If you're wondering how to build a backyard pond,

logically, the first question you should ask yourself about building a pond is WHERE? Do you have a huge yard with a lot of trees and shrubs and flowerbeds? In other words what is the present landscape like? Would you prefer your pond in a sunny spot or in the shade? That may not seem too important, but if you should decide to surround your pond with flowers, it becomes very important. It seems (to me at least) that there are many more varieties of flowers that are sun lovers rather than ones that prefer shade.  Another consideration also is that if you place your pond very near to trees, then falling leaves become a cleanup problem.

Once you’ve decided on a location for building a pond, the next question is HOW BIG? Do you want a small pond that will only need a few hundred gallons to fill, or something more like what you see in the picture below that accompany this text that holds around three thousand gallons? Do you have a water spigot close enough to your pond location so you don’t need hundreds of feet of hose to fill it?

Backyard Ponds Can Be Made To Any Shape

Notice The Waterfall

If you are going to have a pond with a pump and filter to re-circulate the water, then you will need an electrical source nearby.  Are you thinking of having a water fall or fountain? Do you think that you are going to want fish or other aquatic life in your pond?

Will you need a fence? Does your city or township require fences or any other kind of safeguards around ponds? If there are no local ordinances in this regard, then how about your own personal feelings about keeping such an area safe for small children, who all seem to love water and gravitate to it like bees to honey? There comes responsibility with building a backyard pond.

Where is the one really good spot in your yard where you love to sit and commune with nature? If you have a spot like that, then that is probably the perfect place for your pond.  Just sitting and watching a waterfall or fountain is very relaxing, and if you’ve decided to liven up your private little lake, then choose fish like Koi, Comets, and Shubunkins which seem to be quite hardy specimens.  They winter well, even here in northern Ohio.  We haven’t lost any fish to the weather in the fifteen years we’ve had our pond.

Now, as to the basic “hardware” needs. Set your mind to having a strong liner, even if it’s more expensive.  This is the key to a trouble free pond. Firestone makes a liner material called EPDM 45 mil rubber that is tough and very puncture resistant. (Holes in the liner are a real pain in the neck!)  Besides the pond liner, you’ll need a pond pump, a pond filter, a UV pond filter (sometimes called a UV filter), and a few pond plants. 

Mary Shows How To Build A Backyard Pond

I had a lady by the name of Mary who sent me some pictures that I thought would be a very good example of how to build a backyard pond.

Remember also that if you're going to have any pond pumps or filters that you're going to need electrical access. As you can see there's quite a bit of digging to do even for a small pond so you may want to have more than one person digging it.

Digging Out Your Pond

Have A Plan How You Want It To Look

In the second picture below, the digging is just about complete.  You can see that Mary did a great job by making it very smooth and looks to me to be level which is important.  It's important because when you fill it with water, you don't want to have one side lower than the other.

Make Sure It's Level

Be Sure To Remove Any Sharp Objects Before Installing Your Pond Liner

Finally, in the last picture below is Mary's final product.  Nice looking pond and a job well done.  Thanks for sharing it with us Mary.

The Final Pond

Great Job By Mary!

Rocks, such as the ones Mary used are great and give it a nice finished look.  Sandstone is also very good. Just use your imagination and make it the way you want it.

A backyard pond is something that you can create and will bring you years of enjoyment.  You can make them in many different styles, shapes, and sizes.  Use your imagination and make it just the way you like.  There's so much you can do with a pond. Make it any style you like.

Flowers around a pond look great and they usually grow really well too.  Different rocks or stones also spice things up.  Don't forget about all of the different pond plants for in the pond, it really makes it look like a nature preserve.

Try to make it as large as you can the first time because I can almost guarantee if you don't, you will want to make it larger sometime in the future.  Things that you'll certainly want to add to your backyard pond are fish, and just a few decorations, besides the things I've already mentioned.  Try and keep it as natural looking as you can.

Once you have a pond you'll start to notice all of the different nature that it attracts such as birds, butterflies, frogs and toads, dragonflies, and those darn Blue Herons.  However, one of the best things about your pond will be the fish you put in it. It's all part of having a backyard pond, enjoy it!

I hope you found this useful for those of you who are going to attempt to build a backyard pond.  It takes some work initially, but once you have it done you'll have it and develop it for many years to come. Bob

The five most important things to have for your backyard pond is a good pond liner, pond pump, pond filter, UV filter, and some pond plants.

Try and have someone help you dig your pond.  There's a lot of dirt to move.

If you want to know how to build a backyard pond be sure to check out all the information that is available to you here at Backyard-Pond-Guide.com.