Water gardens can vary in size depending on the owner’s desire.
-Location. Lucas says it’s important to think through carefully where you want to place the pond, as it can’t easily be re-located. Most select a location off the back porch and/or near picture windows so they can be enjoyed inside as well as outside. Water gardens can thus be enjoyed year-round. Once your budget has been set and location determined, the next step is to start designing and building your water garden, or to select an individual or company to build it for you. Lucas says that his company follows a 20-step process, which would also be applicable for do-it-yourselfers. Those steps include: marking the outline of the pond and associated elements, such as a brook, with spray paint; excavating the dirt; lining the pond to prevent seepage; adding rock and gravel; establishing the plants; installing any lights, creating an attractive setting (Lucas recommends using the dirt from the excavation to line the pond and form the basis for waterfalls); hooking up the skimmers and pump; and installing the filters.
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