Have beautiful pond in the garden - the dream of any summer resident. In order for the reservoir to be original and easy to maintain, it is necessary to think through all the details: choose a location, select materials, select residents and plants, and then begin construction.
A pond in the garden: how to choose a site and not make a mistake with the shape and size
On initial stage, often due to their inexperience and ignorance, gardeners make mistakes that can cause many problems in the future. Only correctly selected terrain, size and shape ideally suited to the area of the site is the key to successful construction. That is why, before carrying out such work, a diagram is drawn up and planning of landscape design objects and buildings in the garden is carried out.
Site selection
- Best under a pond will do open area, as tall trees and shrubs will constantly clog the water. Alternatively, you can cover the surface with a net during leaf fall, but in the summer the protection will have to be removed, and debris from surrounding plants will still end up at the bottom of the reservoir. A pond placed in the shade will take a long time to warm up, especially early spring.
- It is very important that the selected area is exposed to sunlight either in the first half of the day or in the second.
- The surface of the construction site must be perfectly flat. Even a slight difference in height can spoil the entire appearance; for example, waterproofing protruding from high banks does not look aesthetically pleasing.
Form
Laws landscape design they say that for a small palisade in natural style the optimal solution is a sinuous, intricate shape. As practice shows, placing such a pond in a small area is quite problematic, and it will look comical.
But this is not a reason to abandon the reservoir; you can make a waterfall with a height difference or a small semi-fountain. With proper decoration, even the simplest geometric model will fit into all kinds of plantings without disturbing the landscape.
If the palisade is designed in a certain style, then the pond should correspond to it. Yes, for English style a round pond is suitable, for a classic one - with strictly defined corners, and an oriental design will allow you to choose a completely arbitrary shape.
Size and depth
It is not necessary to make a pond in the garden large, even if the area allows it. Properly placed small size a pond will look much more impressive than a lake in the middle of a lawn. Although the larger ones are easier to care for, easier to decorate and can be used for swimming or fishing.
The optimal depth of the pond is from 30 to 50 cm; under such a thickness of water both vegetation and living creatures will be comfortable. But it is worth considering that such a reservoir will freeze, and fish and plants will have to be relocated for the winter. It is much easier to install and design a shallow reservoir with gently sloping banks.
DIY pond in the garden
Garden ponds are installed from a wide variety of materials: plastic, concrete, stone, film, geotextiles. You can also buy ready-made base- it is relatively easy to install, it is suitable for wintering aquatic plants and has a fairly long service life.
The purpose of a pond can be different:
- a mini pond made from a cast iron bathtub or garden cart;
- a decorative swamp with which you can drain a problem area;
- home to local flora and fauna;
- a haven for exotic fish and plants;
- pool with iridescent water.
Arrangement of a pond from a ready-made mold
Using a specially designed container made of polyethylene or fiberglass, creating a small mini-pond with standing water is quite simple. They come in a variety of shapes and types and are sold in specialty stores and at themed landscape design exhibitions.
- Place a two-level base in a predetermined place and outline its contours on the surface of the ground, adding 15 cm for seams. Dig a pit for one level, and then, after re-trying, for another, but 15-20 cm deeper than the bath itself
- Thoroughly clean the recess from stones and plant debris and compact it well. Next, make a layer of dry sand, 10 cm thick, and level it. Using a level and a ruler, ensure that the container is installed correctly.
- Fill the resulting air space with sand, moistening it until it stops seeping down. At the same time, fill the pond with water and monitor its level. If necessary, twist until the position is even.
- After 24 hours, check to see if the pond has subsided. If this happens, add sand and compact it. Then empty the container, wash and fill with clean water.
- That's it, the pond is ready for decoration. Place pebbles around it or make paths from colored gravel, plant plants in containers.
Original do-it-yourself pond in the garden photo
Often the main determining factor when choosing one of the decorative pond options is the financial side. We offer several very original and relatively inexpensive ways to build a treasured water feature.
Second life
Old barrels located in a secluded place will serve as an excellent habitat for aquatic plants. The principle of laying such a mini-pond is the same as in the previous method. It is better to use wooden barrels made of oak, the main thing is that they are not dry. But with metal containers you will have to tinker a little: wash it, cover the outer surface with bitumen, and paint the inner surface with black oil paint to give visual depth.
Man-made lake
What could be more beautiful small lake next to country house? You will need plastic film, which can be used to cover 3 by 3 meter pieces of cardboard and plywood or similar pieces of plastic (5 pieces).
You'll have to work hard:
- dig a pit with a volume of 3*3*3 m;
- secure the ground (using thin plywood or construction cardboard); if the plastic compound will not be installed, then first cover them with plastic film;
- It is ideal to install the plastic coating on the inner surface and bottom evenly.
As a result, your creation will delight the eye for many years.
raised pond
If the garden area is very small, this is not a reason to deprive yourself of the pleasure of admiring the water composition. The basis can be the usual old bath, the sides of which will be successfully disguised by wood or stone. This design is not recommended for breeding fish, but it is ideal for aquatic plants and snails.
For ease of pond cleaning and masking of enamel white use black film, securing its edges with decorative stones so that the bathtub is not visible at all.
DIY pond in the garden photo: choosing plants for compositions
Without a doubt, a pond made with your own hands is a great achievement, but in order for the pond to attract the eye and invite you to relax, you should choose the right vegetation.
Floating crops
The key place in every garden pond is occupied by the well-known water lily or nymphea (lat. Nymphaea). Many small-flowered and large-flowered varieties allow you to beautifully decorate a pond of any size.
For example, for a small pond, the most suitable are dwarf water lilies (Pygmaea Alba, N. tetragona, Marliacea Rosea), as they can visually increase the area. It is not advisable to plant other floating plants next to the nymph, or to erect a rockery or fountain (splashes can damage the leaves).
Marsh buttercup (Hottonia palustris) and water buttercup (Ranunculus aquatilis) will look very impressive on the water. These species are unpretentious; a piece of shoot is enough for their reproduction, but they are completely unsuited to wintering under thick ice, so during the cold period the plants should be moved to the basement.
Shallow water plants
The peculiarities of the root system of amphibian crops make them most suitable for landscaping ornamental swamps, reservoirs located in low areas, as well as shallow waters. This group includes: iris, marsh marigold, manna, arrowhead.
Coastal zone
The selection of plants for edging the pond depends on the level of soil drainage and the depth of the pond. groundwater. Heuchera, daylilies (Hemerocallis), bathwort (Tróllius), Siberian iris (Íris sibírica), and cornflower (Thalictrum) will take root on a gently sloping, damp bank. The numerous varieties and the most unusual color schemes make it possible to combine these aquatic plants.
The coastal zone, framed by rocky hills, involves planting drought-resistant, light-loving plants, such as saxifrage (Saxifraga) and young (Sempervivum), as well as low-growing bells and cereals, edelweiss and phlox. When planting crops, it is necessary to regulate the layering of plantings: low-growing perennials plant at the top, in a kind of water plateau, and tall ones - several levels lower.
Bottom line
A garden pond is not just a water feature - it is a real architectural structure, the erection and arrangement of which will require a lot of effort and time. But thanks to our practical advice and instructions creative process construction and landscaping of the reservoir will bring a lot of pleasure.
Are you constantly haunted by the feeling that your dacha is missing something? Look around you! Yes, there are flower beds, a gazebo, and a playground too. A small pond Do you have an IR in which lilies float or a fountain gurgles on your property? If not, then build decorative pond It’s absolutely easy to do it yourself.
Key issues in pond design
If you have made such a decision, do not immediately grab a shovel. First of all, decide on the following questions:
- location of the pond on the site;
- pond size and shape;
- materials for pond construction;
- 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 surface of a pond or a babbling fountain sparkling in the sun with a multi-colored rainbow.
Choosing a location for a decorative 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 decorative purposes. However, it is very important that a natural ecological system be built for it, otherwise, instead of decoration, after some time you may end up with a “charming” swamp.
Carefully choose a place for an artificial pond so that over time it does not turn into a “charming” swamp
The illumination of the area is very important for placing a 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, the water in small ponds heats up so much that it becomes impossible to control the proliferation of algae, as a result, the inhabitants of such reservoirs die.
Ideal option is considered such when sun rays warm up the pond only in the first or second half of the day. It is advisable for him to be in the shade during mass.
It is advisable to position the pond so that the sun's rays warm it only in the first or second half of the day
It is not difficult to determine the illumination of the future reservoir. It is enough to mark the contours of the future pond with a rope or white sand and monitor during the day which part of it will be illuminated by the sun.
Determine the level of illumination of the area allocated for the pond
If there is no house near the place allocated for the pond or garden buildings, a tree or bush can shade it. Trees with a weeping crown look very beautiful near the pond, but in this case you will have to regularly clean the water from fallen leaves.
The easiest way to build a pond with your own hands is to fit it into the existing landscape, using the lowest and wettest places in the garden. It can drain water from the site through drainage system.
If the dacha plot is flat, you can choose a place for a pond on the border of the garden, marked by trees or bushes. You can also allocate a place next to the living creature. But then it is necessary to make between the water reach of the pond and the plantings smooth transition– a strip of perennials or ornamental grasses.
Do not surround the pond with a solid wall. Plant plants on the shore different heights
The pond in the middle of the lawn doesn't look the best. If there are no other options, plant plants of different heights on the shore, but not as a solid wall - your gaze should slide along the mirror of the water.
The decorative pond next to it looks impressive and stylish. alpine slide or rock garden. Designing a slide and a pond identical shapes stones, you can connect them into a single compositional whole.
A decorative pond will look especially impressive next to an alpine slide or rock garden.
The use of height differences and natural hills makes it possible to include 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.
Shape and style of the reservoir
A pond, as an element of landscape design, must comply a certain style. Round ponds are a favorite form of the English landscape.
Round ponds are widely used in English landscapes
Precise geometric shapes work best for a regular style. Ponds irregular shape, which follow the shape of natural ponds, are popular in classical Chinese and Japanese gardens.
An irregularly shaped pond will be an ideal addition to a Chinese or Japanese style garden.
Today it is not at all necessary to strive to ensure that a pond built with one’s own hands at the dacha has a natural or strict geometric shape. The main thing is that it should fit perfectly into the garden landscape.
The main thing is not the form and decor, but the harmonious unity with the surrounding landscape
Materials for the design of the shore are selected with special care and coastal zone
Materials for decorating the banks of a reservoir are selected very carefully. Clinker, natural stone, wood or concrete should be in harmony with the facade of the house, path or retaining walls.
Materials for artificial pond
To arrange a pond at the dacha with your own hands, they use different waterproofing materials. Their choice depends on the shape and size of the pond. If the area of the reservoir does not exceed 5 sq.m., ready-made plastic bowls are preferably used.
Ready-made plastic bowls are convenient to use for arranging reservoirs with an area of no 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 wishing to create a reservoir individual project, it is worth using a waterproofing film. It is very elastic and can be easily deformed to the desired shape. There are three types of this material.
The most commonly used is black PVC film(polyvinyl chloride). It lends itself perfectly to repair with glue. Therefore, if the need arises, it can be repaired.
Polyethylene film cheaper than PVC, but it does not have the same elasticity and durability. If the polyethylene becomes leaky, you can “treat” it with self-adhesive tape.
Butyl rubber is considered the best film. The thickness of this film is selected depending on the depth of the pond and water pressure. For a reservoir whose depth does not exceed 80 cm, a film with a thickness of 0.8 mm is sufficient. If the depth is greater, the film thickness should be 1.2 - 1.5 mm.
Best option For artificial pond– 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 slightly overhang 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 way manufacturing. Although, to build such a pond, you must have skills in working with concrete and be able to install formwork and reinforcement. In addition, it is necessary to very accurately plan the placement of the reservoir and all its parameters, since it is almost impossible to correct anything later.
The optimal solution for ponds with regular geometric shapes would be a monolithic concrete pit
The most difficult thing in constructing a concrete pit is pouring sloping walls with smooth transitions between terraces of different heights. In addition to concrete, in the construction of a monolithic pond bowl, reinforcing material is used steel mesh, and the internal surfaces of the pit are also covered protective layer made of fine-grained sand, which must be updated at least once every two years.
Master class: creating a pond based on a rigid container
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 rims, you won’t have to worry about camouflage
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 banks natural look.
Operating procedure
1. Place the prepared container in the place allocated for the pond. To prevent it from leaning, place it on bricks. Use light sand or lime to outline the edges of the container. In order for the pit to correspond to the topography of the tank, it is necessary to accurately mark out zones of different heights.
2. You need to dig the pit very carefully following the markings, expanding and deepening them by 10cm.
3. Install the bowl of the reservoir in the pit, using a level to make sure that the bowl is horizontal. If necessary, adjust the depth of the pit.
4. Fill the container one third with water and begin filling the cracks with sand, periodically pouring water on it.
Master class: creating a reservoir on a film basis
Using a waterproofing film, you can create a pond of any shape, even the most bizarre. Having decided on a place for the 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 using a spade bayonet. Collect removed turf and fertile soil separately.
2. Again, use sand or lime to draw contours for different depths. The deepest place should be in the center of the reservoir. Gradually remove the soil from the shallower 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 onto the bottom of the pit, and geotextiles or non-woven fabric 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 the bottom and terraces with stones. The film should settle gradually.
6. After a few days, start decorating the coastal zone. The edges of the film are carefully tucked in and stones and slabs are laid. The gaps between them are filled with pebbles and sand.
A quick way to create a pond mine from improvised means
About old bathtubs, buckets, barrels and basins, adapted and converted into garden ponds, I won’t tell you. It's very simple and primitive.
But with one in an interesting way creating a pond out of uselessness, I’ll introduce you anyway. I came across these photos while walking through the endless expanses of the Internet.
Let's do decorative pond from an old car tire
The shape for the pond is an ordinary car tire. You can get hold of this “good” at a landfill, at a tire shop, or in your husband’s garage.
How larger diameter tires, the larger the pond will be. Tires from KAMAZ, BELAZ wheels or the Belarus tractor will allow you to build a decent-sized pond. Upper part trim the tires.
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, you need to select them especially carefully.
Design of the coastal zone
Lovers of natural style, as a rule, prefer large bodies of water. Their banks are impressive with lush vegetation, which belongs to the local flora: loosestrife, loosestrife, and marsh iris. There are also tall plants such as reeds and darmera.
Natural style artificial pond impresses with lush vegetation
Reservoirs in a regular style are characterized by strict symmetry. Plants on the shore are planted in a certain order. Large rectangular slabs are laid around the pond. Look stylish wooden flooring and "embankments".
Japanese-style ponds create a special atmosphere of tranquility and unique charm. This is facilitated by the harmony of the stone with skillfully selected plants, decorative bridges and other accessories.
Japanese-style ponds give the viewer a feeling of harmony and tranquility
If there is enough space on the shore, you can plant tall perennials
For decorative ponds, which can most often be found at our dachas, the main thing is a spectacular appearance. If there is enough space on the shore, tall perennials are planted: gunnera, rogersia, hosta, bergenia, marsh iris, astilbe. Between the stones, closer to the water, you can plant sedum, sedum, and 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 buttercup, and 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 become 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. Heat-loving specimens will find their place in containers, 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 at what depth to plant aquatic plants. Garden ponds are conventionally divided into five zones of different depths.
A zone with a depth of up to 10 cm is considered coastal; it forms a swamp or wet meadow. Marsh iris, weeping weed and marigold feel excellent here.
Shallow water (depth from 10 to 40cm). Plants with tubular stems do well here - reeds, calamus, and verticillate.
The deep-water zone begins at 40 cm. This is the habitat of plants with floating leaves - nymphs, as well as Aponogeton bispica, arrowhead, elodea - plants that hide under water.
To prevent the pond from freezing in winter and to preserve the plants in it, its depth should be at least 80 cm.
Filters and pumps for decorative ponds
To ensure that the reservoir is always clean and the water is 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 stones. The right choice A specialist will help you install a pond pump. 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 concrete slab or brick, it is necessary to mark the line for laying the water pipe and electrical cable. The cable is placed in a special reinforced tube and, together with water pipe camouflage with small stones and pebbles. The pump is turned on electrical circuit through the circuit breaker. The water filter needs to 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 your creative task perfectly, and the place near the pond will become not only a habitat for dragonflies and butterflies, but also a favorite vacation spot for the whole family.
Artificial ponds in the landscape design of a summer cottage create an amazing atmosphere that promotes comfortable rest. The pond gives a feeling of freshness and serves as an irreplaceable decorative element plot.
What is a pond?
A pond is an artificial reservoir of a static type, an element of landscape design of a park, summer cottage, or garden. It is considered the most common and optimal choice for a site of any size and configuration.
Can be arranged separately or combined into a harmonious composition with artificial reservoirs dynamic type: streams, waterfalls, fountains.
A pond is an essential element of a Japanese-style site, a rock garden. The water is purified artificially, the bottom and banks are decorated with plants and stones. Sometimes fish are bred in an artificial pond at the dacha.
Types of ponds
Artificial ponds in the garden can be made in natural or formal styles. Each of them can be structurally recessed or raised. They are made from various materials, which are used for waterproofing the bottom - concrete, clay, special rigid shape, brick, special film.
The criterion for classifying ponds can be geometric shape. There are artificial reservoirs of regular and irregular shape.
- The first group is round, rectangular, square, diamond-shaped reservoirs.
- The second group is ponds, the configuration of which is close to natural. The choice of form depends on the style of landscape design of the summer cottage.
Stages of constructing a pond at the dacha
To build a pond at your dacha with your own hands, you need to solve several organizational issues. First you need to select materials and a place to build a reservoir.
The location for the pond should be selected based on the design features of the site - it is recommended to take into account its size, shape and layout. It is better to place the pond in a place protected from winds and excess sunlight– this can harm the harmonious development of vegetation. The reservoir should be illuminated by the sun no more than 10 hours a day, but not less than 6 hours.
If you decide to make a pond with a pump, you need to consider access to the power supply system. A pump will be required if a static reservoir is combined with a dynamic one.
Most popular type pond - buried. For a pond to be durable, it is necessary high-quality waterproofing bottom.
Let's consider common materials for waterproofing:
- Fiberglass. It is used to produce ready-made rigid forms of various configurations. Most often, small ponds with an area of up to 3-4 sq.m. are built from ready-made forms. It is not recommended to use ordinary plastic - it will not last long. Fiberglass molds are reliable and durable. The disadvantage is the relatively high cost.
- PVC or butyl rubber film. This good material for arranging a free-form pond. The material is characterized by elasticity, strength, durability, resistance to aggressive substances, low and high temperatures. PVC film will last about 15 years, butyl rubber - up to 50. Using film makes it possible to change the shape of the bottom in the future and easily produce renovation work. Experts warn that polyethylene should not be used - it is not strong enough. It is also necessary to pump water out of the pond in the winter so that when it freezes it does not damage the film.
- Reinforced concrete - reliable material to build an artificial pond at your dacha with your own hands. The main advantage of reinforced concrete is its strength; it is very difficult to damage. Disadvantage: this material is difficult to work with and requires certain skills. When constructing a high-quality bottom for a pond using reinforced concrete, it is necessary to follow the technology and use concrete of a certain grade. Reinforced concrete is indispensable if you decide to build sculptures or a bridge.
Stages of constructing a pond at the dacha, using a rigid form:
- A pit corresponding to the configuration of the selected container is required. First of all, you need to outline the contours of the rigid shape with a shovel.
- The pit should be slightly deeper than the depth of the container itself - about 4-5 cm.
- Sand needs to be compacted at the bottom.
- Having installed the bathtub in the pit, you need to make sure that there are no voids anywhere - they need to be filled with sand. You need to be especially careful if the pit complex shape– for example, terraced.
Construction of a pond with film insulation:
- First you need to dig a pit. The use of film allows you to create a pond of various configurations. The photo shows a pond in the country, created using PVC film.
The choice of film depends on the planned life of the pond: PVC and butyl rubber will create a durable bottom coating, polyethylene is cheaper and will last for 2-4 years. Polyethylene is the choice of those who like to change their design frequently garden plot.
Important factor choice - film color:- Blue, gray: the pond will resemble a swimming pool.
- Cream: the bottom will be light, and against such a background plants and exotic fish will look beautiful.
- Brown: imitates natural soil. In combination with the natural shape of the pond, such a bottom will look as natural as possible.
- Black: the pond will resemble a mirror. The pond looks fantastic, fabulous - appropriate decorative elements are needed.
- Prepare materials: sand, building level, twine and pegs for marking, shovel, hose.
- Dig a pit without sharp corners, the banks must have a slope. Remove stones and roots from the pit.
- The minimum depth of the central bowl is 60 cm.
- Lay a drainage layer of sand.
- Geotextiles are laid on top of the sand layer. This is necessary to protect the film from mechanical damage.
- The shore needs to be processed. To do this, dig out a ledge - it is needed for finishing with tiles, decorative stones, and bricks.
- The film is laid loosely on the bottom of the pit so that it lies without tension, and secured along the edges with stones.
- The last stage is the installation of the blind area.
Instructions on how to make a raised pond in your country house:
- The main thing for installing such a pond is the foundation. It needs to be poured and allowed to harden. You can create a half-buried pond - for this you need to dig a small pit. A sand cushion is placed at the bottom.
- It is necessary to build supporting walls and allow them to strengthen.
- When the foundation and walls are ready, you need to ensure reliable waterproofing by laying a special film.
- Gradually fill the reservoir with water.
It will take several days to make a pond in the country.
When the pond is ready, it needs proper care:
- Remove debris that ends up in the pond.
- Once a season, it is recommended to clean the bottom using a special mesh. You can use a special vacuum cleaner to clean water bodies.
- Choose the right plants - they will also “look after” the pond. Oxygenators (for example, elodea) will help fill the water with oxygen - it will not turn green in the summer.
- Once a year, mainly in spring, you can use special cleansers. Do not abuse them - they are harmful to human health.
The video tutorial will help you understand the intricacies of the work.
Video: how to make a pond at your dacha with your own hands
When designing a pond at your dacha, you shouldn’t hold back the flight of your imagination - everything is permissible here: both frivolous cascades and heavy boulders covered with mossy vegetation.
It all depends on how you imagine your country pond, and in what style the nearby ones are decorated.
But here, too, everything is relative - even outright dissonance can be presented as a special idea of the author.
There are two main styles for decorating a pond at your dacha with your own hands: landscape (as close to nature as possible) and designer (deliberately artificial and more fantasy).
There are also landscaped swimming ponds - these are ponds designed in a landscape style, but you can also swim in them. They will be discussed in more detail on another page of the site. In general decorative design the pond must correspond to its shape and size.
How to decorate a pond at your dacha with your own hands in landscape style
How to decorate a pond with your own hands in a landscape style, if the existing situation on the site allows for a free design style that is close to natural? In this case, the reservoir is made of any shape with a curved coastline, which can then be decorated with natural stones.
From existing species natural and artificial stones For decorating ponds at a summer cottage in a landscape style, preference should be given to crushed granite, river pebbles, and decorative onyx.
Beige sandstone is also suitable, decorative tiles and similar materials. The size of the stones should depend on the size of the reservoir: for a small pond you need to use stones average size and small ones, and for large ones - larger stones, in combination with medium and small ones, then the shore line will look more natural than if you use stones of the same size.
Look at the photos of decorating ponds with your own hands - each of them is beautiful in its own way:
Photo gallery
You can take the landscape style as a basis. In the ancient Japanese garden, the pond had strict forms, but with a carefully thought-out composition of stones. No bright plants were used here. In Japan, due to the limited territory, there has always been a desire for minimalism, which was reflected in the design of the reservoir.
According to tradition, all the elements must be present in such a garden, including water, so the reservoir here existed in the form of a tsukubai - a small vessel with water. True, to him in mandatory included a stylized stream flowing from hollow bamboo tubes, as well as dwarf trees along the banks of this stream.
Sometimes the pond in the garden took the shape of a square or rectangle, which was also supposed to emphasize the asceticism of the Japanese.
Here you can see the design of a pond on a summer cottage in the Japanese style:
Photo gallery
When decorating a country pond, you can achieve a special effect if you line the bottom of the reservoir with small pebbles. Especially if the pond is shallow, then the stones, beautifully laid out over the entire surface of the bottom, will be visible through the layer of water.
Such a pond, in addition to stone, can be lined with decorative strict tiles, making a pond path from the same. Another idea on how to design an artificial pond is to make a path that runs above the surface of the reservoir: either in the form of a monolithic bridge made of concrete, or by installing stones or slabs separately rising above the water, which create a single line of movement.
Decorating a pond at your summer cottage with plants (with photo)
The composition of natural stones should be complemented by carefully selected plants so that the overall picture creates the illusion of natural beauty.
When decorating a pond with plants, before planting them, you need to draw up an approximate layout diagram, distributing crops by type at different levels and steps. Coastal plants can also be placed in the free space between the stones.
The main thing is not to plant too many plants. Ferns will fit perfectly into the coastal landscape, and you can let water lilies float along the surface of the water.
To make the composition look beautiful and complete, you need to use different appearance culture. Heavily overgrown aquatic crops should be partially weeded out to avoid large piles and thickets.
These photos of decorating a pond at your dacha with your own hands show what plants can be planted in a garden pond:
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If the depth of the pond is more than 50 cm, then aquatic crops need to be planted in pots and then placed on the bottom of the reservoir. Deep plants grow well in the shade, and at sufficient depth they will purify the water well.
How to decorate a decorative pond at your dacha if the pond is of modest size? A small pond also requires careful decoration; it is important not to overload it with too many elements.
In this case, it is recommended to select simpler plants. You can use deciduous: perennial herbaceous or shrubs with hanging shoots, tall ornamental cereal herbs, and also wild species, which in nature always grow near bodies of water.
These may include creamy white or pink meadowsweet, aquilegia, basilisk and daylily.
It is also good to plant marigolds and forget-me-nots, Siberian and mints along the edge of the pond - they will perfectly decorate the border of the pond.
As you can see in the photo, when decorating a country pond with plants, you can place a frog or snails in a small pond, which will help maintain the natural balance of the ecosystem:
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Frogs will eat midges and mosquitoes, which usually live in bodies of water, and snails are known to feed on underwater debris, which means they will come in handy.
How to make an artificial pond with your own hands
When designing an artificial pond large sizes The reservoir can be divided into three main zones: for coastal plants, for shallow-water plants (water lilies), for deep-water plants.
At great depths, fish can live that will perfectly complement the style of a landscape pool. If the reservoir is not very deep, then you need to dig a hole 1.5 m deep especially for wintering fish.
You can complement the landscape pond with a decorative stream, waterfall, cascade, build a rock garden nearby, design the coastline and path to the pond in the same style, using the same tile material, which will also reveal the concept of the entire garden plot.
You can create multi-level ponds with cascades, then an unusual pond will not only decorate the landscape, but also fill the garden with a pleasant and soothing murmur of water.
Before you design a pond at your dacha, consider where in the garden it is located. A landscape pond with natural contours can be located near the terrace of the house or in the depths of the garden next to the gazebo (where all the necessary communications for the pond are also connected).
Sitting comfortably in a gazebo or on the terrace of your house, you can comfortably and happily watch the surface of the water and listen to the splash of water.
Choosing style decision to design a garden pond, you need to focus on the already existing architectural, plant and design design of your summer cottage, but you can also trample on these norms, creating a bright oasis in a strict area.
How to decorate a decorative pond at your dacha in a designer style
Another idea on how to decorate a pond at your dacha with your own hands is to decorate it in a designer style.
The designer pond is distinguished by the correctness of its forms and the rigor of its design. Usually it embodies some kind of general concept(for example, a Japanese-style pond with a rock garden) or made in the same style as the country house and plot.
If there is no specific style solution at all, then it is better to choose a free one landscape style and for designing a pond.
A designer pond can be of a strict classical shape or, for example, in the shape of a flower or butterfly - but respecting the geometric lines.
The most laconic in shape is a formal pond with a rectangular outline - it will go well with a courtyard or patio, especially if there are rectilinear or round flower beds nearby, linear paths, etc.
Round ponds also fall under the category of formal ponds. They can decorate a lawn or open lawn, they can be complemented by a pergola or placed near a picturesque group of trees.
For beginners, it seems that making a pond from a ready-made plastic mold is easier than making a pond using flexible waterproofing. It's an illusion. At first, the molds seem huge in the store, but after they are installed in the ground, they look about half the size, and when filled with water they look very tiny. Such containers are good for raised bodies of water geometric shapes, for installation on slopes.
The most durable plastic forms for a pond are structures made of fiberglass; they are not inferior in strength to containers made of reinforced plastic, but the edges of the latter can be deformed if the structure is not provided with reliable external support on the ground. These forms are imported and quite expensive. Containers made of ordinary plastic are cheaper, but they are not rigid enough, often have deformed edges, and their sizes are small. Only black forms are suitable for ponds.
Often, plastic molds for ponds in the country are deformed after filling with water; this is due to improper filling of the gap between the wall of the pit and the wall of the mold with soil.
The correct thing to do is this: pour 5-7 cm of sand onto the horizontal base of the pit, compact it tightly and install a plastic mold, then pour 10-15 cm of water into it, then pour sand into the gap between the walls of the pool and the pit to a height of about 20 cm, watering it with water from a hose, or pour a mixture of earth, sand and water into the crack and wait until the liquid mass hardens. Then pour another 10-15 cm of water, and into the gap - sand with water or mash, repeating this until the pool is completely filled with water, and the gap is filled with sand or soil. As a result of these actions, the form will stand rigidly in the ground, and its coastline will be in a horizontal plane.
Water from plastic molds for an artificial pond is never drained for the winter; this is an unnecessary and even harmful operation; in the spring, the empty bowl will be squeezed out and damaged.
The best way to design a pond in the garden, made in plastic form- is to decorate it with a rockery or a flowering retaining wall. In modern gardens, a pond is most often built in which aquatic plants grow and fish and frogs live. The shape of a natural pond should be as smooth as possible. The smaller the pond, the fewer all kinds of bends there should be, which is why ponds in rigid shapes look so unnatural, the “banks” of which are excessively indented and resemble shaped cookies rather than a natural structure. If you end up with just such a body of water, the situation can be improved by thoughtful planting of plants that will camouflage the unnaturalness of the banks in plastic form. Do not forget that an excessive number of coastal plants, especially large ones, visually significantly reduce the size of the reservoir.
One more not an easy task- design of the banks of garden reservoirs: a lawn can come close here, in some places of the coastal zone you can plant coastal plants such as loosestrife, loosestrife, marsh and Siberian irises, daylilies, etc. The choice of coastal plants is inexhaustible, your taste is ennobled by the study of nature and the best samples - that's your judge.
In the process of decorating a pond in the garden, remember that there should not be a lot of vegetation around the geometrically shaped pond; one large plant of an architectural shape, for example a clump of marsh iris or a large hosta, is enough.
Look at the photo on how to beautifully decorate a pond in the garden in a regular style: trimmed bushes and plants in containers around it are quite logical; if there is no fountain, you can plant a nymphea.
