizing that perhaps I'd bitten off more than I could chew. However, this time I searched the internet and it kept bringing me to this site, answering many of my questions along the way from your forums. They helped me survive this ordeal and at present, although it still requires some tweaking, I have a working waterfall and stream that actually drains into my pond,,, and it's not sucked dry by my pump! (I'll share some photos in the near future)
Along the way, I feel I found a wonderful community of helpful people, and by joining your group it first gives me opportunity to thank you. I also realize that at times I will also need more advice and where better to ask? Who knows perhaps someday I may even be able to help someone who finds themselves in a situation as I did over the past few weeks.
