Let's talk Edging a Liner pond.

[GBBUDD]

It was a nice evening, so I decided to record a video while walking around the pond. Talking about techniques I used to hide the liner above the water line. The pond is 6 years old now and has certainly matured. I am going to put together a post similar to my showcase but solely talking about edging. So if you have a particular area that your particularly proud of, post it here. It would be great to make this a group effort and add a touch of everyone's personal style.

 

[Lisak1]

That right there was a master class in edging if I've ever seen one.

One of the hardest things to do is make a pond look natural. Anyone can dig a hole, line it, and fill it with water. Blending it into the surrounding landscape so it looks like it belongs is where the artistry happens.

When we built our pond we knew we wanted very low edges - which can be challenging, but I think make for a more interactive, approachable pond than one with big rocks lining the edge. We were mostly successful, but we did have to do some adjusting over the years as edges do have the tendency to sink even lower and plants do love to jump the liner from either side when it's low.

 

[GBBUDD]

Thank you for the compliment . Ill be looking forward to seeing your favorite detail. i know you love to read so lets make a repot so we never see another new ponder come in with rocks thrown on top of the liner but the liner is exposed all around the pond

 

[Mmathis]

Nice! Because of our high water table (water hippos) and my aging body, I like for my water level to be a little bit above grade. This is beautiful, and I love how you’ve made it somewhat “compatible“ with a landscape that isn’t necessarily rocky by nature. This would fit in with our Southern climate/environment. Where I live, we are flat. No rocks. No character to the landscape. Rather than nice, flowing streams, we have very slow-moving, almost stagnant bodies of water (think bayous, but not ”romantic” like you see on TV). @GBBUDD if you ever come to Louisiana, look me up for a consultation

 

[GBBUDD]

i'll take you up on that but i can assure you of one thing it wont be in the summer. we yankees cant deal with that heat

 

[GBBUDD]

my yard wasn't flat it actually pitched away from the viewing area of the patio. i did not bring in any fill not even a yard the build p was solely from the spoils of the pond excavation

 

[Mmathis]

i'll take you up on that but i can assure you of one thing it wont be in the summer. we yankees cant deal with that heat

I’m not dealing with it, so wouldn’t wish it on anyone! It’s not the heat, it’s the humidity Heat index 114°. No rainfall for over a month. Red flag warnings.

 

[GBBUDD]

Been a perfect summer in my eyes up here a bit wet but I can deal with a good down pour every week or two over a drought. Cistern hasn't reached half way empty all year . It was the Montreal fires that were trying.

 

[Pablo]

Made the mistake of showing my wife that video, lol. Truly amazing craftsmanship. Definitely can get some great ideas from it. I am looking forward to the edging part (have not even filled the pond yet), see what plants do well and others that do not. Unfortunately MA does ban quite a few water plants from being sold or even shipped here.
One question I have about the liner. I know every one says do not trim back the liner, just fold it. But I do have quite a bit of extra liner, due to the irregular shape of the pond and I ordered more liner than needed because they round up to the five foot lengths. So how much extra liner do you keep, 6inches, 12 inches, more?
Now back to explaining to the wife why our pond will not look like the video, haha.

 

[GBBUDD]

You saw the pitcher plants bog that too was all left over because the falls had a stream like section heading to it so I had 8 feet left over I simply dug about 6 inches by 2 feet by 10 feet too maybe 15 minutes . Folded up the liner and it wasn't 6 months latter I was pulling it up and making the pitcher plant bog . I shouldn't call it bog as people will think it's an upflow bog when it is actually more a real bog where the area is just constantly wet there is zero flow.
So to answer your question I'd live with your pond a year before you go cutting anything. Unless your beyond sure what your building is it, no mods will be made. THATS NOT ME.

 

[Jhn]

Great idea for a topic @GBBUDD, does drive me abit crazy when I see ponds without proper edging as you said this is what makes or breaks the pond in my eyes and it’s so easy and simple to do it correctly.

Another reason to not cut liner and thoughts on pond edging as @GBBUDD and I have discussed before and love the look is running the liner out past what appears to be the edge of the pond, but in fact the liner goes out even further similar to his pitcher plant bog if I remember right. So water is going out past what appears to be the edging. Anyhow @Pablo don’t cut any liner at all just roll/fold it up because you will always inevitably come up with an idea to make the pond look even better, or find your own idea unique to your pond.

 

[GBBUDD]

@Jhn I Would really like it if you could share any photos of how you built yours.
Most of my pond is a conventional approach to edging today with maybe a small twist here or there.; But you sir took your trade of building and maintaining shore lines to a new level. It can also make things far safer for the homeowner project as there's a very wide shelf to set their boulders/ rock onto. I imagine with the torrential down pours that have come through over the summer your quite busy . But when you get caught up it would be nice if you could put together a little how you did it. Wish i had made it there when you were seaming so i could have seen for myself first hand.

For anyone reading this @JNH took not cutting the liner to a whole new level if i have his over all build correctly. So when you dig the pond with the shape you'd like I Believe what he did was to excavate what was under the EXTRA liner way out to the sides down a foot or more Making a very wide shallow area . his pond area is set up inside a wood edge i believe a foot tall with a 2x over hanging the top to contain his turtles? Was the original thought for the liner to help contain the turtles from digging under the curb?

He then did the smartest thing of all he took MY idea of removing the flight path of the HERON. he took posts all the way around his pond and hung a net that he can pull back. So when he wants to sit and enjoy the pond the net is pulled back when he is not there to guard the fish and turtles he pulls the net closed.

I WAS VERY IMPRESSED with the whole area and loved his overall design. I'm hoping he'll give us a few more details and some photos'

 

[GBBUDD]

Made the mistake of showing my wife that video, lol. Truly amazing craftsmanship. Definitely can get some great ideas from it. I am looking forward to the edging part (have not even filled the pond yet), see what plants do well and others that do not. Unfortunately MA does ban quite a few water plants from being sold or even shipped here.
One question I have about the liner. I know every one says do not trim back the liner, just fold it. But I do have quite a bit of extra liner, due to the irregular shape of the pond and I ordered more liner than needed because they round up to the five foot lengths. So how much extra liner do you keep, 6inches, 12 inches, more?
Now back to explaining to the wife why our pond will not look like the video, haha.

i THINK YOUR OVER DUE TO SHOW SOME PROGRESS PHOTOS AREN'T YOU ???????????? We don't ask for much we live for progress photo's

 

[Pablo]

All your fault @GBBUDD that we spent the day in the woods looking for ideas to use in the pond. One bee sting later (yes lawsuit coming your way) we came up with a few things. Came away with a lot of moss covered items. Photos attached show some items, nothing set just ideas. Incorporating some ideas that @YShahar had for the stream. Through the whole project we have tried to use material from the yard since it was an old farm, so there is some interesting things to use. Thanks again for the inspiration.

 

[Pablo]

We have a few old cedar trees that have come down through the years. The moss covered branch was actually an old fence railing that was lying in the woods, had to take out some large old spikes. The tree stump was an old pear tree we took down a few years back. The wagon wheel was in another garden, just threw it up there to see how it may look. The cedar tree in the pond will probably cut down a little, it was just to get an idea of how it would look. Wife wants turtles now to go on that branch, lol.