Reconstructing/revamping shelves 17 year old pond + plants? (newbie)

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It's from our comander and chief
 
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Beautiful pond and can see the differences in levels. Just having a poor imagination without totally redoing the pond lol.
Ditto, I think, if it were me I would buy a new liner, move skimmer to the bottom of the pond and work from there. Possibly even deepen the pond and add fish for a full ecosystem.
 
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The weekend was eventful. After 3 months, finally recombobulated a giant swing set we tore down from someone and rebuilt, and made some big moves on the wall.

Played around with some different configurations but in the end it will end a bit volcano-y with the quick deep slopes still. Put some paver in the soil for a bit more support and working to build the level now. May get dicey with the front slope, but the pavers and rock edging at bottom dividing the river should hold it enough.

Despite the volcano, I’m still feeling successful as the wall wrapping looks nice and I think I’ll be able to blend well once the soil and rocks go in.

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The weekend was eventful. After 3 months, finally recombobulated a giant swing set we tore down from someone and rebuilt, and made some big moves on the wall.

Played around with some different configurations but in the end it will end a bit volcano-y with the quick deep slopes still. Put some paver in the soil for a bit more support and working to build the level now. May get dicey with the front slope, but the pavers and rock edging at bottom dividing the river should hold it enough.

Despite the volcano, I’m still feeling successful as the wall wrapping looks nice and I think I’ll be able to blend well once the soil and rocks go in.

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I think it's shaping up great! Good job! Can't wait to see the end result!:woot::woot::woot:
 
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Ended up with a volcano but I’m personally fine with it as a DIY-first-time-ever-15-minutes-every-few-days project. Some finishing touches needed and more dirt in few areas.

Put rocks along the bottom as I built to prevent erosion. Haven’t started to form stream to my needs, but will probably keep some form of rocks there for the end.

Need to find a smaller DIY waterfall box which will fit in the available (non-wall) top shelf area including smaller framing rocks.

Flexible PVC site doesn’t have 1” 25’ as an available option and I only need as much.

Considering some type of top layer, drops to a mid(back right tier), and then a way to tie it back into the pool either from there or cascade it down the right side and entering from there with a small lip or something.

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You have boulders sticking out of the dirt in your berm. There is no liner in place. So, you will need to place a liner on the berm to build your waterfall. That would mean liner over the boulders in your berm, yes?

Maybe I'm missing something.
 
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You have boulders sticking out of the dirt in your berm. There is no liner in place. So, you will need to place a liner on the berm to build your waterfall. That would mean liner over the boulders in your berm, yes?

Maybe I'm missing something.
The project was simply berm construction. Rocks only in place to hold the initial dirt and just left them as I’m not planning much more until spring.
The rocks are haphazardly thrown in because of future construction. They can be taken out and the berm will hold, but with liklihood rocks will still be there in some fashion leaving for now - later I can remove and fill dirt in spots if needed, the behind will be compact enough then for everything to be fine.

It’s still the old liner. Haven’t pulled up the first pool and stream liner to check depth, leveling, anything. If weather permits I may go out but it’s in the high 30s/40s most of the day now, daylight savings, work, kids, etc - condensed down to maybe one or two weekends with no plans, with tolerance for an hour or so work before having to do family stuff - have to be strategic in planning and efficiency. It’s “done” by my standards of where I wanted to stop working in the dirt for the year - but yes - at some point I have to tackle measuring, buying, seaming, figuring out liner stuff.

Main pond still needs to have shelves finished and the pond cave properly carved and set for winter holdover.
Pond filled with water and muddy clay lack of drainage.

Bridge has to be rebuilt over winter.

There is a list a mile long still.

Waterfall box/etc seemed the logical next planning step to make sure something fits in the space parameters and size it up to see how it looks - if nothing fits well, tinkering with all aspects of berm up for grabs.
I’m pretty sure I’ll be able to DIY some kind of fill box for the start of the “falls.”
 
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The project was simply berm construction. Rocks only in place to hold the initial dirt and just left them as I’m not planning much more until spring.
The rocks are haphazardly thrown in because of future construction. They can be taken out and the berm will hold, but with liklihood rocks will still be there in some fashion leaving for now - later I can remove and fill dirt in spots if needed, the behind will be compact enough then for everything to be fine.

It’s still the old liner. Haven’t pulled up the first pool and stream liner to check depth, leveling, anything. If weather permits I may go out but it’s in the high 30s/40s most of the day now, daylight savings, work, kids, etc - condensed down to maybe one or two weekends with no plans, with tolerance for an hour or so work before having to do family stuff - have to be strategic in planning and efficiency. It’s “done” by my standards of where I wanted to stop working in the dirt for the year - but yes - at some point I have to tackle measuring, buying, seaming, figuring out liner stuff.

Main pond still needs to have shelves finished and the pond cave properly carved and set for winter holdover.
Pond filled with water and muddy clay lack of drainage.

Bridge has to be rebuilt over winter.

There is a list a mile long still.

Waterfall box/etc seemed the logical next planning step to make sure something fits in the space parameters and size it up to see how it looks - if nothing fits well, tinkering with all aspects of berm up for grabs.
I’m pretty sure I’ll be able to DIY some kind of fill box for the start of the “falls.”
a couple of suggestions;

1. you can soften that volcano effect by putting more height to the soil on either side, that is, blend it down with a more gradual slope. You can also plant some taller plantings/trees to the sides of the waterfall mound. And finally, you can add the same kind of rocks you'll be using in your eventual waterfall to the landscape on either side; half bury them so they look like they've been there forever.

2. your liner should be in a 'cup' shape to catch all the water that might splash from your falls to either side. So, I'd carve out that cup shape and instead of using soil shelves to begin your falls base, I'd put in cement slabs and brick. This is only the underpinnings; you'll then put your decorator rock on top and blend in with soil and or plants and rocks. The idea is that you now have a solid, firm, level base to work on. Actually, you can tilt the blocks a bit toward yoiur pond to help direct water, but if you have a liner underneath it all, you can keep it level until you get to your waterfall weir at the top. This is how I made my double waterfall.

Your waterfall liner (if a separate piece) should go into the pond by 12" and the pond liner up under by similar amount or more. This keeps wicking from being an issue. Too, your waterfall drop at the bottom should be at least 6" above the pond surface.

3. I made a waterfall box/weir from a plastic rubbermaid container; I cut along two sides and bent the flap forward for the weir. This way, I could still use the top and I put concealing rocks on that, then some plantings to camoflauge.

And if you're leaving the hill as is for the winter, it wouldn't hurt to put a tarp on it and place those rocks so they hold it down until you're ready to continue; it'll keep the shape better if you don't let rain/snow have its way.

Hope this helps!
 

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