The criterion for the classification of ponds may be a geometric shape. Allocate artificial reservoirs of regular and irregular shape.

1. The first group is round, rectangular, square, diamond-shaped reservoirs.
2. The second group - ponds, the configuration of which is close to natural. The choice of form depends on the style of landscape design of the suburban area.

Stages of the construction of a pond in the country

To build a pond in the country with your own hands, you need to solve several organizational issues. First you need to choose the materials and location for the construction of the reservoir.

The location for the pond should be selected based on the design of the site - it is recommended to take into account its size, shape and layout. It is better to place the pond in a place protected from winds and excess sunlight - this can harm the harmonious development of vegetation. The pond should be lit by the sun for no more than 10 hours a day, but at least 6 hours.

If you decide to make a pond with a pump, you need to consider access to the power supply system. A pump is required if a static pond is coupled with a dynamic one.

The most popular type of pond is buried. For the pond to be durable, high-quality waterproofing of the bottom is necessary.

Consider the common materials for waterproofing:

• Fiberglass. Ready hard forms of various configurations are produced from it. Most often, small ponds with an area of \u200b\u200bup to 3-4 sq.m. It is not recommended to use ordinary plastic - it will not last long. Fiberglass molds are reliable and durable. The disadvantage is the relatively high cost.
• PVC or butyl rubber film. This is a good material for arranging a free-form pond. The material is characterized by elasticity, strength, durability, resistance to aggressive substances, low and high temperatures. PVC film will last about 15 years, butyl rubber - up to 50. Using the film makes it possible to change the shape of the bottom in the future, and easily carry out repair work. Experts warn that polyethylene cannot be used - it is not strong enough. Also, for the winter, it is necessary to pump out water from the pond, so that when it freezes it does not damage the film.
• Reinforced concrete is a reliable material for the construction of an artificial pond at the cottage with your own hands. The main advantage of reinforced concrete is its strength, it is very difficult to damage it. The disadvantage is that it is difficult to work with this material, certain skills are required. When constructing a high-quality bottom for a pond using reinforced concrete, it is necessary to observe the technology and use concrete of a certain brand. Reinforced concrete is indispensable if you decide to build sculptures or a bridge.

The stages of the construction of the pond in the country, we use a rigid form:

1. A foundation pit is required that matches the configuration of the selected tank. First of all, you need to outline the contours of a rigid shape with a shovel.
2. The foundation pit should be slightly deeper than the depth of the tank itself - about 4-5 cm.
3. At the bottom you need to compact the sand.
4. After installing the bath in the pit, you need to make sure that there are no voids anywhere - they need to be filled with sand. You need to be especially careful if the pit is complex in shape - for example, terraced.

Construction of a pond with film insulation:

1. First you need to dig a pit. Using a film allows you to create a reservoir of various configurations. The photo shows a pond in the country, created using a PVC film.
     The choice of film depends on the planned life of the pond: PVC and butyl rubber will create a durable bottom coating, polyethylene - cheaper, it will last 2-4 years. Polyethylene is the choice of those who like to often change the design of a garden plot.
     An important selection factor is the color of the film:
   • Blue, gray: the pond will resemble a pool.
   • Cream: the bottom will be light, and against such a background plants, exotic fish look beautiful.
   • Brown: imitates natural soil. In combination with the natural form of the pond, such a bottom will look as natural as possible.
   • Black: the pond will resemble a mirror. The pond looks fancy, fabulous - appropriate decorative elements are needed.

1. Prepare materials: sand, building level, twine and pegs for marking, shovel, hose.
2. Dig a pit without sharp corners, the banks should have a slope. Remove stones and roots from the foundation pit.
3. The minimum depth of the central bowl is 60 cm.
4. Put a drainage layer of sand.
5. Geotextiles are laid on top of a layer of sand. This is necessary to protect the film from mechanical damage.
6. The shore must be treated. To do this, dig a ledge - it is needed for decoration with tiles, decorative stone, brick.
7. The film is freely laid on the bottom of the pit so that it lies without tension, and fixed at the edges with stones.
8. The last stage is the installation of the blind area.

Instructions on how to make a raised pond in the country:

• The main thing for installing such a pond is the foundation. It must be poured and allowed to harden. You can create a half-deepened pond - for this you need to dig a small pit. At the bottom lay a sand pillow.
• It is necessary to build supporting walls and let them get stronger.
• When the foundation and walls are ready, it is necessary to provide reliable waterproofing by laying a special film.
• Gradually fill the tank with water.

To make a pond in the country will take several days.

When the pond is ready, it needs proper care:

• Eliminate trash that enters the pond.
• Once a season, it is recommended to clean the bottom with a special mesh. You can use a special vacuum cleaner to clean ponds.
• Choose the right plants - they will also “look after” the pond. Oxygenerators (for example, elodea) will help to fill the water with oxygen - it will not turn green in the summer.
• Once a year, mainly in the spring, you can use special cleaning products. Do not abuse them - they are harmful to human health.

A video lesson will help you understand the intricacies of work.

Video: how to make a pond in the country with your own hands

ABOUT one of the best accents in landscape design can be an artificial pond. Such a construction will delight the owners of the site and will serve as a great place to relax. Many summer cottages are limited in size and not suitable for large bodies of water, but with instructions and certain building skills, you can make a small pond in the country with your own hands step by step. Photos of all stages of installation will determine the technical side of the issue. Before installing the reservoir, you will need to prepare certain materials, select the appropriate project and get acquainted with the recommendations from experts.

To build a beautiful pond in the country, it is not necessary to spend a lot of money. From the available options you can build a budget option

When deciding how to make a pond in the country with your own hands, you first need to decide on the size and shape of the structure. These parameters depend on the size of the plot and the preferences of the owners. At the same time, the reservoir can be either of a strict geometric shape or have the natural contours of a natural pond.

The following requirements are made to the place of future location of the water structure:

• the pond should not be illuminated by the sun all day, only 7-8 hours a day is enough. With intense lighting, water can bloom;
• the pond should not be located in a too shady place;
• there should be no trees nearby, as the foliage will pollute the water;
• the selected location should not be blown away by the wind.

When choosing a good place, the terrain and a good overview of the structure from any place are of importance.

If you plan to install a fountain in the pond, then you should take care of convenient electrification. There are no special rules when choosing a structure configuration. The pond can have any shape - asymmetric, looping, oblong or square.

Helpful information!The deeper the capacity, the pond should be placed in a brighter place. If a fish dwells in water, then it is worth considering that in very hot water the amount of oxygen decreases.

Do it yourself pond at the cottage step by step: photo and installation guide

There are several ways to build a pond in the country with your own hands. Landscaping photo ideas will help you choose. For quick installation work, you should purchase a ready-made form. On sale there are special containers made of rubber rubber and reinforced plastic. A budget option is insulation tape.

Ready-made installation

After choosing a suitable place, the finished form must be laid on the ground and draw a contour. A trench is made according to the marks. After installing the tank, it must be filled by a third and sand should be added to the voids formed. Then the bowl is filled with water. After shrinkage, plants are planted around the resulting reservoir, and a stone is laid.

Helpful information!Plastic containers are durable and easy to install, but such structures eventually deteriorate under the influence of ultraviolet rays. The best option is a fiberglass tank, which is reinforced with a rubber base.

Film arrangement

With the right approach, you can equip a pond at the cottage with your own hands from the film. A step-by-step photo demonstrates how to qualitatively perform a similar job. For installation, you can select the following film colors:

• black reflects clouds well; the bottom looks like a mirror;
• brown material imitates soil at the bottom;
• cream and blue film will give a resemblance to the pool and at the same time, fish are remarkably visible against such a background.

When choosing a material, you should pay attention to the composition of the material, the thickness and resistance to mechanical damage. Bonding of the material is done with special glue. The use of the film may be accompanied by a preliminary arrangement of the sand cushion. The laid film should lie freely, without undue tension. After laying the material, the pit can be filled with stones. After the water settles in the tank for several days, the film can be cut.

Helpful information!The more complex the device of the reservoir, the stronger the film should be.

Features of water filtration and planting

The installation of a filtering system must necessarily accompany the design of the pond at the cottage with your own hands. In this photo of the necessary work can be viewed on the site. This is especially important when launching fish in water.

Filtration kits are available at stores. They are accompanied by instructions with which the installation of equipment is performed. An important step is planting. An arrowhead and a tail are suitable for landing in water. You can pick up floating crops: hyacinths and lilies. Around the pond ferns, reeds and reeds will look good.

Helpful information!Artificial pond should be cleaned periodically. In this case, the bottom should be cleaned of silt, leaves and other debris.

Related article:

  Step-by-step instructions on the construction of a reservoir for keeping fish with photo examples in a separate publication of our portal.

DIY pond in the country: landscape photo ideas and decoration

Do-it-yourself ponds in the country house require special design. The photo displays the best design techniques. Figurines, stones and beautiful trees can be used as decor. Swings and uneven terrain allow you to build a pond with a cascade and a waterfall. The original solution will be a bridge or artificial slide.

The finished structure can be decorated with the following elements:

• underwater lighting looks fascinating, for this mini spotlights are mounted;

• surface lighting is installed next to the pond; halogen and LED lamps are used for this;

• for the installation of fountains, different types of pumps will be required.

An important decoration is considered vegetation. It can be planted in baskets filled with earth and installed on the surface of the reservoir. Nearby, tall varieties of plants will look good.

Helpful information!Before purchasing fish, you need to clarify the conditions of their maintenance. Some types of fish are at war with each other, so you need to choose those that get along with each other.

Useful tips: how to equip a pond in the country with your own hands, video

• the pond is best decorated with stones of different sizes. The harmonious combination of blocks with small stones will create a magnificent view;

• when creating a pond, do not use steep surfaces on which it is difficult to place plants;
• when landscaping, it is worth using containers that will prevent strong plant growth.

Helpful information!For planting aquatic crops requires special soil. In this case, plants should not occupy more than half the area of \u200b\u200bthe reservoir.

How to prepare a pond for winter

The pond, made of a plastic bowl, tolerates winter cooling well. To prevent the bowl from deforming under a load of ice, several plastic sand bottles can be lowered into the container.

In the case of film construction, a similar method can also be used. In winter, equipment and plants should be covered. At the first appearance of leaf fall, the pond should be covered with a fine mesh. Before frosts, a reservoir is cleaned and water is pumped out. Plants and fish must be sent to winter in warm rooms. Pumps and filtering equipment should also be removed.

In the spring, you can start the pond when night temperatures rise above zero. Subject to all installation rules and in the presence of quality material, you can build a beautiful pond in the shortest possible time. Using stylish decor elements will create an excellent central composition on the site.

DIY fish pond: step-by-step instructions

Even on a small site, you can equip a very decent artificial pond, sacrificing only a few beds. It will cost inexpensively. In order to create a pond in the country with your own hands, you will need only geotextiles, PVC film or polyethylene and several days of free time.

Choosing a place for artificial pond

The most suitable site for placing an artificial pond is a place near the fence in the corner of the garden, which is illuminated in the morning, but is in partial shade at noon. Do not place the pond near large trees: sprawling roots can damage the pit cover. Yes, and during leaf fall, you will have to clean the pond from the leaves almost daily.

An artificial pond is best located in partial shade

Pit preparation

1. With the help of driven stakes and rope in the selected place, marking is made in the form of a pond.

2. The turf is removed along the perimeter of the marking.

3. A small pit can be dug with a regular shovel. So that the walls of the pit do not crumble, its walls must have slight bias. There is no need to make the artificial pond too deep. Minimum depth  bowls - 60 cm (plus 30-40 cm for backfilling of crushed stone and sand drainage).

4. If it is planned to launch fish into the pond, its depth should be lower soil freezing  in this climate area. Otherwise, the water at the bottom will freeze, and the fish will die. In the central part of Russia, soil freezes to a depth of about 1.4-1.5 m.

5. For planting aquatic plants, it is better if the edges of the pit are stepped. The size of each of these steps is 10-15 cm.

Step pit for a pond

6. From the bottom of the pit, remove all large stones and branches, which can damage the not too strong film.

7. At the bottom of the pit falls asleep drainage: crushed stone, and then sand each layer of 20 cm and compacted.

8. To protect against soil erosion, a layer of geotextile. It can be replaced with any durable fabric: old carpets, blankets, old oilcloth or ruberoid. Laying such a protective layer is overlapped on the edges of the pit about 50 cm.

Laying roofing material

9. Further to the bottom of the reservoir can be laid plastic wrap  (its shelf life is about 3 years), pVC film  (it will last longer, about 15 years) or durable butyl rubber. To prevent damage to the film during filling, it must be laid without tension.

The film is laid on the bottom of the pit

10. Trim excess geotextiles and films immediately should not be. They will take the desired shape only after filling the pond with water. It is better to dig along the perimeter of the pit shallow trenchin which it will be possible to lay the edges of the fabric and film and lightly cover it with earth.

11. After filling the artificial reservoir with water, stones are placed at its edges, which will not only hold the material covering the bottom of the pond, but also serve as decoration. The edges of such an artificial pond can decorate  and decorative tiles, slate, sandstone or other suitable sized stones or bricks.

Stones are stacked at the edges of the reservoir

12. The site adjacent to the reservoir can be sprinkled with gravel or marble chips.

Decoration of the edge of the pond

13. In the center or on the edge of the pond, you can install a small artificial fountain.

14. At the edges of the pond, you can install several small fixtures  solar powered.

Tip.  If there is too little space on the site, a small artificial pond can be made of an old wheel or bath, buried in the ground and trimmed with stones along the edge (see photo).

A small artificial pond made from an old bath

Old Wheel Pond

Pond cleaning

Pond filter

A small pond is enough to clean only once a season manually. To do this, completely pump water out of it using a submersible pump and remove accumulated dirt from the bottom. To clean the pond, you can use a special vacuum cleaner equipped with a filter, with which you can collect dirt from the bottom.

Pond Vacuum Cleaner

Tip.  If you put a vessel filled with charcoal at the bottom of the pond, the water in it will not bloom for a long time.

Fallen leaves can be collected from the surface of the pond using a net. In autumn, during a heavy fall of water, the pond can be covered with a special net. To prevent dirt from entering the winter period, the pond is covered with any covering material.

Tip. So that the film does not crack in frost, it is better not to drain the water for the winter. To compensate for the pressure created by the expansion of the ice, several wooden planks or plastic bottles filled with water can be thrown into the water.

Planting aquatic plants

Naturally, only those plants that can develop well in a given climatic region should be planted. To decorate the pond, you can use traditional plants: reed, sedge, reeds. Large plants (lilies, water lilies) will be able to cover the water surface from the bright scorching sun and reduce the heating of water. Flowering plants that prefer to settle near water bodies include arrowhead leaves, kupen, grass-plucker, fern, frankincense, medunica, aquatic iris, etc.

Tip.  For planting, you can use special containers that are placed along the bottom of the pit. In this case, it will be much easier to take care of the plants.

Planting aquatic plants

Video: DIY pond in the country

An artificial pond in the country can be a great place to relax on a hot summer day. Those people who have country houses  by the lake or river, very lucky. Well, the rest will need, rolling up their sleeves, build a pond in the country with their own hands.

Where can I place a pond in a summer cottage? It is best to take a place under the future artificial pond even at the design stage of the summer cottage. In this case, the pond must:

• do not fall under prolonged exposure to direct sunlight - heated water provokes the growth of algae and the development of microorganisms. The water in the pond quickly becomes cloudy and will have a musty odor;
• located in an open area - branches and foliage from trees quickly pollute the water, and the root system can damage the bottom of an artificial reservoir;
• provide for the likely expansion over time at the cottage surface of the pond - probably the mini-pond will want to be converted into a full-fledged water complex - with a fountain, bridge, etc.

Professional builders  advise to make the artificial pond shallow - as it will be mainly used as a beautiful element of the surrounding landscape in the garden. In addition, you immediately need to think about how you will care for the pond on the site - there must be a convenient approach to it - of course, not through or the garden.

Water in an artificial pond will need to be changed with your own hands - since it will not be cleaned naturally, unlike natural reservoirs. Therefore, you need to make sure that it is located near your pond.

The choice of material for construction

Before you make a pond with your own hands, you need determine its foundation. In this case, there are several solutions. Consider what an artificial pond can be made of.

Reinforced concrete

The most durable pond in the garden can be made using reinforced concrete. The bottom and coastal zone, reinforced with reinforcement and poured with concrete, can withstand various additional loads - the installation of sculptural compositions, a fountain, etc.

The complexity of construction makes this technology impractical to organize small ponds in the country. The disadvantages of this solution include the significant cost of erecting ponds from reinforced concrete in the country at home. I have to rent special equipment, use a lot of building materials, and it will be possible to dismantle the installed pond only with great labor costs.

Pvc film

Budget solution for the construction of an artificial reservoir in the country. The depth and shape of this reservoir can be easily changed, reduced or increased in size. The pond in the area with a film base can even be made seasonal - for example, to fall asleep with the advent of winter and again equip in the summer.

The disadvantages of this solution include the fragility and fragility of the PVC coating - the film can be easily damaged, and if the integrity of the bowl is violated, the water will easily go into the ground. Because swimming in these ponds is not recommended - they small in size, and are used to decorate the garden.

Artificial Ponds

This is the golden mean for people who want to have their own pond in their garden, and at the same time not bother with building materials for its organization. Shop bowls for decorative ponds are made of durable and durable materials - fiberglass or polyvinyl chloride.

The first option is much more expensive. However, the cost of the fiberglass bowl is fully compensated by the excellent performance of this material. You can easily put this cup in your own hands without involving friends or acquaintances in this process. The disadvantage can be considered the acquisition of ready-made standard forms - that is, the foundation pit should be made in the shape of a bowl, and not vice versa.

Moreover, the possibility of construction is lost uneven terrain bottom for the design of natural coastlines. In addition, this method of organizing a pond in the garden will cost much more than a reservoir of improvised materials or film.

Country pond from improvised materials

A rather interesting option is the use of different improvised containers or materials. Old wagons, troughs, cast-iron bathtubs - all this is suitable for construction.

The advantages of this method are that it is not necessary to construct bulky reinforced concrete structures or acquire standard forms. The disadvantages include the low decorativeness of old containers - it will be necessary to show a tough imagination so that from the old bath make a work of art.

Mini Tire Pond

People who have a catastrophic little space in the country, experts advise using a convenient and simple pond made of tires. The old tires are dug up, the film is laid inside, and the banks are decorated.

The resulting pond can surprise even professional landscape designers - the finished pond will be an exclusive element of the landscape interior.

Foundation pit

Then, when they have decided on the material for construction, it is necessary to dig a pit. This work is best done in the summer when groundwater go as deep as possible. The depth of the pit is determined based on the type of material from which it was decided to make a bowl. If it is an old bathroom or other finished form - dig a hole 25-30 cm deeper than the dimensions of the form.

If you decide to make a pond of PVC film, you will need to dig to a depth of about 70-90 cm - a small pond will completely freeze in the winter, quickly dry out and heat up in the summer. For reservoirs of reinforced concrete, it will be necessary to dig a pit more than 1.5 meters deep - here you can not do without special equipment.

Consider the stages of work for the construction of a pond in the country with your own hands for various types of selected materials.

Film pond construction

When the pit is ready, it remains to clean its bottom and dig on the sides of the future mini-pond small terraces. The depth of these terraces is approximately 30 cm and a width of about 25 cm. The bottom of the pit is rammed, pebbles, rubble, stones and other foreign objects are removed. The cleaned bottom is sprinkled with sand and covered with a geotextile. This preparation of the bottom will significantly improve the strength of the base coat, as well as extend the life of the film.

The next step is the laying of the film coating. The film size can be calculated as follows: take the total length of the reservoir and add twice the depth of the pit. The film canvas is fixed on the terraces with a margin of approximately 30 cm. The laid canvas is laid with stones or bricks - this must be done to preserve its laying form.

Then you need to fill the pond with water, check the integrity of the film and proceed to the design of the coastal zone. No need right away crop film residues  under the bricks, as it can sit down over time.

We build a pond from the bath

To build a pond from an old bathtub or other unnecessary tank, you will need:

• crushed stone;
• a piece of mesh netting;
• sand and cement;
• a coil of steel or aluminum wire;
• beautiful stones for decoration.

After a foundation pit is dug, it is necessary to make its edges. Why do we remove the upper one around the entire perimeter of the future pond? a layer of earth about 45-50 cm wide. This perimeter is deepened so that it is in level with the shape of the reservoir. The drain hole in the bathroom is closed, then it is installed on the bottom of the pit.

To extend the operating time of the future mini-pond, it is necessary to protect the enamel on the inner surface of the bowl. Why the sides and the bottom of the bathroom can be treated with glue for tiles. After this, the bath is allowed to dry thoroughly, as a rule, this requires at least several days.

Then around the perimeter of the bowl lay a netting netting. It is required for reinforcing the bottom and sides of the reservoir. We apply a cement-sand mixture or concrete mortar to the mesh and allow to dry. After it comes the turn of the final design of the coast.

Ready-made pond

A pit dug for a mold, cleared of garbage, branches and other items. The walls and bottom of the pit are rammed. When the country is very loose soil - it needs to be strengthened. For the finished form, a perfectly flat plane of the sides and the bottom of the pit is required. The surface can be leveled with a building level.

Then the bottom must be covered with sifted sand, which also needs to be tamped. The sand layer is an excellent fuse that will ensure the integrity of the finished bowl.

After the bowl is installed in the pit and water is poured. The resulting voids between the ground and the sides of the mold are covered with sand, and this must be done gradually. Initially, 20-25 cm of sand is poured, which is wetted with water.

After sand distribution this process is necessary repeat until the voids are completely filled between the walls of the pit and the form. This must be done, as the shape for the pond is very fragile and easily deformed. Uniform pressure on the surfaces of the bowl will not allow its curvature.

After a day, check the gap between the ground and the sides of the bowl. When there are voids - add sand. Pour water from a mini-pond, finally clean it and pour clean water.

Choose plants for the pond

Small plants are planted on the coastal part of the pond - shade-loving or, conversely, everything will depend on the location of the reservoir. Hosts can create a picturesque picture on the shore of the pond, with green prefer penumbra, and blue prefer shadow.

Also in the shade, sedge grows well with narrow leaves, which sometimes grow up to 80 cm. In the penumbra, an unpretentious marmot feels good purple inflorescences. In the sunny area you can drop a zipper.

Perfectly decorate the shore of a pond located in partial shade, fern. On wet ground, it grows well. The same conditions apply for astilba. For landing near the pond, its undersized varieties are suitable.

When the pond is quite large, plant a darmer (peltiphyllum) on the shore - a perennial plant in the form of bushes up to 1 m high and up to 0.5 m in diameter, with notched round leaves.

At the second level, water lilies are traditionally located in a pond. Hybrid nymphaea are characterized by a variety of colors, but there is no need to overload the pond with a large number of specimens, they grow and only interfere with each other.

Sunny shallow water is great place for calamus. In a small body of water, a low calamus cereal looks organically, and in a large one - a swamp. Some varieties of irises also prefer low water.

The unpretentious calla is a fairly popular plant for domestic ponds. At the beginning of summer, a flower in the form of an ears appears on it, and after the berries are red, but you need to remember that they are poisonous.

The aquatic hawthorn, smelling of vanilla, grows well in water, reaching a diameter of 50 cm. It is a deep-sea plant. It looks originally floating on the surface, miniature, covering the pond with a green azoll carpet. However, it will need to be fought, periodically catching bushes resembling ferns.

Maintain order in the pond

Like all structures, the pond requires some care. You don’t need to spend much effort here, with the right choice of water plants in your body of water, a bio-balance will be established over time, and the system will independently control itself, you only need to help it a little.

Caring for the pond is quite simple:

Own pond in the garden is the dream of many summer residents. Even a small pond in the summer will give a feeling of coolness, it will become the most peaceful and calm area of \u200b\u200bany summer cottage. It is completely not difficult to build it with your own hands, as it may seem: relatively relatively small labor costs and simple materials are enough to diversify the landscape design with a new decorative element.

DIY pond on the site

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Good day dear readers!

Each owner of a suburban area wants to make it beautiful and attractive.

The easiest way to achieve this is to build a pond.

It is not necessary at the same time to invest heavily in equipment and hire a construction team.

Small pond  quite possible to do and do it yourselfby spending a minimum of funds. How? Read on.

1) The location of the pond.

First you need to determine the configuration of the pond and choose a place for its device. It is impractical to make a large body of water in a small area.

A well-planned and beautifully designed small pond will look much nicer here.

The depth of the pond will depend on the presence and type of plants that are planned to be planted, but it should not be less than 50 centimeters, otherwise the toad will quickly be populated by toads, mosquito larvae and other undesirable organisms, and the water will bloom at this depth very quickly.

The configuration of the bottom can also be quite diverse. It should be borne in mind that it is easier to make a pond with a flat bottom, but several bottom levels will add naturalness to the pond and expand the possibilities for planting various plant species.

With special attention should choose a place under the future reservoir.

This should be an open and sufficiently lit area, but it should be borne in mind that constant lighting in direct sunlight adversely affects the bio-balance of the pond.

Also, do not place the pond under deciduous trees, since in the fall every day you have to extract fallen leaves from the water, otherwise the pond will turn into a swamp.

The most suitable soil for the construction of such a structure is clay and loam, so if there are separate zones with such soil on the site, then you need to place the pond here.

2) Pond configuration and digging

Now is the time to decide on the configuration of the future reservoir.

To do this, it is advisable to make a sketch of the pond on paper so that you can understand how selected the outlines correspond to the landscape of the garden. Drawing the bottom will help determine its levels.

After the place for the location of the reservoir is selected and its dimensions are determined, you can start marking. To do this, it is better to use pegs and twine, guarding them around the perimeter of the border of the future structure.

The first digging pass should be from a site intended under the bottom of the reservoir. If the pond is small, then all excavation work can be carried out using an ordinary bayonet shovel and a garden cart.

The soil must be removed with layers, in no case without loosening the walls of the pit. The same applies to the work on the formation of bottom levels, otherwise the destroyed surface will not allow clear boundaries.

By the way, it is necessary to determine in advance the place of storage of the earth removed when digging. You can take it out of the site, or you can build an alpine hill, placing it near the reservoir.

This will give additional charm to the entire water-flower complex. When carrying out earthwork, the angle of inclination of the walls of the pond should be monitored all the time.

To maintain the naturalness of the structure, the slope should not exceed 60 degrees. Moreover, the fulfillment of this condition will allow the film to be pressed more densely to the sides.

In the process of work, it is necessary to constantly monitor the horizontal horizons of the shores using a board and a building level, otherwise when filling the pond with water, its surface will look uneven with respect to the coastal level.

3) The appearance of the shores of the reservoir

A dug pit is not yet ready to fill it with water. Why? Because now is the time to decide on the appearance of the shores of the reservoir.

Of course, you can just cover them with a film, and then sprinkle the edges with earth. But it will not look very aesthetically pleasing, and open areas of the film will soon become worthless under the influence of sunlight and freezing temperatures.

It is most practical to decorate them with stones that will be immersed in water up to half, while the film will be underground, thus preserving its integrity. How to do this?

It is necessary to make a small ledge around the entire perimeter of the reservoir in the form of a step with a height of about 10 centimeters and a width sufficient for stable installation of stones. This ledge will make it possible to lay stones and leave the film out of sight, without violating the pond.

4) Insulation work

Now you can start the insulation work. First, it is advisable to pour a layer of wet sand about 5 cm thick over the entire inner surface of the pit and compact it.

This will reduce the likelihood of contact of sharp stones, fragments or scraps of plant roots with insulating material.

The role of the latter may be roofing material, a rubber membrane or geotextile. If the material is not solid (such as roofing material, for example), then it should be overlapped, welding the seams with a blowtorch. The edges of the material should extend beyond the step of 20 centimeters.

After the work done, you need to check the resulting surface for the absence of sharp angles, bends and protrusions.

Even a slight sharpening can be a serious problem in the further operation of the pond. If everything is in order, this stage can be considered completed.

5) Laying the film

When choosing this material, attention should be paid to its thickness, since it is this parameter that is an indicator of strength. Accordingly, the thicker the film, the longer the construction will be.

Of course, in specialized stores there is a special film intended for the device of a small reservoir with a pattern applied on its surface that imitates the natural bottom.

But, as a rule, such material is much more expensive and with a multilevel bottom surface, its laying is quite seriously complicated.

Therefore, you can quite easily buy a PVC film of the required thickness in an ordinary construction store. In an extreme case, you can use a butyl rubber membrane, but it costs more than the film, though it lasts longer.

The film is usually sold with a sleeve 1.5 meters wide. Those. if you cut this sleeve, you can get a three-meter canvas of the required length. This should be considered when choosing a pond configuration.

If the pond has a simple shape, then nothing needs to be done with the film, but if the outlines of the borders are curved and the bottom is at different levels, then the film will have to be cut and glued in certain places.

You don’t need to be afraid of this, you just have to approach the sealing of the joints responsibly and check each connection for leaks.

For gluing the film, you can use special adhesives designed for use in the aquatic environment or use a simple iron, welding two sheets through paper.

So, to lay the film is necessary as follows. Having distributed the canvas on the surface, it is necessary to smoothly fold the folds in the corner joints, pressing them on the shore and at the bottom with stones.

When laying along the shores, you need to make sure that the edges of the film extend beyond the end of the step by less than 20-30 cm. At the same time, you can place the plants on the bottom and ledges.

6) We fill the pond with water correctly

Water should be launched into the pond bowl gradually, through a hose, the drain end of which should be laid near the bottom.

Water, filling the entire space of the reservoir, will stretch the film, so you need to carefully monitor the filling and raise stones in time, releasing the stretch material.

As soon as more than half of the total water is collected, you can start arranging stones along the banks.

It is necessary to try to do it tightly, without gaps, using stones of different sizes. The water supply should be stopped after it begins to overflow over the edge of the pond. The open edges of the film must be covered with earth. Everything, the pond is ready.

7) Conclusion

However, you do not need to think that after finishing work on the device of the reservoir, you can forget about it and only enjoy the look.

Such a construction requires, if not constant care, then at least some attention. In order for the pond to please its freshness and purity for a long time, it is necessary to top up the water in time instead of the evaporated one, clean the water surface from the fallen debris, monitor the plants and remove the rotten ones, etc.