Five Hot Pond Design Tips

# 1 - Bigger Really Is Better

Ladies, please take a moment to snicker. There we go. Now back to ponds.

As you are designing a new water feature in your mind's eye you should plan on building it at least 20% larger than your imagination will allow. The average water gardening enthusiast will install 2-3 water features in a lifetime. Why? Your dream pond is always expanding. Ask anyone who owns a boat! Sailors call it the two-foot itch. Any good pond contractor or landscape designer will tell you that water gardens feel smaller within the first few months of installation. I had 'my-pond's-too-small-regret' after only two days! And it makes logical sense to build a bigger water feature right from the get-go. Here's why.

Bigger ponds are cheaper to install. Huh? You read correctly. You can usually install a water garden TWICE the size for only 50% more cash outlay; even less if you are the one doing the digging and hauling rock. Why? Because you are only purchasing more of the same list of technical products - more liner, bigger pump, more pipe, bigger skimmer, larger BIOfalls, etc. The only individual items you will require considerably more of are rocks and gravel, and they are relatively inexpensive. If you are uncertain about costing out your project, speak with a professional pond contractor about getting a quote to have your pond installed. They can list ALL of the costs of the installation, including the 'hidden' ones, so the pond of your dreams does not become the pond of your financial dread.

Bigger ponds are easier to maintain than smaller ponds. Why? Larger ponds with a working ecosystem have an easier time metabolizing changes in water temperature, natural chemistry, nutrient loads and oxygen levels. It's the same reason why a puddle freezes before a lake freezes in the winter. When your pond is in balance, you afford Mother Nature's the time she needs to clean house.

There is a buried cost involved in upgrading to a larger pond later on because you will still have to contend with removing the smaller pond you chose to install to begin with. Unless you are going to install a second water feature on your property, somebody's has to first tear the old one out, and trust me, it's no picnic.

# 2 - Get Up Close And Personal With Your Pond

All good things in nature migrate towards water, and we humans are part of that wonderful world. It's just that in pursuit of growing our civilization we have forgotten and often abused the very thing that brought us together to begin with - water.  And now more than ever, we humans continue to need that connection to water to give our lives meaning and purpose. It is our basic foundation for life. So why is it every summer I see countless water gardens stuck in behind garden sheds, or out in the back 40 of a large lot? Bring you water garden up close to the house.

# 3 - Take The High Road

If you have a low spot in your backyard where ever spring the water collects and it stays damp for most of the summer, it makes sense to put a pond there right? Wrong! Go straight to jail. Do not pass GO. Do not collect $200.

Here a basic tenet of pond design - Water goes in your pond, not under it. Ground water is what we call the liquid under your pond and to quote Martha Stewart's corollary we would say, "And that's a BAD thing". Ground water creates a phenomenon called static pressure. It's the same pressure that has the ability to crack mountains in half. Combine that with a little ol' fashioned Canadian frost and you've got yourself a floating pond if you choose a low lying, wet area on which to build you pond. You'll end up with boulders moving around and quite possibly, a hole in the liner.

# 4 - Never Go With The Flow - Have It Come To You

When you go to a resort hotel which room costs more, the room facing the water or the one facing the gas station behind the parking lot? The water view of course! Although the answer may seem obvious, it's amazing how many water features are out there that literally 'drain' away from the viewing area. When you build your water feature the waterfall and stream should be staring right at you like Mona Lisa's smile. Hint: Design the stream with multiple falls and switch backs so you increase the number of interesting viewing angles as you move about the landscape.

# 5- Blend In With The Natives

When in Rome , do as the Romans. In other words, try to use plants and stone that blend in with the existing native landscape. A tropical paradise, while exciting in a tropical paradise, looks very out of place in a West Kanata suburb. The best way to figure on what would look appropriate in your pond is to reconnect with nature. Don your walking shoes and hit the local nature trails, but instead of focusing on burning off that second piece of chocolate cake, slow down and take the time to look, touch, smell and listen to nature. Once Mother Nature has given you all the design advice you require, go home and plagiarize the whole thing

A word of extreme caution - Do NOT use native plants in your water garden. Some species are protected, or worse yet very invasive and can destroy your water feature. One time our crew was rebuilding a water garden and needed a mini excavator hauled out a 500kg native water lily that originated from the shallows of the Rideau River. Consult a pond professional for planting suggestions.

As for the rocking your pond, try to use stone that blends in with the rock formations in your area. In the greater Ottawa area we have basically two kinds of native stone sedimentary limestone and Precambrian granite. A decent supply of clean stone is the biggest issue in our area. It's easy to change your plant selections, but much more difficult to switch out 5 tonnes of boulders if you don't like the way they look. It's well worth taking the time to get the right rock.

Finally, if your backyard is as flat as a Saskatchewan wheat field, DO NOT build a six foot high waterfall in the back corner of a city lot. Trust me, it'll look ridiculous - more like a volcano than a waterfall. Try to blend with existing grades. If you would like to have a big waterfall, you may want to consider installing a nice long, high volume stream instead.

The only exception to these principles is when you construct indoor water features. At that point you may want to consult with a professional pond builder and/or an interiorscapes designer.