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| I've looked a few websites, checked out a several photos on the web, to get ideas for my pond. The vast majority of ponds have some type of stones overhanging the edge, to hide the liner. I'd like to break up that ring of stone if possible. Instead of one continuous ring, I'm thinking that it'd be great if somehow I can have some foliage at the periphery of the pond. However,doesn't the liner have to drape over the pond's edge by at least 12"? Maybe I can plant something at this 12" edge and the leaves/ branches will crawl towards the water, providing the look that I'm after? And if the liner needs something heavy to keep it down, that means stone, and the foliage will have to rest on the stones anyways. So I'll still have the "ring of rocks", I was hoping to do without some of the rocks.
Thanks, |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by nancym1956 (My Page) on Thu, Feb 18, 10 at 8:39
| The 12" doesn't actually have to drape over the edge that far. You can roll or fold it under to reduce it, just making sure that no water is escaping. I've heard of people who used strips of sod with the soil rinsed off the overhanging part, but I've never tried it and cannot offer advice on that. Trailing and matting plants can also soften the edges, like various forms of faux moss, sedum, and other low growing plants. |
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- Posted by sleeplessinftwayne z4-5 IND (My Page) on Thu, Feb 18, 10 at 15:10
| I have an area of yard planted with winter creeper or euonymus. I have to keep cutting it back since it seeks out the water and I often have several branches of it in the pond. Then the creeper grows more. Dry stacking stones and using odd sizes of rock slabs can prevent the "necklace" effect and can be attractive by itself. The creeper climbs over it and quickly looks natural. There are many creeping plants that will do the same thing. Be wary when choosing the plant since some are too hardy and invasive. |
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- Posted by pashta_2006 Z4 ADK NY (pashta@aol.com) on Thu, Feb 18, 10 at 16:20
| One thought could be to incorporate plant shelf alcoves in a few places that are just big enough to hold a rectangular plastic planter (just under the water's surface); then plant water-loving plants in there that will give you a more natural look on the edge of the pond as well as cover the liner behind it. As Nancy said, you don't have to have the 12" flat on the ground, just roll it up but make sure there are no spots that are lower where water can wick out. That's usually my downfall!! Anne |
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| hi newgen, i have to mention mint here. DO NOT plant chocolate mint within 50 miles of your pond! to get to the water, it will grow over and/or under rocks, flowerpots, and sometimes even under the liner edges, and show up right in the middle of the water. just sayin'. min |
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- Posted by riverbottom (My Page) on Thu, Feb 18, 10 at 20:04
| I covered the liner with tan landscape fabric so my plants would grow over the liner without burning |
Here is a link that might be useful: My Pond
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- Posted by riverbottom (My Page) on Fri, Feb 19, 10 at 0:55
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| Thanks all for the many ideas, let's see which I can implement. riverbottom: that "pond" of yours looks more like a swimming pool! Awesome! My yard can only hold a 7' x 14'. |
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- Posted by timbersmith 6A (My Page) on Fri, Feb 19, 10 at 10:13
| One trick I've heard about is to bury something underneath the edge of the liner to give it support - say some bricks or small concrete slabs. What this does is gives the liner edge some support, and it also allows you to place the extra liner behind these supports and under the soil (creating a rubber-lined "lip" that is above the water line). This will allow you to have excess liner available, and will also allow you to plant terrestrial plants extremely close to the water's edge. Don't forget to wrap the underlayment over these supports as well. One thing I plan on doing for my upper pond (that I will be adding when spring hits) is to create some bog areas on the edges - make a wide and/or deep "shelf" that is a couple inches below the water line, and then use something as a divider between this bog and the main pond. Bricks, stacked rocks, wood planks, etc can work as dividers - just depends on what look you're going for (I'll be using Trex-type composite lumber). Fill in behind the divider with dirt and you have your moist soil/bog area. Combine this with the edge treatment above and you probably wouldn't be able to tell where the yard ends and the pond begins if you pick the plants right. |
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| Like you, I have tried hard to avoid the 'necklace effect'. This is what I ended up with.  Notice the bog area near the fence left corner. I have no rocks in the deepest part and this allows me to get the leaves out easily. Also, I put gravel right to the water level in some spots...kind of like a beach effect. Here is a pic (different angle)with the plants filled in. flora2b |
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| A tall pond plant such as an iris or japanese rush could be set in a big pot close to the ponds edge, set with tresses of scrambling plants as a companion planting. Parrots feather, pennywort, four leaf clover are convenient to train where you want to mask pond edging. Easy enough to find on Ebay. Think twice about where you trade, private messages on places like scamericanponders are snooped by moderators |
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- Posted by eyecndiggit (My Page) on Sun, Feb 21, 10 at 20:36
| We always cover the entire liner edge and a few inches into the water with sod. NO ROCKS, no gravel. Nothing but sod and regular plants planted on the "berm". A berm is a raised area around the pond that is higher than the surrounding soil and higher than the water so all the nasty run-off from the lawn doesn't contaminate your pond. When we dig a pond half the dirt that comes out of the hole goes into the ring around the pond and then the sod is laid on it and into the pond. The grass grows out into the water and the fish eat it. Then you just plant normal plants into the berm and it looks like a real pond. Real ponds are nothing more than big holes in the dirt. The only place you find these rock encrusted things are pools in streams where the running water has washed away all the soil. Here are some old natural pond pix page one ponds page two ponds page 3 ponds |
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| I use several hostas around my oval pond to break up the ring look. Big ones will grow over the edge even planted 10 or 12 inches away, but stay low. |
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