Please help with my second pond (I want to get it right this time!)

[addy1]

Most of my pond is 4-5 feet deep, it gradually goes to 3 then 2 feet, just at the one end is a foot, so me, or a critter can get out of the water. My pond in arizona was 4-5 feet deep, no walk out area, I could get in but had a heck of a time getting back out. So made a walk out area. Just at the shallow end could a heron walk in and stand in the water fishing, ow it is too deep. That area is only around 1 foot wide.

 

[CountryEscape]

My plan is to have only a shelf at one end of my new pond to put lily pots on. If some of the lilys you sent, Addy, can go deep (as in 3.5' deep) then I'll put them down in the other end. Otherwise, I'm assuming the goldfish will leave hyacinths and water lettuce alone, so hoping to cover 50% or so of the surface with those. The koi would not leave them alone in the other pond ... or maybe it was the new water, still not certain. Will try several in that pond as well,
Hope you can get started on your dig soon, Jeremy!