Yvonne's stream and pond
Yvonne's situation was similar to Bob's - a natural slope leading to a large flat area. This series shows more detail about the stonework.
All of these projects feature a lot of stone in the bottom of the ponds. Many people feel strongly that ponds should have no stone in the bottom, because it makes removing debris difficult. Others love their stone, and don't mind the extra work. The choice is yours to make.
At this stage Yvonne's pond has been staked, edged and lined. Flat shelves have been dug for the plants, and stone has been laid along the vertical surfaces.
It's not necessary to make the stone fit perfectly. The gaps will be filled with smaller stones.
The stones should be placed so that their tops are just above the shelf they are in front of. This is because gravel will be poured on the shelf and the stones will keep it in place.
Smaller stones are used to fill in the gaps between the larger boulders.
Gravel is poured into the remaining spaces, making the wall very stable.
Here you can see a couple of pieces of Rock-on-a-Roll that have been placed along the edges of the pond.
The bottom of the Rock-on-a-Roll is held in place with gravel and stones.
At the bottom of the hill, just above the pond, drainage tubing has been installed. This is needed because the pond is in an area that receives some rainwater runoff. The drainage tube directs water under the stream so that it doesn't pool up, and flow into the pond.
Here you can see that the backfill is keeping the top of the Rock-on-a-Roll in place, and stones and gravel are holding down the bottom.
This is a beginning stage of the stream's construction. The lower part has been staked, edged, lined, Rock-on-a-Roll has been put in and a two waterfall stones have been placed.
Black polyurethane foam, often called pond foam, is used to seal the waterfall stone to the bottom of the stream. This keeps water from running under the stone.
However if Yvonne were to run the stream now, water would simply go around the stone rather than over it.
That problem is solved by spraying black foam next to the waterfall stone....
...and placing a small boulder in it before it cures. When this is done on both sides, there is no place for the water to go but over the waterfall stone.
This is the first time the stream has been run. The flexible PVC tubing can be seen next to the stream, going up the hill.
The stones have been placed so that water cascades from one to the next.
The pond and stream has been backfilled and mulched.
Yvonne's stream and pond are complete and the effect is wonderful.
Yvonne has designed her pond to be enjoyed from many places. This photo is taken from her deck, but she can also sit right next to it to watch her fish and plants grow.
We hope these photos give you a clear idea of how the raised-edge pond construction technique works, and how it can save a huge amount of time and work. You can find more information on Rock-on-a-Roll here. If you have any questions, please email or give us a call. We're happy to help.