Landscaping/Hardscaping Around Your Pond

[Ducky]

Looking for ideas to landscape or hardscape around our newly built pond. I originally thought of planting grass seed up to the edge of the rocks, but then I thought that might be tough to maintain. Mulch, gravel, more stonework? Looking for some pictures and ideas to work off of. I am already planting hostas and butterfly weed around the edge and plan to add more, but right now it's all just ugly topsoil. Feedback on positives and negatives about different options would be great. I don't mind having to upkeep the look, but I was thinking when it came time to cut the grass it would all end up I'm the pond which would be a pain to clean.

 

[Big Lou]

Welcome Ducky! Photo's of and around your pond will be most helpful. I am sure we can give you some nice ideas.

 

[Ducky]

Oh yes! I will take some photos this evening of the pond and surrounding area. We are on a flat, open piece of farmland.

 

[Big Lou]

Great!

 

[dieselplower]

i do not like mulch around a pond because it will end up in the pond. Grass too close can be a pain when mowing or trimming because sure enough the wind will blow the clippings into the pond. I like rocks that I can maintain a good footing on.

 

[Tula]

I maintain "rock walk ways:, then soften the look with pretty plantings and pots

 

[Shdwdrgn]

You know, I was just considering my landscaping this weekend. I have a flat yard, and was thinking how much it might have added to the natural feel if I had piled up dirt into a shallow burm along the back edge of my pond. Sometimes just changing the terrain can make a big difference in the overall look.

 

[taherrmann4]

I have rocks around my pond, then lots and lots of shrubs, perennials and trees throughout the whole hill. Are you in the sun or shade? I suggest perennials so they come back each year, intermix them with some annuals until the perennials get big enough to fill in. You can look at my links in my signature for some ideas about what i did.

 

[j.w]

Love rock pathways around ponds. Made one on one side of mine close to the front porch deck and would like to do it around the whole thing. Makes me tired thinking about it but I could do it a bit at a time. It's not hard either just time consuming. Here's a few pix of what I did. Colleen here did it all through her pond area and it looks great!

 

[Ducky]

Wow! Great ideas and beautiful work! I love the idea of having some type of rock or gravel pathway as an overlook to the pond.

Here are a few photos of the pond from all angles. We built the back up so we can have a small waterfall, but right now it sticks out like a sore thumb with the rest of our flat landscape... Hoping to grade out the soil a bit more.

(Please ignore my experiment filter/planter that I've been tinkering with, I'm hoping to hook it back up to the waterfall, but apparently plumbing isn't my strong suit ).


View from the deck.

From the back.

 

[CometKeith]

That looks like a nice piece of land you have to work with! Definitely building berms around the pond would help and then mix in shrubs and plants.

 

[Shdwdrgn]

So much space! So little pond! If I had a chunk of land like that, I'd be breaking out the bulldozer...

 

[RobAmy]

I used mulch around ours. I edge all the mulch with plastic edging used for pavers. I did not care for the color, this year I went with a more darker brown which we really like more


The Pond by Rob & Amy Lavoie, on Flickr

Here it is this year with the darker mulch. I have very little trouble with it getting in the pond.

 

[addy1]

I mulch the uphill side of my pond, steep hill, never had any mulch blow into it or wash into the pond.

Have some rocks go out into your yard with plants etc, it blends the pond in nicely.

to our group

 

[Mmathis]

Welcome Ducky! Photo's of and around your pond will be most helpful. I am sure we can give you some nice ideas.

I agree! Pictures would help a lot.

What kind of climate do you have, and what is the exposure for your pond? You mentioned Hostas, but here in the South, those guys like shade and morning sun exposure (would love to find some sun-tollerant Hostas, though -- like them and they look great around a pond!).

Day lilies are always nice.

Oh and rocks!