The Big Wooden Box!
I was approached by a couple following a referral from a previous customer for whom I had completed a garden redesign. Their question was simple – ‘Can you fix our pond?’ Not a usual garden design query but I decided to take a look and what I found was a large sleeper built feature in their garden which was topped and clad with decking boards and devoid of any water. They informed me that the pond had been in situ for many years and used to have a waterfall and many fish living happily in their until recently when it had sprung a leak and started to empty. Thankfully they were able to save the fish and place them in a temporary home while the pond was fixed but they wanted to move them back in time for the winter months. As this was late September the clock was ticking! As you can see the old lining was still in place along with grit and gravel from the previous construction and the old pump.
The Clearance
The first job was therefore to clear the inside of the pond. The liner was removed along with some old carpet and underlay which had been used as a cushioned base for the pond liner over the concrete slabs. The old pump was disconnected and the electrics made safe with the help from my local electrician Keir who also took this opportunity to check out the circuits and outdoor sockets for safety.
The New Design
The customers wished to retain the sleeper construction and decking surround and also to have the waterfall rebuilt. Other than that it was a blank canvas. I decided to section the pond into three sections with the use of an internal wall structure making three ‘pockets’ – one larger one to house the pond and two smaller ones to use as planting pockets surrounding the new waterfall feature. Some of the top decking boards were removed, to allow the pond liner to be hidden underneath them, and set aside for re-fixing later. The inside of the pond was then marked out for the wall construction which was completed by my local builder Ian.
The Pond Liner
Anyone who has ever created a pond from scratch knows that the most frustrating part is trying to get the creases out of the pond liner – especially when it has curves and different shapes! However with a bit of patience and a lot of careful folding it can be done. Prior to putting in the pond liner some old carpet and underlay were used to create a cushioned base. Some small upturned plastic containers were also used under the liner to create some ‘shelves’ on which to place the new pond pump and a submerged waterlily. The new pump was installed whilst the decking boards were removed so the cable would be hidden.
Stone for the Waterfall and Surround
As mentioned earlier there had been a waterfall feature in the old pond so we had quite a bit of stone that had been put to one side when it had been dismantled that we could use again. I was also keen to cover some of the decking on the top of the pond to form a decorative stone surround which would compliment the new waterfall. I visited a local stone yard (Readystone in Halifax) where I found some lovely shaped flat stones that would be ideal for the job.
Final Construction
The top decking boards were replaced carefully on top of the newly installed pond liner and used as a base for fixing the stone surround. The waterfall was assembled and then painstakingly fixed using a mortar mix to ensure it was a solid structure. The customers liked the new stones for the surround but wished to keep some space to sit on the decking at the edge of the pond to look at the fish so a corner was left free from stones to enable this.
The Finished Article!
Ian cleverly built up the remaining stones at the back of the waterfall to give a rustic look like the structure had been there for years! The planting pockets were filled with topsoil and compost and the customers added some plants to give the feature some greenery. In time the planting will flourish and spread over the stones giving it a very naturalistic look. The gnomes and planters were returned to their spots and thankfully the fish were returned to their new home in time for the winter so mission accomplished!
