Building a Pond--Day #2

In reality it is Friday, July 24. But we are going to pretend that its Thursday, July 23.

Day #2 started with Spencer & I arriving at the job site at 8:00. First on the list was to find the courage to deal with all the mud created from last nights downpour. The courage was found within minutes and we went to work. I finished the stream and falls while Spencer finished washing and pumping out the pond. If you look closely (you may have to click on the picture) at the waterfalls, you will notice some black stuff around the rocks. That is "Waterfall Foam" and is one of the nicest things around when building waterfalls and streams. Its purpose is two fold: Hold the rocks together and prevent the water from flowing under the rocks. Its not waterproof (and doesn't have to be because there is liner under the rocks) but it diverts 95% of the water from flowing under and around the rocks instead of over the rocks. Getting it on your hands is not a good practice, as you will be picking it off in church weeks later.


At 11:00 we put in the plants from the old pond. Water garden plants are a very important feature in a pond. Not only do they make the pond look nice, they also help in maintaining the eco-system of the pond. I always tell customers that it is very important to keep the plants watered for the first week after putting them in the pond. :)


11:30. I'm quick trying to get the pump hooked up while Spencer fills up the pond. (you know what I mean, with water) We want to eat lunch with the sounds of water flowing over the waterfalls, but we better hurry! The pump sits in the skimmer and pulls the the top few inches of water it the skimmer, which passes through a mesh net first. Hence the skimmer is called a skimmer because it skims. Wow, brainy name for a product, eh?

12:00. Lunch time. We made our goal. Lunch with nice sound. One of the most rewarding moments of pond building, other that getting paid, is watching how the water plays with rocks you placed in the stream and falls.


Dragging ourselves out of our chairs when lunch was over was a feat. When that was accomplished we put the finishing touches on the pond, which involved cutting off excess liner, putting gravel along the edge, tweaking the falls, placing some boulders around the waterfall berm, and mulching a little around the perimeter. The day finished at 3:30, and we were too.

-Thanks for building this pond with us!