Plastic pond: how to choose and install. Reservoirs in the garden (45 photos): styles. Choice of location. Ideal sizes and a variety of decorative design. Pond from a moisture-resistant film Making a pond in the country with your own

Even a small artificial pond made of plastic makes the cottage very cozy. Near the reservoir, you can equip a recreation area.

Advantages:

• reasonable cost of plastic mold;
• simple preparation for installation of the tank;
• strengthening of the coast and installation of terraces is not required;
• quick installation and dismantling of the reservoir;
• the ability to choose the shape and size of the plastic bowl;
• high decorative element;
• simple care;
• environmental friendliness;
• in an artificial reservoir based on a rigid plastic bowl, you can breed fish;
• work does not require special skills.

Rigid base shape:

• round;
• oval;
• rectangular;
• wrong.

The pond tank, made of high-pressure plastic, can withstand operating loads well. With careful handling life time- up to 15 years.

There are no negative sides to high-quality plastic. There are features that you need to know about before buying a bowl and installing a container.

Consider the nuances:

• for the winter, the dismantling of an artificial reservoir is not required. The right choice of container-frame will help prevent freezing of water. Minimum depth - 80 cm;
• before buying a bowl, think over the shape and decor of the future reservoir. Choose a hard container strictly with your plan;
• as necessary, it is required to completely change the water.

Plastic pond tank

In any building supermarket you will find bowls made of durable material of various shapes and sizes. Some details:

• The frame is made of durable plastic. On sale there are molds made of fiberglass, which is even more durable and reliable;
• a plastic bowl for a pond has a minimum volume of 135 liters, a maximum of up to 2000 liters;
• high-pressure polyethylene withstands water pressure well on the walls of the bowl;
• the material does not crack during optimal operating conditions;
• the walls are easy to clean from plaque.

Do-it-yourself installation of a plastic pond in the country house

How to install an artificial garden pond made of plastic with your own hands? Any owner will cope with the installation of a decorative plastic reservoir in the country.

Some Helpful Tips:

• consider the size of the site;
• think over the design of the decorative element;
• pick a time when the ground is soft enough and get to work.

Video on how to dig in and how to properly install a plastic pond in the country with your own hands, step by step instructions.

Choose a place

Many owners of large plots make the same mistake: they think that it is not worth racking their brains over the selection of a suitable place. The result - the pond is constantly strewn with leaves from the trees in the immediate vicinity of the reservoir.

Improper placement of the bowl leads to the fact that the resting area is constantly in the shade. Another option: in the water you see the reflection of outbuildings instead of willows leaning over the water.

Consider the advice of landscape designers:

• a plastic garden pond should not be equipped near the planting sites of a large number of deciduous or coniferous trees;
• it is forbidden to install a rigid frame on slopes;
• the optimal place for arranging a pond of any size is a place covered with turf, located near shrubs;
• do not install the container in the far corner of the garden;
• provide free access to the static reservoir from all sides;
• do not place the bowl next to old trees: their powerful root system will make it difficult to dig a pit. Roots can damage the plastic.

Choose the best combination of light and shadow. Then the plants near the reservoir and on its surface will receive sufficient lighting. Track where the sun shines until 11 o'clock, and after 15 o'clock a shadow appears. Dig a pit there.

Photo of the design of a plastic pond in the country.

Choosing a plastic container

Helpful Hints:

• when buying, check the integrity of the structure. Do not drill the bowl even with shallow cracks;
• Do you want your pond tank to remain in the ground all year round? Choose designs with a depth of 80 cm or more;
• note: the wall thickness is 3 mm, you need to transport and place the bowl carefully;
• check if the walls of the bowl are repairable. This characteristic is inherent in more durable fiberglass;
• a wide selection of shapes allows you to embody the most daring design ideas to choose a rigid container of various configurations.

Plastic afraid of exposure to ultraviolet radiation. Be sure to protect the edges that protrude above the ground. You can decorate the adjacent area with artificial and natural stone.

How to dig in?

Prepare the necessary tools, materials:

• building level;
• shovel;
• a sufficient number of pegs for marking;
• plastic bowl;
• sand;
• decor elements (tiles, various types of stone, plants, pieces of brick and other materials).

Check again if there is enough space around the future reservoir. Inattention to the marking of the site, haste can play a cruel joke. You do not want to dig a ditch twice? Responsibly treat the choice of location, measurements, marking the site.

How to install a container for a decorative garden pond? Procedure when installing a pond.:

• outline the contour of the future reservoir;
• turn the bowl over, circle the contours;
• dig a pit according to the markup;
• level the ground, check the bottom line for level. The surface must be strictly horizontal;
• note - the depth should be 40 cm more than the height of the container;
• prepare a "sand pillow";
• cover the bottom of the pit with sand. Layer - at least 20 cm;
• compact the layer well;
• pour the "sand pillow" with water;
• set the bowl, fill it with water;
• fill the gaps between the walls and the ground with sand.

The plastic pond is almost ready. Wait a day, check if new gaps have formed due to the settled “cushion”. Add sand if necessary. It remains to decorate the edges, to give a beautiful view of the surrounding area.

Video about the installation of a garden plastic pond in the country.

Arrangement

Each owner can decorate the edges of a decorative plastic pond even without landscape design skills. With a small size of the reservoir, choose a simpler decor, do not pile up stones, plants, behind which the water surface will not be visible. The larger the area, the higher the flight of fancy. You can realize a lot of interesting ideas.

In the photo, you can see examples of how to arrange a plastic pond in the country.

Registration

Heed the advice of experts for the design of an artificial pond made of plastic:

• select decor elements that are in harmony with the overall design of the garden or summer cottage;
• use both natural and artificial materials;
• be sure to close the protruding edges of the plastic bowl, protect them from exposure to UV rays;
• next to an artificial reservoir, plant plants that prefer high humidity;
• place lanterns near the pond, floor lamps in the shape of a ball (moon). Glare on the water creates a romantic atmosphere;
• lay several garden paths, make the approach to the reservoir convenient;
• with a large area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe garden plot, place a recreation area near the pond. Install benches, a gazebo, a fountain.

The area around the reservoir should not hide most of the water surface from the eyes. Before planting plants, check what their maximum height is, and whether they will close the pond in a year or two. The pond is the centerpiece of this piece of your yard. Remember this.

Photo: ready-made design and arrangement of an artificial plastic pond, which you can repeat with your own hands ..

Care

What are the benefits of a plastic bowl? Maintaining a good condition of an artificial reservoir of a static type is not difficult at all.

What care is needed for a plastic pond? The rules are simple:

• regularly remove fallen leaves and debris from the surface;
• during leaf fall, stretch a net over the pond. Then you can easily pick up the fallen leaves;
• change the water completely as needed. So you prevent flowering, stagnation of water, the spread of an unpleasant odor;
• after draining the water, it is advisable to clean the walls from plaque with a brush with a long handle, spray them with water from a hose.

Now you know that equipping a pond based on a ready-made rigid container is quite simple. Find a suitable place, buy a quality plastic container, install the bowl according to the rules.

And a pond. Even a small body of water attracts others like a magnet. Water is mesmerizing even in small quantities ... Moreover, you can build a pond with your own hands in a few hours. But this is a small artificial reservoir. The construction of a large one will require both money and time.

Where to dig

Small artificial reservoirs are best viewed from above. Therefore, if there is a corresponding depression on the site, it is best to do it here. There is, however, a negative side to this: you will have to raise the edges of the bowl higher so that rainwater does not get inside. The second option is to come up with a water drainage system (make a drainage system above the reservoir).

If there is a key somewhere on the site, it is logical to make a natural pond by digging or deepening the existing bowl, laying out its borders with cobblestones or stones, and planting plants. A stream, which is sure to exist in this case, can also be ennobled by laying out its edges with cobblestones, drowning them in soaked soil, you will give greater strength to the shore, and moisture-loving plants can be planted between them.

Even a small waterfall is a magical sight. How to dam a pond if there is a natural stream on your site - dig a ditch, line it with stone and direct the stream into it

Not everyone on the site has such a luxury as a stream or a key. We have to make artificial reservoirs. When properly designed, they look no worse than natural ones.

How to make an artificial pond with a bowl (without film)

The easiest and fastest way to make an artificial pond in the country is to bury the finished bowl in the ground, decorating and decorating its edges. There are plastic bowls - ready-made in different shapes, sizes and colors (mostly blue, green and black).

The device of a plastic garden or country pond is a simple matter. Here is a step by step guide:

• It is necessary to dig a pit in the shape of a bowl. If the shape is very non-standard, you can turn it upside down at the installation site, draw a contour with something (at least dig it with a shovel). The bowl is taken aside, a pit is dug. It should be a little larger in size - a little wider, but not deeper. The edges should either be flush with the ground, or protrude slightly. If you manage to raise the edges a little, it will be even better: during the rain, dirty water will not flow.
• After the desired depth is reached, the bottom is leveled into the horizon: it is first leveled with a shovel, then compacted and the excess is removed with an even bar. The surface should be flat and hard: the plastic should have good support. If the ground is poorly leveled (clay), you can pour 5-10 cm of sand, wet it and compact it.
• The next step is to install the bowl in the pit. If the bottom has been made even, the edges of the bowl will become level with respect to the horizon. Now the space that remains between the wall of the bowl and the pit must be covered with soil or sand and compacted well.
• Now it's up to the design: the installation is completed, you can fill in the water.

How this technology was used to build a pond in the yard with illumination, see this photo report (you can scroll through the photo gallery by clicking on the thumbnails below).

Digging a pit. We decided that the sides would be 1-2 cm higher than the level of the track - there would be less debris inside, and we would decorate the edges with stones. On this side, just below the maximum level, a pipe was cut into the bowl - so that excess water would drain. They took her down the drain

But not always and not everywhere there is an opportunity to constantly add and divert water to the pond. Then you will either have to plant such plants that will clean it, or change it periodically.

Pond from an old bathroom

It is not necessary to buy a bowl. Any container can be used. Even an old bath. It turns out very well. All actions are the same, the foundation pit is first dug, a bath is placed in it, what goes on, see the next series of photos. On them, the pond from the old bath is transformed into a really lovely corner.

The site was still entangled with wire - so that the clay does not float and the site does not sag. It’s already such a beauty in a month - a garden pond built by one’s own hands makes me happy

A pond from a car tire (with a film)

A mini-pond can be made from an old car tire, or rather from a tire. The larger it is, the larger the reservoir. The most difficult thing in this business is to cut off one side part. If the edges are sharp as a result, they need to be processed with sandpaper. The second most difficult task is to dig a hole of a suitable size. This is where the difficulties ended. The rest is quite easy.

A cut tire is installed in the pit, covered with earth on the sides, well compacted. Also, earth or sand is poured inside, the bottom is leveled. Take a piece of dense plastic film, which can be folded twice and cover the resulting tank. Do not try hard: pour water, she will straighten the film herself.

Instead of polyethylene, you can take a banner film (available in advertising companies that produce outdoor advertising) or a piece special for pools and ponds. They are much stronger (but more expensive).

The protruding ends of the film are tucked around the walls of your pond, decorated with stones. The device of the pond is over, then - decoration and planting of plants. See how to make a pond from a tire in the photo report.

The next stage in the manufacture of a mini-pond for a summer residence is decorating the edges with stones

There is certainly nothing complicated in such a device. Anyone can build such a reservoir in the country with their own hands, and the investment is minimal.

In general, mini-ponds are also made from tanks, barrels, pots, even flower pots. The main thing is to have a body, and it is not very difficult to arrange it: experience gradually comes. They put them in the garden, in the country, near the house. It is possible to bring water, make a stream, it can be bred under trees, for example, or shrubs. Both beauty and usefulness at the same time.

We make a pond with a film

By creating this artificial pond from a film, you almost exactly repeat the work described above, only without installing a bowl:

1. mark out the shape of the future pond;
2. dig a pit, forming, if necessary, ledges;
3. clean the bottom of any sharp objects: roots, stones, etc.;
4. level the banks of your pond;
5. spread the waterproofing film;
6. fill the pond with water;
7. fix the edges of the film;
8. decorate.

A country pond created using this technology may already be of a more respectable size. An important point: it’s impossible to make a foundation pit on loose soil and put a film on it. We will have to come up with some measures to strengthen the coast. In this case, you will either have to put up a bowl, or make a more serious structure - from brick or concrete. Next, consider examples of how to inexpensively make a pond out of film.

First project: sides flush with the ground

Eight simple steps and your pond in the country is built. How to dig and equip a pond in the country, to make it look like a natural one, see the photo report.

Second project: sides raised

The second version of a home-made pond in the first stages is built in almost the same way as the first. Only after the depth of the excavation reached the design one, the sides were raised, laid out along the edge with bricks and concreted. It turned out a reservoir with raised sides. There is also a water circulation system. It is shown in the figure below.

As you can see, this pond is more multi-layered and its volume is more serious. If you want to have a reservoir of at least a medium size and not build a serious bowl at the same time, you can do as shown in the figure: fill the created pit with sand, cover it, and only lay the film on top. Geotextile evenly distributes the load and does not allow plants to germinate. This is especially true if you are building a pond in your garden and there are bushes or trees nearby.

Serious projects: brick and concrete

If you want to have a large pond in the country, and you want to build it yourself, you will have to study the topic of building pools. Firstly, the construction of bowls - one to one repeats all the steps. Even forms are sometimes made stepped. True, the shores are not decorated with plants, and they are not planted in the pool itself ... But the construction process itself, with reinforcement, plaster, waterproofing, is the same. Moreover, the water supply and water treatment system is also similar. Except that the ponds do not use chemical cleaning methods, but filters, skimmers and ultraviolet can be used.

In general, a large pond is not a cheap pleasure. Moreover, it requires expenses only for construction, but also for maintaining a large reservoir in good condition: filters need to be cleaned regularly and cartridges or backfill changed. But of course, it's a lot of fun...

Not the largest pond, but 10 bags of cement, 30 bags of sand (20 coarse and 10 fine), a hydrophobic additive - 5 bags went to it so that the concrete was water-repellent. Plastered on a grid fixed in the ground

Plants for the pond

When shaping or choosing a bowl, consider not only its shape and depth. If you want plants to grow in the pond, you need a swampy coastal area. If you form a reservoir using a film, you can make approximately the same profile as in the picture.

It is more convenient to do this if you fill the pit with a layer of sand at least 15 cm thick. With it, you can make the relief the way you like. To make it easier to work and the film does not tear, lay geotextiles on the sand. This thin membrane is very tear resistant. You can do whatever you want and don't break it. Having formed the desired bottom relief with its help, you can line the film and lay stones on it, fill it with water and plant plants for the pond at different levels.

In order to have enough oxygen in the water, you can plant Canadian elodea, hornwort and swamp. They are in the photo below. Planted in water - these are aquatic plants.

When arranging an artificial reservoir in a summer cottage, there is no need to hold back your imagination - a lot is possible here: both small thresholds and fountains, and large stones decorated with various green spaces.

How to arrange a pond in the yard depends on how your site looks like in general and in general, how you imagine it. However, do not be afraid to let your imagination run wild, because even a simple mess can look like a design idea.

The design of an artificial reservoir can be divided into two types:

1. Embossed, or one that looks like natural
2. Designer, or one that uses color combinations atypical for nature, but looks like a specially designed design idea.

There are also swimming ponds in the country - this is a pond that is like a natural reservoir, however, in addition, it provides for swimming.

How to make a pool in the country with your own hands (video)

Making a pond in the country with your own hands in a landscape style

If the general picture of the site allows the creation of your own pond, close to natural, then in this case the shape of the reservoir can be any, usually it is a curved coastline, which is then decorated with stones.

It will be better if the stones are either granite, or from river pebbles, or from decorative onyx.

Beige sand, patterned tiles and the like will look beautiful enough. The size of the stone should be determined depending on the size of the pond itself: if the pond is small, then the stones should be either small or medium in size; if the reservoir is large, then large stones, respectively, but in harmony with the small ones. Thus, the overall appearance of the design will be natural, unlike if the stones were the same.

The decoration may be based on the Japanese garden style. In the gardens of ancient Japan, the pond was built in a simple style, but with a carefully considered combination of stones. Bright plants should not be here. Due to the fact that Japan has a small territory, it has developed a culture of minimalism, as we see in the arrangement of water bodies.

Tradition requires the presence of all the elements that include water. Usually this is a small vessel, near which a stream of bamboo tubes flows. On the sides of such a stream, trees of dwarf size are planted.

Often such a pond was built in the shape of a rectangle, which also emphasized the strict style of Japan.

You can get a special effect if, when arranging a reservoir, you put stones on its bottom. In this case, the depth of the artificial pond should be small so that the stones can be seen through a small water column.

Graceful bridge over the pond

Also, in a pond, instead of a stone, the bottom can be laid out of a beautiful patterned tile. A beautifully designed monolithic bridge over the pond will also fit very well into the overall picture.

Arrangement of the pond with green spaces

The combination of beautiful stones needs to be complemented with well-chosen plants to make our landscape look like in the natural wilderness.

Before planting, it is necessary to sketch out an approximate layout of the plants. In this case, it is important to take into account factors such as the level of the landscape, the combination of pond elements, free space, etc.

It is very important not to overdo it with the number of plantings. Water lilies on the surface of the water and ferns on the shore fit very well into the overall picture.

There are a variety of plant cultures that differ in shape and size. It is important to carefully select them in order to avoid a large accumulation of objects and, if possible, to clear overgrown growth.

When the pond is more than 0.5 m deep, the algae should be placed in baskets, and only then placed in the pond itself. Such vegetation grows well where there is shade and cleans the water quite effectively if planted at the right depth.

If your pond is small, you need to approach the design even more seriously so that the overall landscape is not overloaded with various elements. The use of simple plants is recommended. Here you can plant junipers or bushes that have shoots hanging from them, grasses or wild vegetation that can be found near the water.

When arranging a home pond with vegetation in a small pond, it is recommended to have frogs or snails there that will create the desired fauna

The frog usually eats midges that live in ponds, and the snail eats garbage at the bottom of the pond, which will be quite useful for you.

Making an artificial reservoir with your own hands

If your reservoir is large enough, it is recommended to divide it into several main zones:

• Plant area on the beach
• Shallow plant area
• deep plant zone

At a sufficient depth, you can settle fish that will fit well into the overall picture of the landscape reservoir. If the pond is shallow, then in order for the fish to overwinter, you can dig a recess of one and a half meters.

A home pond can also be decorated with an artificial stream that will flow down the steps. It is important to make the shore and the path to the pond from the same material so that it is made in the same style.

With your own hands, a pond can also be created from several levels, so that the water in it will pleasantly murmur

Also, not far from the reservoir, you can place a gazebo, from which the whole conceived picture will be visible.

When choosing a style solution for arranging a home pond, it is important to take into account ready-made architectural, plant and design ideas, but if you have your own vision of the landscape, you will not commit any crime.

Decoration of a decorative pond in a designer style

The forms of the design style of the reservoir differ from the natural one and its design is more strict. Often it incorporates one concept and is decorated in the same way as the entire summer cottage.

If you do not have enough imagination in the design of the pond, we recommend making a pond in a free landscape style.

The shape of a designer reservoir is usually made in the correct shape or in the form of some kind of pattern, but always with the maintenance of the geometry of the lines.

A pond with straight edges in the courtyard looks very stylish and minimalistic, and when rounded flower beds are planted around such a pond

All kinds of material can be used - from reinforced concrete rings to rubber tires. In turn, such materials need high-quality refinement.

Plants for arranging a reservoir can be used any, even the rarest - which blooms luxuriantly and brightly or deciduous with an unusual shape. Clay pots with plants planted in them also look beautiful.

Pond Styles

You can also do Japanese style reservoir. You can't use too many colors here. If you run a pond in chinese style, then lush vegetation is welcome, and dwarf trees should be emphasized.

In ancient England gardens resembled Chinese ones, because they had the same strict geometry, but were not decorated with lush plants.

For a garden designed in french style are characterized by a distinct breakdown, even geometry in the flower beds, shrub fences that rise above the ground. The atmosphere in the garden is reminiscent of the days of medieval palaces.

The pond looks very ascetic Celtic style. Only stones are used here, and a combination of stones of different sizes is welcome.

Lanterns near the water in the country

Additionally, you can decorate the pond with small lanterns. It's like special decorations for your pond. Also, the illuminated fountain looks very impressive. How to build such fountains is described in other articles.

A decorative pond in the country is a unique element of landscape design, an object for pleasant contemplation. In addition, the pond will humidify the air and improve the illumination of the garden, thanks to the reflective surface of the water surface. If you are thinking about arranging a personal artificial pond, you immediately need to competently approach the choice of style, lighting and decorative elements.

Choosing a place for a reservoir

The choice of a place to create a reservoir depends on many factors: soil, landscape, relief, illumination, and the presence of vegetation should be taken into account.

Terrain and soil	When choosing a place for a future pond, it is better to stop at a site that remains wet for a long time after rain. It is obvious that somewhere in the layers of soil in this place there is clay or loam. If the choice of places is limited, then it is always better to choose low-lying areas.
illumination	The right choice of lighting will make it possible to avoid strong growth of algae and pond blooms. The ideal option is that at noon the shading reaches at least 40% of its area, and the total illumination reaches 6 hours.
Neighborhood with plants	The pond should be broken in an open area, away from tall vegetation, which will pollute its surface with leaves, seeds, and rubbish.
Landscape	The pond should harmoniously fit into the landscape of the site. Often it settles down in front of the house or near the gazebo.

There are some specifics if the pond is planned to be equipped with live fish: for example, with koi. In this case, it will be important to provide them with the optimal water temperature, which depends on the breed of fish.

Earthworks and waterproofing works

You have chosen a place for the pond and determined what shape it will be. Now it's time to dig the pit. First, turning points and contours are marked with pegs. Then terraces come off, 30 cm deep and 20 cm wide. You can form several levels of terraces to place plants on them.

Now the main bowl is being dug out. The slope of the banks should be approximately 45 °C. The walls of the bowl should taper downwards to prevent soil shedding and reduce the load of the water mass. The minimum depth of the reservoir should not exceed 60-80 cm: a shallow reservoir will completely freeze in winter, and warm up strongly in summer, which will make it impossible to breed flora and fauna.

If waterproofing with a film is planned, a ditch about 15 cm deep is torn off to secure it around the perimeter. After the pit is ready, its bottom is leveled, all stones and roots that can damage the film are removed. The surface is covered with clean washed sand for 5 cm, a monolithic slab of M150 concrete is poured on top. After hardening, it is completely covered with a geotextile. All these measures will protect the waterproofing film from damage and extend its service life.

The next step will be waterproofing - laying butyl rubber or PVC maple. The size of the canvas is calculated from the total length of the pond and twice the depth. To fix the canvas along the edge, about half a meter of stock is enough. The sheet is laid out freely, securing the edges with bricks along the edge. To eliminate the negative impact of groundwater, a reliable drainage system is created, which is also included in the waterproofing system.

All of the above waterproofing works are carried out before concreting, if this form of waterproofing device is chosen. When creating small ponds, concrete work is first carried out, and then the concrete surface is treated in several layers with a mixture of Hydroshield.

Do-it-yourself concrete base device

Concrete work begins before waterproofing with the casting of a base plate made of M150 concrete, which is designed to protect the basin of the reservoir from soil movements. On top of this plate, after it dries, waterproofing is laid.

After the base for the bowl was dug out, the drainage system was equipped, a sand and gravel cushion 20-30 cm thick was poured, concrete preparation 10 cm thick was poured, the walls of the pool were reinforced. This will require fittings A 12 mm. The rods are tied with knitting wire in the form of a mesh with cells of 20 x 20 cm.

Installation of mortgages is an important stage of work. Before the start of formwork work, mortgages are installed: bottom drain, nozzles, headlights, skimmers. Electrical is also being installed.
The formwork is installed with moisture-resistant plywood 15 mm thick and wooden supporting beams. High-quality formwork will help save material and other leveling agents.

Concreting is carried out with heavy concrete of high grades with plasticizers. The walls are vibrated so that no voids form. It is more convenient to fill the bowl in 2 steps - first the bottom, then the walls. To prevent water from penetrating through the cold seam of a leaky joint, a self-expanding bentonite cord is placed in the joint during pouring, which increases 6 times when exposed to water.

Alignment of the pool bowl is made with a plaster layer. With the help of plaster, you can achieve the perfect smoothness of the pool bowl. The plastered surface of the bowl does not have cracks, voids, depressions and other irregularities.

Devices for creating water effects and lighting

If the pond was originally planned with the use of water effects: fountains, cascades, jets, then an underground, waterproof electrical cable must be connected to it in advance. Lighting and pump can be connected to the same source.

What elements of energy design can be introduced into the design of a pond in the country:

• A closed-loop fountain, where a pump drives water from a reservoir into the fountain bowl, from where the water flows back into the reservoir. Subsequently, the water flows back into the reservoir.
• A cascade or waterfall is best placed on the shore, where it will be in harmony with the alpine slide.
• As a backlight, you can use lamps located in the water, above the water, and even built into the body of the fountain. Along the contour, you can install garden lamps that are recharged from the sun and give light at night.

Aquatic plants in design

There are many aquatic plants. In order for the design of the pond to look attractive and function normally, the following types of aquatic plants must be present in it:

• Oxygenerators are plants that release oxygen. They carry out biological purification of water and are food for fish (for example, for koi). These include marsh turcha, hornwort, spiked urt, water star.
• Floating plants serve to decorate the mirror of the pond. They can be placed in containers on underwater terraces. The most popular are duckweed, vodokras, azolla, thick-leaved eichornia.
• For shallow ponds, deep water plants are used in combination with floating plants. They are also planted in containers. The easiest to care for are the water lily, the capsule, the apogeton.
• Embankment plants are necessary to decorate the contours of the pond and to protect the water from overheating. Usually, low embankment plants are used for these purposes: fern, thuja, barberry, juniper, etc. Other plants planted in pots also look good.

Coastal and pond decoration

There are a lot of ways to design the coastline of a reservoir:

• the use of large stones of various shapes. Marble, granite, sandstone, quartzite, etc. are used as the main types of stone for decoration;
• construction of decks and bridges from logs;
• decoration of the coast with slabs or tiles;
• with a special decorative film, immediately covered with a layer of gravel and imitating rocky relief.

Choosing a method of designing a reservoir, it is necessary to build on its size and shape. The size of the stone should be proportional to the pond itself. Large stones will be in harmony with a large reservoir, and small ones with a small one. Ideally, the shape of the stones should also be similar.

Large boulders are laid around the perimeter so that part of the stone hangs over the water. No need to make a continuous coastline of stones. In the edging of the reservoir, plants and stones should alternate in random order. After placing all the stones, they must be fixed in cement, deepening into the solution by a third of their height.

Reservoirs of strict geometric shapes are best edged with similar materials: tiles, logs, boards.

Stylistic design

The design of the pond can be different - the main thing is that it is combined with the landscape of the site. A variety of stylistic solutions allows you to create amazing compositions that demonstrate the beauty of the water element.

Chinese

The pond is an obligatory companion of Chinese gardens. Traditionally, a path of large boulders should lead to the Chinese pond, and the banks should smoothly descend into the water. A small wooden bridge was often thrown over the pond, and a gazebo was placed next to it for contemplation and tea drinking. Koi and lotuses are a typical Chinese pond element. The Chinese-style pond is decorated with bright and lush vegetation.

French

The French pond is an example of elegance and sophistication, and at the same time the severity of forms. It attracts with clear boundaries and a neat shape. As a rule, French-style banks rise above ground level. Fountains, cascades, steps and sculptures characterize this style.

Italian

A characteristic feature of the Italian pond is its symmetry. A reservoir of regular geometric shape, usually with a decorative fountain or a cascade type, is located at the head of the garden. Since Italian landscapes are regular, compositional, terraced, several levels can also be present in the pond. The banks are lined with many ornamental plants in terracotta pots, or in tubs and beautiful containers. Often Italian ponds are decorated with street lamps.

Japanese

The Japanese pond should be as natural as possible. You will never find rectangular ponds in nature, so there are none in the Japanese style. A Japanese pond may have a waterfall, but not a fountain. In general, the art of creating a Japanese pond is similar to the creation of bonsai - everything is real, but in miniature. The pond should look like the ocean, a pebble on the shore - like a rock towering above the ocean. On the shore, you can put a sculpture with the image of a Buddha, a dragon, an animal or a bird, so that it is reflected in the water surface.

English

An English-style pond is much easier to arrange, as it does not require clear boundaries. The lines of the English pond should be smooth. An English reservoir is usually created of a landscape type - trees and shrubs grow in abundance around it. English ponds look natural.

After arranging a pond at their summer cottage and landscaping, you will have to take care of the pond. What is included in the concept of care:

• In spring, the filters and the pump are usually switched on in mid-April. Immediately you need to carry out bottom cleaning and cleaning the surface of debris. At the same time annual plants are planted.
• Tropical plants are planted from June.
• Bottom cleaning should be regular and carried out with a bottom vacuum cleaner.
• In summer, it is imperative to remove debris from the surface of the water surface with a skimmer.
• In summer, thread-like algae must be removed. If oxygen generators do not have time to purify the water from green algae, you can use special chemicals - algaecides.
• Water lilies and irises need to be fed with fertilizers.
• All summer it is necessary to control the quality of water with special tests.
• In the fall, tropical plants are taken out of the pond, placed in containers with water, and wintered in a bright, frost-free room.
• In autumn, during the period of leaf fall, it will be more convenient to cover the surface of the pond with a fine mesh so that the yellow leaves do not sink to the bottom, and remove it by winter.
• In winter, the water from the pond drains. Water must be drained from all pipes and hoses. Remove and clean filters and pumps.

Conclusion

A pond on a personal summer cottage is prestigious, fashionable and simply beautiful. If it is quite troublesome to maintain a large deep pond with fish, then even the owner of a small plot can build a small pond with his own hands within the means and within the power.

Are you constantly haunted by the feeling that something is missing in your dacha? Take a look around you! Yes, there are flower beds, a gazebo, a playground too. Do you have a small pond in which lilies float or a fountain gurgles on your site? If not, then building a decorative pond with your own hands is completely easy.

Key points for arranging a pond

If you have made such a decision, do not immediately grab a shovel. First of all, decide on the following questions:

• the location of the pond on the site;
• the size of the pond and its shape;
• materials for the arrangement of the pond;
• vegetation for the pond, its decoration.

Don't let difficulties scare you, they are all easily overcome. A small financial outlay, a few days of work, and the “crystal” dream of any summer resident will appear on your site - the quiet expanse of a pond or a babbling fountain sparkling in the sun with a multi-colored rainbow.

Choosing a place for an ornamental pond: it is important not to make a mistake

When choosing a place for a pond, keep in mind that the pond will not be a place for breeding fish or swimming, it will only serve as a decorative function. However, it is very important that a natural ecological system be built for it, otherwise, instead of decoration, after a while, a “charming” swamp may turn out.

Carefully choose a place for an artificial reservoir so that over time it does not turn into a “charming” swamp

The illumination of the site is very important for the placement of the pond. On the one hand, coastal and aquatic plants need the sun, on the other hand, its excess is detrimental to the entire ecosystem.

When the summer is hot, in small ponds the water heats up so much that it becomes impossible to control the reproduction of algae, as a result, the inhabitants of such reservoirs die.

The ideal option is considered to be when the sun's rays warm up the pond only in the first or second half of the day. It is desirable that in the afternoon it was in the shade.

It is advisable to arrange the pond so that the sun's rays warm it up only in the first or second half of the day.

It is not difficult to determine the illumination of a future reservoir. It is enough to mark the contours of the future pond with a rope or white sand and follow during the day which part of it will be illuminated by the sun.

Determine the level of illumination of the place allotted for the pond

If there is no house or garden structures near the place allotted for the pond, a tree or bush can shade it. Trees with a weeping crown shape look very beautiful near the pond, but in this case, you will have to regularly clean the water from fallen leaves.

Building a pond with your own hands is easiest if you fit it into the existing landscape, using the lowest and wettest places in the garden. It can drain water from the site through the drainage system.

If the summer cottage is flat, you can choose a place for a pond on the border of the garden, marked by trees or bushes. You can allocate a place next to the livestock. But then it is necessary to make a smooth transition between the water reach of the pond and the plantations - a strip of perennials or ornamental grasses.

Do not surround the pond with a solid wall. Plant plants of different heights on the shore

The pond among the lawn does not look the best. If there are no other options, plant plants of different heights on the shore, but not in a solid wall - your gaze should slide over the mirror of the water.

A decorative pond next to an alpine slide or rockery looks spectacular and stylish. By decorating a hill and a pond with the same forms of stones, you can link them into a single compositional whole.

A decorative pond will look especially impressive next to an alpine slide or rockery

The use of height differences and natural hills makes it possible to enter a stream into such a composition, which will flow over the stones into the pond. In the future, such a composition can be supplemented with a decorative bridge.

The shape and style of the reservoir

A pond, as an element of landscape design, must correspond to a certain style. Round ponds are a favorite form of the English landscape.

Round ponds are widely used in English landscapes.

Precise geometric shapes are best for a regular style. Irregularly shaped ponds that follow the shape of natural water bodies are popular in classical Chinese and Japanese gardens.

An irregularly shaped pond is an ideal addition to a Chinese or Japanese style garden.

Today, it is not at all necessary to strive for a do-it-yourself constructed pond in the country house to have a natural or strict geometric shape. The main thing is that it should fit perfectly into the landscape of the garden.

The main thing is not form and decor, but harmonious unity with the surrounding landscape

With special care, materials are selected for the design of the coast and the coastal zone.

Materials for the design of the shores of the reservoir are selected very carefully. Clinker, natural stone, wood or concrete must be in harmony with the facade of the house, path or retaining walls.

Materials for an artificial reservoir

To equip the pond in the country with their own hands, they use different waterproofing materials. Their choice depends on the shape and size of the pond. If the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe reservoir does not exceed 5 sq.m, ready-made plastic bowls are mainly used.

It is convenient to use ready-made plastic bowls for arranging reservoirs with an area of ​​\u200b\u200bno more than 5 sq.m.

They are very easy to install, and they will serve for decades. The disadvantage of plastic molds is that they have a strictly defined shape and small volume.

Those who wish to create a reservoir on an individual project should use a waterproofing film. It is very elastic and easily deformed to the desired shape. There are three types of this material.

The most commonly used black PVC film (polyvinyl chloride). It lends itself perfectly to repair with glue. Therefore, if the need arises, it can be repaired.

Polyethylene film is cheaper than PVC, but it does not have the same elasticity and durability. If the polyethylene leaks, you can “treat” it with a self-adhesive tape.

Butyl rubber is considered the best film. The thickness of this film is chosen depending on the depth of the pond and the water pressure. For a reservoir whose depth does not exceed 80 cm, a film 0.8 mm thick is sufficient. If the depth is greater, the film thickness should be 1.2 - 1.5 mm.

The best option for an artificial pond is butyl rubber film. The free ends of the film can be masked with stones

On the shore of a reservoir, the bottom of which is made of film, the stones should hang slightly above the water. This way you can mask the free ends of the film.

Another option for arranging a reservoir is a monolithic concrete pit. For ponds with regular geometric shapes, this is the most convenient manufacturing method. Although, in order to build such a pond, one must have the skills to work with concrete, be able to install formwork and reinforcement. In addition, it is necessary to plan the location of the reservoir very accurately, all its parameters, since then it is almost impossible to fix anything.

The optimal solution for ponds with regular geometric shapes will be a monolithic concrete pit

The most difficult thing in the construction of a concrete pit is the pouring of beveled walls with smooth transitions between terraces of different heights. In addition to concrete, in the construction of a monolithic pond bowl, a reinforcing steel mesh is used, and the inner surfaces of the pit are also covered with a protective layer of fine-grained sand, which must be renewed at least once every two years.

Master class: creating a pond based on a rigid tank

Rigid containers are good because they are easy and quick to install. You can easily install such a container yourself, spending only 1-2 days.

Installing a rigid container is not difficult. By choosing a bowl with natural stone edges, you do not have to be puzzled by disguise

If you manage to purchase a plastic bowl with edges designed to look like natural stone, the process will go even faster, because the problem of giving the coast a natural look will disappear.

Operating procedure

1. Install the finished container in the place reserved for the pond. So that she does not bend over, put her on the bricks. Circle the edges of the container with light sand or lime. In order for the pit to correspond to the relief of the tank, it is necessary to accurately mark out zones of different heights.

2. It is necessary to dig a pit very carefully according to the markings, expanding and deepening them by 10 cm.

3. Install the bowl of the reservoir in the pit, using the level, make sure that the bowl is horizontal. Adjust the depth of the pit if necessary.

4. Fill the container with water a third and start filling the cracks with sand, periodically pouring water over it.

Master class: creating a reservoir on a film basis

Using a waterproofing film, you can create a reservoir of any, even the most bizarre shape. Having decided on a place for a reservoir, we proceed to its construction.

1. Mark the contours of the pond banks with light sand or dry lime. Dig a ditch around the perimeter on a spade bayonet. Collect the removed sod and fertile soil separately.

2. Again with sand or lime, draw contours for different depths. The deepest place should be in the center of the reservoir. Gradually remove the soil from a less deep zone, and only then from the deepest.

3. Using a tape measure and string, calculate the required film size. To strengthen the banks, add another 50 cm to each side.

4. A layer of sand should be poured at the bottom of the pit, geotextiles or interlining should be placed on top. This will protect the film from contact with sharp stones and roots. Now you can cover the film.

5. Fill the reservoir with water gradually, pressing down the bottom and terraces with stones. The film should settle gradually.

6. After a few days, proceed to the design of the coastal zone. The edges of the film are well seasoned and laid stones and slabs. The gaps between them are covered with pebbles and sand.

A quick way to create a pond mine from improvised means

I will not talk about old bathtubs, buckets, barrels and basins, adapted and converted into garden ponds. It's very simple and primitive.

But I’ll still introduce you to one interesting way to create a pond out of uselessness. I stumbled upon these photos while surfing the endless expanses of the Internet.

We make a decorative pond from an old car tire

The form for the pond is an ordinary car tire. You can get hold of this "good" at a landfill, at a tire fitting, or at your husband's garage.

The larger the diameter of the tire, the larger the pond will turn out. Tires from the wheels of KAMAZ, BELAZ or the Belarus tractor will allow you to build a decent-sized pond. Cut off the top part of the tire.

Having folded the film in two layers, we line the bottom and sides of the tire. We bend the edges of the film under the sides.

We fill the pond with water and decorate the banks with stones and plants.

Choosing plants for the pond and coastal zone

In the balance of the ecosystem of a reservoir, even a very small one, a special role is given to plants - those that grow on the shore and those that live in the water. Therefore, they must be selected very carefully.

Decoration of the coastal zone

Lovers of natural style, as a rule, prefer large bodies of water. Their shores impress with lush vegetation, which belongs to the local flora: willow loosestrife, monetized loosestrife, marsh iris. There are also such tall plants as reeds and darmer.

Artificial pond in natural style impresses with lush vegetation

For reservoirs in a regular style, strict symmetry is characteristic. Plants on the shore are planted in a certain order. Large rectangular slabs are laid around the pond. Wooden flooring and "embankments" look stylish.

A special atmosphere of tranquility and unique charm is created by Japanese-style ponds. This is facilitated by the harmony of stone with skillfully selected plants, decorative bridges and other accessories.

Japanese-style ponds give the beholder a sense of harmony and tranquility

If there is enough space on the shore, tall perennials can be planted.

For ornamental ponds, which are most often found in our dachas, the main thing is a spectacular appearance. If there is enough space on the shore, tall perennials are planted: gunner, rogers, host, bergenia, marsh iris, astilba. Between the stones, closer to the water, you can plant tenacity, stonecrops, forget-me-nots.

Aquatic plants for ponds

Particular attention should be paid to the selection of aquatic plants for a small pond.

For small ponds, it is very important to choose the right plants that will float on the surface of the water. There shouldn't be many of them. Dwarf water lilies, water hyacinth, water ranunculus, duckweed not only decorate a small pond, they saturate it with oxygen, thereby supporting its vital activity.

When choosing aquatic plants, be sure to find out how quickly they grow. Otherwise, it may happen that over the summer your decorative pond will be covered with wild thickets, due to which the water will not be visible at all.

To control the development of fast-growing plants, it is better to plant them not in the ground, but in special containers or "pockets" made of jute, which are attached to coastal stones. In containers, heat-loving specimens will find their place, which, with the onset of cold weather, are moved to a trough with water and transferred to the cellar.

It is very important to know how deep to plant aquatic plants. In garden ponds, five zones of different depths are conditionally distinguished.

The coastal zone is considered to be up to 10 cm deep; it forms a swamp or a wet meadow. Here marsh iris, plakun and marigold feel great.

Shallow water (depth from 10 to 40 cm). Plants with tubular stems feel good here - reeds, calamus, whorled urt.

The deep-water zone starts at 40 cm. This is the habitat of plants with floating leaves - nymphaeum, as well as aponogeton bicuspid, arrowhead, elodea - plants that hide under water.

So that in winter the reservoir does not freeze and the plants in it are preserved, its depth must be at least 80 cm.

Filters and pumps for ornamental pond

In order for the pond to be always clean and the water fresh, experts recommend equipping it with a filter and a pump for pumping water. Small pumps look like containers. They can easily be hidden under rocks. The right choice of pump for the pond will help a specialist. After all, the power of the pump is determined by the volume of water.

Having chosen a place for the pump, and placing it on a concrete slab or brick, it is necessary to mark the line for laying the water pipe and the electrical cable. The cable is placed in a special reinforced tube and, together with the water pipe, is masked with small stones and pebbles. The pump is connected to the electrical circuit through a circuit breaker. The water filter must be changed regularly.

On the shore of a self-created reservoir, you can organize a cozy recreation area

All these simple tips that you have read will allow you to complete the creative task perfectly, and the place by the reservoir will become not only a habitat for dragonflies and butterflies, but also a favorite vacation spot for the whole family.