If there is free space in a summer cottage or suburban area, you have the opportunity to create decorative water objects that will be an ideal addition to the recreation area. For example, next to a pond it will be much more pleasant to read a book or wet your feet while relaxing after a hard day.
And given that such a pond can also look different, you can show your imagination and arrange such a corner so that it is as comfortable as possible for the whole family.
We will push you to creative solutions - with our offer to study the pictures and photos of the landscape ideas of the pond in the country with our own hands.
How to arrange an artificial pond in the country, photo
Choosing a place for a pond
If you decide to create a swimming pond in the country with your own hands, first determine the best place where you can dig it.
When choosing a zone for arranging such a water body, consider the following features:
- it is better if the pond is located in an open area. If trees grow next to it, they can not only damage the landscape, but also pollute the pond with their branches and foliage, and you will have to spend much more time cleaning;
- try to choose an area where, even after the arrangement of the pond, there will still be free space. It is likely that in the future you will want to expand the water body and add new decorative elements, including massive ones;
- it is not necessary to allocate a place under the pond that is under the open sun: in such conditions, the pond will dry out, unwanted microorganisms will begin to develop in the water, and flowering will appear.
Ideally, the sun should only illuminate the pond for half a day, that is, in the morning or evening. During the afternoon, this area should be shaded. Determine the possibility of creating the necessary shade on the site immediately: mark the pond at a suitable place - and take a closer look at how its brightness changes during the day.
Both the nearest building and tall vegetation can create a shadow for this zone. Bushes and trees (especially with a weeping crown) will decorate your pond and emphasize its natural design.
By the way, it is important to harmoniously fit the pond into the surrounding landscape, so this factor should also be taken into account when planning it.
Do-it-yourself pond in the country: landscape ideas, photos If you decide to make a pond in low and wet places in your garden, you will be able to drain water from the garden plot through the drainage system. And if such an area has a flat surface, choose a place for the pond on the border of the garden, where bushes and trees are located, or next to livestock (but then you will have to form a smooth transition of their perennial or ornamental grass plants).
We do not recommend making an artificial pond in the country with your own hands in the middle of the lawn. If this is the only suitable option, then visually separate the pond and lawn grass by planting vegetation with different parameters on the border, including low ones, so that you can watch the water through it.
Quite often, decorative ponds are created where rockeries or alpine slides are formed. The stones located on these objects can be harmoniously combined with the decor of the water body itself. We also recommend that you do not neglect the unevenness of the terrain: they can be profitably used to create streams that will flow to the pond over stones. And in the future, it will be possible to put a bridge here, which will serve as another decoration.
Planning the shape and style
Before you make a pond in the country with your own hands, you should plan a couple more points. Find out right away which style suits you best. The shape may vary depending on the style.
For example, English design is characterized by round shapes. For a regular style, strict geometry is suitable.
Do-it-yourself imitation of a pond in the country, photo And the closest to the natural, with its characteristic irregularities and asymmetries, will be Japanese and Chinese design.
There are no clear requirements for choosing the design of a pond in the country. But it will be better if it looks natural.
Alternatively, you can combine several different shapes if you are creating a pond in a spacious area.
Making a pond in the country, photo Suitable materials
The formation of a decorative pond in the country with your own hands begins with digging a foundation pit. But for this you should know exactly how such a water body will be created.
The two most commonly used methods are:
- for the pond, you can use ready-made forms on a polyvinyl chloride or fiberglass base. No less popular are plastic ponds for summer cottages, as well as ponds made of polypropylene. Choose forms, focusing not only on cost, but also on their quality characteristics, if you are interested in keeping the pond for a long time;
- the second method involves the use of PVC film or butyl rubber. Film has a ten-year lifespan, while butyl rubber can last up to fifty years.
Artificial pond in the country, photo Each of these methods has its own advantages. So, if you use a ready-made mold, you will complete all the work faster, because after creating the pit, it will be enough to securely fix it inside. The second method allows you to independently choose the parameters of the pond and create natural forms.
Advice: for reliability, according to the second method, you can make a concrete pond in the country with your own hands.
In addition to the materials that will form the shape of the pond, take care to purchase everything you need to keep it in the right condition. At a minimum, you will need a pump for a pond in the country. You can find the necessary accessories at specialized points of sale or purchase everything for a pond in the country in online stores.
Step-by-step instructions for creating a pond from a film
Now let's get acquainted with the procedure for how to build a pond in the country with your own hands, using film or rubber. Traditionally, pond construction begins with digging a pit: a shovel will suffice for small ponds, but if you are planning to make a huge water feature, you will need an excavator.
Decorative pond in the country, photo Make a marking on the selected area using pegs. Then remove the top layer of earth, remove the terraces 0.3 meters deep and 0.2 meters wide - and start digging the main bowl.
Attention! The slope of the shore should be forty-five degrees, and the depth of the pit should exceed sixty centimeters. Otherwise, your pond will freeze with the onset of frost, and it will also overheat in the summer.
To ensure a reliable device for a pond in a country house with film waterproofing, form a moat about fifteen centimeters deep around the perimeter of the pond. This will securely fix the film.
After the pit is ready, level the bottom, get rid of the stones and form a five-centimeter layer of clean washed sand on its surface. Then cover it with a geotextile to protect the film from damage.
Now you can start laying the film or rubber itself. The parameters of this material are calculated taking into account the length of the pond and its double depth. Also take half a meter in reserve, since the film will have to be fixed around the edges.
Lay out the sheet, secure the edges with bricks. Now the pond can be filled with water. Do not cut the edges, because during the day the material will take the necessary shape. Only after that it will be possible to get rid of them, leaving a quarter of a meter under the blind area.
DIY decorative pond in the country, photo Choose the blind area itself, focusing on your own preferences. It can be stone, brick, decorative tiles and many other materials. They are fixed on a cement mortar. The width of such elements should be at least sixty centimeters.
Making a bath pond
It is quite simple to make a pond in the country house from an old bathtub with your own hands, and we will look at how this can be done step by step. Work begins with the creation of a small pit. The parameters of the recess are considered taking into account the size of the tank for the pond in the country.
The hole should be filled with river sand, and a cement screed should be made so that in the future it will not be washed away by groundwater. The layer of sand should be about ten centimeters, and cement - about three to five. Seven days after the formation of these layers, make another one - from gravel. The height of such a layer should be about twenty to thirty centimeters.
Now you can safely lower the bath. After installation, use gravel to fill in the openings on the sides (at least ten centimeters from the tub to the cut). Make sure that the edges of the container are not visible above the shore. Decorate the pond around the perimeter with flat pebbles or large stones.
Pond design in the country, photo If you are making a pond from a bathroom on a slope with your own hands, then on one side strengthen it with a large stone, forming a full dig for one and a partial dig for the other, free side. Visually, it will look like a rocky alpine slide.
How to create a mini pond
We have already noted that a do-it-yourself homemade pond in the country can have a wide variety of shapes and parameters. If you have planned the construction of an artificial pond in the country for purely decorative purposes, then you can use small containers.
For example, you can make a mini-pond in the country from a basin. It attaches similarly to a large bathtub, but is much more compact. For these purposes, an unnecessary trough, flower pots, barrels are also suitable.
Often they make a mini-pond in the country from tires. To make a pond out of a tire with your own hands, you will have to think about how a reliable bottom will be created.
Do-it-yourself small pond in the country, photo If you look at the photo gallery of ponds in the country, you will see that small ponds can deepen or, conversely, rise above the boundaries of the hole. For their decoration, use large pebbles, gravel, multi-colored sand, bricks, as well as live plants.
The nuances of caring for a pond
How to care for a pond in the country? To maintain an attractive appearance of a homemade pond, you will have to perform some procedures in a timely manner. First, it is important to create the necessary ecosystem, so choose the right aquatic plants. Secondly, in the summer, get rid of the weeds surrounding the pond, as well as algae in the water. For these purposes, use rakes, nets and other tools.
Do-it-yourself artificial pond in the country, photo Attention! Cleaning the pond in the country can also be done with the help of suitable chemicals, which, moreover, allow you to saturate the water with oxygen, so that it is absolutely harmless to its inhabitants.
If you notice that the pond is starting to dry out, replenish the amount of water. With the onset of autumn, remove leaves, branches and other debris from the water surface in a timely manner, otherwise they will settle at the bottom. Some varieties of plants that are used for decoration will have to be transplanted into containers, and thick and lush plants will need to be thinned out. By the way, with the end of the swimming season, a special net can be used to protect the pond from debris.
In the spring months, take care of cutting dried plant stems, cleaning the walls and bottom of the pond from silt that has appeared. This task can be easily handled by special equipment. In the middle of spring, it will be possible to start a fountain, if it is available at such a water body.
And, of course, do not forget about strengthening the banks of the pond in the country, if you have begun to observe significant changes. It is better to do this work by attracting specialists.
If you do these procedures in time, you will not spend a lot of time and effort on maintaining the appearance of your pond.
Arrangement of a pond in the country, photo suitable vegetation
Many are interested in what beautiful plants to plant around the pond in the country. Not all varieties are adapted to wet conditions, so let's look at this stage of designing a pond in a country house in more detail.
The banks of large ponds can be decorated with lush plants. What to plant by the pond? For example, varieties of marsh iris, loosestrife, loosestrife, as well as high reeds and darmer are suitable.
Plants that are perennial are also suitable for a pond in the country. These are gunnera, hosta, marsh iris, rogersia, bergenia, astilba. And among the pebbles, which are located as close as possible to the water body, you can grow stonecrops, tenacity or forget-me-nots.
Attention! It is better to plant plants near the pond in the country not in the soil, but in jute pockets or containers, so that in winter they can be moved to a safe place.
Now you know what to plant near the pond in the country and which plants are considered suitable. But you should also think about the vegetation that will float on the water. Dwarf water lilies, water varieties of hyacinth and buttercup, duckweed and many other varieties are suitable for you.
Making a decorative pond in the country, photo Other pond decorations
One of the options for decorating a pond in a country house with your own hands involves arranging a fountain. It can be either a large fountain for a pond, placed in the center, or many small fountains in the country, which will emphasize the beauty of the water body.
To create a pond with a fountain in the country with your own hands, you should purchase special equipment with sprinklers in a specialized store. They will require metal profile stands. Screw the body of the fountains to them, sand the legs (as they can ruin the film in the pond) - and place the structure in the right place in the middle of the water.
Making an artificial pond in the country, photo By the way, you can connect a hose to the fountain and let water flow through decorative elements (for example, through jugs). So you can make your own hands a pond in the country with a waterfall.
The next suitable pond decoration in the country is made of stones. These can be small steps that emphasize uneven terrain, stone-based fences or statues that are written into the natural landscape. A stone pond in the country with your own hands can be made in different colors.
Interesting ideas for arranging a pond in the country include the installation of bridges. These elements can be purchased or made with your own hands from forged metal, wood, stone and other materials. The advantage of bridges is that they are suitable for decorating a plastic pond and any other in the country. And on the shore of the pond you can put decorative benches, hammocks, tables, deck chairs and much more.
Do-it-yourself pond design in the country, photo A common idea on how to ennoble a pond in a country house with your own hands is to use colored lights right in the water or around the perimeter. In the evening and at night, it will draw attention to this object and create comfortable conditions for a relaxing holiday, setting up reflections and emphasizing the natural beauty.
Making a pond in the country with your own hands, photo In order to get as close to nature as possible, you can start living creatures in the water. Goldfish will look especially interesting in the pond. But you can choose other types of fish, for example, think about keeping carp in a pond in the country. Then you can go fishing without leaving your summer cottage.
Just plan in advance how to feed crucian carp in the pond in the country so that they do not die out. For these purposes, worms, larvae and even some cereals are suitable.
Beautiful ponds in the country, photo Thanks to the wide variety of ideas for arranging and decorating homemade ponds, making your site even more comfortable is quite real! It remains only to decide which of these ideas you will translate into reality. Although, you can combine several of the proposed options to make the landscaped pond look even more interesting.
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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.
Not difficult at all. It can be made in any size, depending on the space on the site that you would like to allocate for this. The rules for arranging such an element of landscape design will be approximately the same, regardless of size. On a summer day, it is infinitely pleasant to relax near a pond created by one's own hands and proudly show it to guests. Any owner of a summer cottage can create a beautiful garden pond, equip the banks, populate it with bright fish. Everything will depend solely on your imagination.
How to determine the location for the pond
In order for the pond on your own site to turn out to be functional and attractive in appearance, first try to determine a convenient location for it.
It would be ideal to start the construction of the pond in a free area, which is not under the scorching sun, but also not shaded by trees. If it seems to you that a suitable site has been found, pay attention to how it is lit. Poor lighting does not allow the planted plants to develop calmly, and this negatively affects the appearance of the reservoir.
It is not very good to build a pond in a completely open area, where on hot days there will be real sunshine. Single-celled algae love the light, they will grow stronger and cause water blooms. If you have a shallow body of water, living creatures and plants in hot weather will not feel comfortable and may die. And the owners are unlikely to be pleased to relax in the sun. It is better to choose a site for creating a pond that is not surrounded by trees, next to which there is a building or a fence. Then at midday the pond will be in the shadow cast by them, and the sun's rays in the evening and in the morning are far from being so hot and will not damage the structure.
Do not try to place the pond near trees. Their roots grow imperceptibly and after a while they can damage the bottom - tear the film or move the form.
If you intend to decorate the pond in the country with your own hands, arrange lighting, filters, using a pump, also consider the proximity of the source of electricity.
Pond in the country from a special plastic mold
If you want to create a beautiful landscape in the country with the addition of a reservoir, but there is no desire to bother with the correct arrangement of the bottom, you can purchase a ready-made form for it. They are cast under production conditions from fiberglass or plastic. Such a container can last at least 10-12 years, it has good resistance to temperature and sunlight. But when installing a plastic mold, you should perform all the steps carefully, otherwise there is a risk of damaging it. Cracks that appear on the surface cannot be effectively closed.
Fiberglass is a more expensive material that is also used to make garden pond molds. It is extremely durable and can last for many years. When using this option, the service life of the reservoir will be twice or three times longer than in the previous case.
The first step in order to arrange your own mini-pond is choosing and acquiring a form for it. It will need to be arranged in the ground. To get a pit, the shape of which exactly matches the required one, transfer the contours of the future pond to the surface of the earth. It should be done in this way. Put the purchased plastic bowl on the ground, then start sticking sticks around it, retreating from the outlines by about 15-20 cm. Stretch the rope between the sticks. Then put the plastic base aside and dig a hole, trying to keep the intended shape. The edges of the pit should be 30 cm higher than the height of the bowl. It must be ensured that the location of the pit is horizontal. To do this, use a flat board or building level.
Pour a layer of sand at the bottom of the pit - this will be the base of the pond. Place a mold in the prepared hole, fill the free space left between the plastic and the edges of the pit with sand. Then pour the sand layer with water from a hose to facilitate shrinkage.
Fill the mold with water. The shores can be decorated with stones. Taking on the creation of a country pond with your own hands, photos on the topic can be viewed in advance to determine its appearance. You can equip beautiful stone shores that are close to natural in appearance, plant plants.
How to create a pond from a film
Do-it-yourself pond in the country can be built from waterproof PVC film or butyl rubber. The option is convenient in that the owners of the site choose the shape and size on their own. Polyvinyl chloride film is resistant to ultraviolet radiation, perfectly tolerates temperature fluctuations, and does not lose color for a long time. It can last 10-15 years. Butyl rubber is somewhat stronger and more durable, but also more expensive. It is worth using it for reservoirs that are planned to be deep enough. It is worth buying material with a small margin in order to thoroughly fix it around the edges.
The step-by-step device of the reservoir will look like this:
- Creation of a pit. If you are going to plant plants in water, you can equip shelves for them along the edges of the pit - ledges with a depth of 15 cm.
- When digging, try to work so that the walls of the pit do not crumble. If the soil on the site is clayey or black soil prevails, you can safely make them vertical. When working with sandy soils, the walls of the pit should be made inclined.
- After digging, remove roots, stones, any large formations that may interfere with work. The film should be protected from possible mechanical damage and tearing. To do this, arrange a sand layer at the bottom or cover it with geotextile.
- Lay the film on top of the sandy layer and lay stones along its edge to secure it. If when digging ledges, steps were created, do the same for them.
- Around the reservoir, in addition, you can dig a shallow groove with a width of 20-30 cm. This will allow the stones fixing the film to be on the same level with the ground. To enhance fixation, you can fill them with cement.
- When the container is completely ready, it's time to fill it with water and plant the plants.
Decorative pond equipment from an old bath
Your pond at their summer cottage can be made from anything. For example, if you have a bathtub that has fallen into disrepair, it can be used as the basis for a pond.
In this case, the pit is dug out depending on the size of the bath - about 20 cm are added to them. When you lower the bath into the prepared pit, its edges should be lower than the ground surface. Dig a groove along the perimeter of the resulting hole - its height and width should be 30 cm. Place the bath in the pit and give it a strictly horizontal position, using a level to determine it. Fill the voids formed on the sides with soil or sand. At this stage, the base of the pond should look like this: a bath dug into the pit with a small groove encircling the perimeter.
The next step is to mix the mass of tile adhesive with water, to which the pigment of the desired shade is added. Glue should be applied to the inner surface of the pond blank. Do not try to level it well - the sides of the bath should acquire a dark shade close to the natural color of the soil and a similar structure. Then cover the structure with a film and leave it alone for one day - you have to wait until the glue has completely hardened.
Lay a special metal mesh along the edges of the bath for fixing. Cut out fragments of the desired shape and lay them around the perimeter of the bath, while covering the edges and internal surfaces by about half their depth. The bottom should remain open, and the walls of the container and its edges should be covered with a grid.
Now you should prepare a bonding solution from cement, water and sand. It is applied over the mesh, without trying to particularly level the surface. Additionally, stones are inserted into the thickness of the solution from time to time - this will help to further strengthen the grid, and the appearance of the pond will give more naturalness. It is necessary to carefully cement the drain.
Where the mesh covers the edges of the bathtub, it is appropriate to place large stones. They will be able to emphasize the shape of the pond and give the banks a natural look. It is not necessary to observe a geometrically strict rectangular shape - on the contrary, you can lay out fragments along the edges in a wave-like manner, in the form of steps, visually expand the banks. Irregularities and elevations imitating natural relief look interesting. In some places, instead of large stones, add handfuls of crushed stone. Give the pond a beautiful outline, focusing on your own taste.
Pour clay into the bottom of the tub, add water and mix the solution. Spread it on the sides, closing the cement, fill in the voids formed between the stones. Such a solution will dry quite quickly - after a few hours you will already be able to pour water inside. Plant aquatic plants in the grooves around the pond. The water will become a little cloudy in a few days, the appearance will become natural, it will be difficult to guess the true origin of the pond. More details can be read.
How to revive an artificial pond
When creating their own pond, many site owners dream of having fish in it or at least decorating it with vegetation. Then your home pond will turn into a real work of art. To choose a beautiful appearance for your building, you can watch a video on the topic.
When choosing plants for planting, remember that some of them are able to grow favorably only at a certain depth. If the water column is not more than 30 cm, you can plant yellow iris, marsh marigold, heart-shaped pontederia. With a pond depth of 30-50 cm, you can choose an ordinary arrowhead, reed, broad-leaved cattail. In a pond more than half a meter deep, plant water lilies and lotuses, water hyacinths.
In a home pond, you can settle carp, veiltails, some varieties. These fish are the most unpretentious and able to live in such a reservoir. But you should know that when you start the fish into the pond, it should. Water without it will deteriorate, and this will quickly affect the decorative features, and the health of the fish will suffer if they swim in dirty, muddy water with an unpleasant odor.
To do it yourself on the site, you need to put a lot of effort, but the result is worth it. You can create yourself a beautiful, decorated in full accordance with your tastes. The contemplation of the water surface, which is bordered by tastefully selected plants, has a calming effect. Resting in the heat near a pond made by oneself is surprisingly pleasant.
In order for the pond to last longer, it should be freed from water for the winter. The exception is reservoirs made of plastic molds: when emptying them for a period of cold weather in the spring, you can get a twisted, squeezed shape.
A special place in the landscape design of garden plots is occupied by reservoirs: they have magic. The backyard territory is transformed and looks noticeably more interesting if a beautiful garden pond is located on the site. A small reservoir is visible from different points of the garden, it is pleasant to relax near it, enjoy the coolness and contemplation of the water surface, surrounded by picturesque vegetation. One of the easiest ways to create a pond on your site is to use a ready-made structure made in the form of a polymer bowl. How to choose and install a plastic pond for a summer residence on a personal plot?
Variants and forms of containers
On sale there are plastic tanks for ponds of various sizes. Estimate the size of your site so that the created pond looks appropriate. In a small area, a compact design will look good. Large plastic ponds are mainly equipped in vast home gardens. For the device of artificial reservoirs, plastic forms are used, which are easy to install and maintain. The pond bowl can be made from several types of material:
- Polyethylene. Such an artificial reservoir has a small capacity, usually in the range of 130-900 liters of water. Stationary forms made of high-quality polyethylene, with careful handling and operation, serve for many years. Decorative pond is neutral to UV exposure, easy to maintain and install. However, such a plastic product requires careful handling during transportation and installation - a plastic pond bowl cannot withstand repeated bending and impact.
- Capacities for a pond from polypropylene. The product is characterized by high strength, flexibility and ductility. Such a reservoir has a long service life - up to twenty years. Polypropylene is characterized by high temperature stability. The polypropylene bowl has impeccable tightness, additional waterproofing is not needed.
- fiberglass structures. In terms of technical and operational characteristics, fiberglass is superior to polyethylene and polypropylene. If cracks form, the pond bowl can be repaired with special compounds. The service life of fiberglass garden ponds is 20-30 years. The material is resistant to temperature changes, UV rays, easy and reliable in operation. Fiberglass bowls can have a lot of volume and depth.
How to choose a place for a reservoir
In different parts of the garden, the degree of illumination is not the same. When choosing the most suitable place for laying out an ornamental pond, completely open areas should be avoided, since algae will grow intensively in the water in bright light. Also avoid areas with closely growing tall vegetation if you don't want to waste your time fighting leaves and debris falling into the water. It is not recommended to place a plastic pond in a country house near outbuildings: not the most attractive “picture” will be reflected in the mirror surface of the water.
When installing the bowl, consider a few key points:
- A garden pond should not be built on hillocks and slopes, it is better to choose flat areas. This helps to avoid pressure on the walls of the bowl, which can deform the structure.
- For the device of the reservoir, a plot covered with turf, located near a low shrub, is suitable. Small plants do not block the view and sunlight.
- They exclude places with tall trees - foliage flies from them, needles fall off and fall into a reservoir. Branched roots interfere with digging a pit for plastic bowls.
- The far corners of the garden, hiding the view of the water, are not suitable. Since the reservoir in the country will become the central element of the site, it must be viewed from different points.
- In the daytime, plastic containers should be exposed to sunlight for no more than six hours. Direct and prolonged exposure to light leads to flowering and evaporation of water.
- For convenient access to the water provide for the laying of paths and paths. Near the artificial plastic pond, benches, benches and gazebos are installed.
- When choosing a plastic structure, the size of the garden plot is taken into account. For small areas, a pond bowl with a depth of up to a meter and an area of 3x3 meters is suitable.
Note: fish can be bred in plastic reservoirs, but for their comfortable living in the water, containers of a sufficiently large size are needed.
The bowl for the pond usually has multi-level steps, cascades and recesses. They can be used to decorate the pond with aquatic plants.
Installation of a plastic pond
An artificial reservoir is installed in a prepared pit; the dug hole should follow the curves of the shape. If the design is small, it is turned upside down and the contour is beaten off with pegs. Under large ponds, markup is performed after measuring the bowl. To install a pond in the garden, construction tools and materials are needed: pegs, a level, a shovel, sand and finishing products - stones, slate, gravel, flagstone.
How to install a plastic pond:
Important: the cavities between the pit and the plastic mold must be well compacted with wet sand, while increasing the water level in the tank. This is necessary so that the walls of the plastic pond do not deform from the pressure of wet sand. After one to three days, when the container is thoroughly settled in the pit, they begin to decorate the area near the water.
The composition with a pond in the garden gives the landscape a special zest. Even without mastering the skills of artistic design, you can decorate the site effectively and unusually by digging in plants and placing decorative elements. For small plastic reservoirs, it is better to avoid piling up large stones. Tall plants are excluded so that they do not interfere with the view of the water. Recommendations:
- The protruding edges of the plastic form are covered with stones to give the banks a natural look.
- The plants surrounding the plastic pond mold should be moisture-loving and low in height.
- Large rounded stones or flagstone are chosen to decorate the banks.
- Large reservoirs are decorated with large serpentine cobblestones and flagstone, fine gravel.
- If the volume allows, you can arrange a fountain or waterfall in the reservoir using special pumps.
- Aquatic plants are populated in a plastic container, if desired, fish are bred in a pond.
Rules of care and operation
The attractiveness of the plastic construction for giving is that it is not necessary to drain the water from the reservoir for the winter. The containers withstand low temperatures down to -30°C. Bowls of ponds with a depth of more than 80 cm do not freeze through in a climate of middle latitudes.
How to care for a plastic pond:
- The bowl is periodically cleaned of excess algae and silt, this can be done without draining the water. However, in case of serious contamination or rotting of the water, it may be necessary to completely drain it with a pump, thoroughly clean the bowl and fill with fresh water.
- So that the water does not stagnate and bloom, it is desirable to ensure its constant circulation with the help of pumping equipment and water purification filters.
- If leaves, twigs and petals fall into the water, they must be removed. In autumn, you can cover the bowl with a net - then it is much easier to collect garbage.
Caring for an artificial reservoir does not require much time and effort. Decorative plastic pond fits perfectly into the landscape design, gives it an aesthetic appeal. Thanks to the variety of shapes, interesting design ideas can be realized. A decorative pond is a luxury available to everyone.
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 is planned with a film, a ditch about 15 cm deep is torn off to secure it along the perimeter. After the foundation 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 produce 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.