Paul James, host of HGTV's Gardening by the Yard, explains how to build a water garden for less than $500. "I decided to build my pond next to the patio for several reasons," he says. "First, it's in full sun, so I can grow a variety of plants, including water lilies, which need all-day sun. Also, there are no overhanging trees, so leaf litter won't be a problem. Decaying leaves are lethal to a water garden because they release harmful gases as they decompose. The spot is also close to the house, which will shelter the pond from prevailing winds and make electrical connections easier. I chose an informal look because that's more suited to my approach to gardening." After choosing a spot for the water garden, the next decision is whether to use rigid or flexible liner. Rigid fiberglass or plastic liners (figure A) come in a variety of shapes and sizes and last almost forever. They may cost as much as several hundred dollars and are available at nurseries and home-and-garden centers. Flexible liners allow you to create practically any shape you want. The best are made of butyl rubber. They can be expensive, but they last as long as 30 years. PVC liners don't last as long. You can create a pond without a pump, filter or lights. Placing enough plants in it should keep the water relatively clean. Paul wanted to create a small waterfall, so he needed a pump and a filter. "I piled the dirt up next to the hole so I could create the hill I needed for the waterfall," he explains. "The hole is shallow at one end and gradually deepens to about 2', an ideal depth for overwintering fish and growing water lilies. I also gently sloped the sides toward the center and made the bottom fairly flat." You can create a shallow shelf -- 8" to 10" -- along the edge of the pond for shallow-water plants. The next step is to use a level to verify that the tops are level. Remove any rocks and roots that may tear the liner. Add a 1" layer of builder's sand in the hole, and pack it down to protect the liner. With the sand in place, lay the liner in the hole with the center at the deepest point, extending the liner up and over the top of the hole about 1' and up the hill where the waterfall will be. Fill the hole with water, and smooth out any wrinkles that may appear in the liner, starting at the bottom and working your way up along the sides. Edge the pond with stone. For a formal pond, most people use paving slabs, which may need to be cut to size and secured with mortar. All kinds of rocks are available for water gardens. Choose yours based on your taste and budget. Consider using rocks native to your area or that complement your home or landscape. A mix of flat and rounded stones creates a nice effect, much like what you'd find along the edge of a mountain stream. To create an informal look, lay edging rocks at random, filling the gaps with small boulders and pebbles (figure B). Add a few plants here and there in the gaps. Creating a natural look can be difficult. Put the rocks down, stand back and take a look, then move the rocks until you like the effect. Creating a natural-looking waterfall requires a pump to bring water up from the pond. Set a submersible unit (figure C) on a rock a few inches off the bottom so that it doesn't rest in the mud and sediment that will accumulate. Attach a hose to the outlet so you can send the water wherever you want. The filter is installed in front of the pump so that the water is first drawn into the filter, where it's cleaned in a two-stage filtration system. Most filters come with a small packet of beneficial bacteria to be used to inoculate the system and clean the water. A pump that moves 300 to 500 gallons per hour is fine. With the pump and filter in place, attach the hose to the pump outlet and run it up to the top of the waterfall. "I created a stepped pattern with rocks so the water would fall gently to oxygenate it without disturbing the plants or creating too much noise," says Paul. Let the water settle for several hours, even a few days, so that any dissolved chlorine gas will be released. If you're in a hurry, you can use a chemical dechlorinator and plant within a few hours. Many aquatic plants, both hardy and tropical, are available from local and mail-order nurseries. Your selections should depend on how big and deep the pond is. Create a balance of one-third open water to two-thirds plant cover. That way you can enjoy both the plants and their reflections in the water. The shade provided by the plants will provide shelter for fish and reduce algae growth. The most popular aquatic plants include hardy water lilies (figure D), most of which need water that's 12" to 48" deep. They spread up to 3' or more, so select just one for a small pond. Lotuses are popular plants too, growing in only 4" of water (figure E). Include various irises, which bloom just like garden varieties. Marginal plants such as rushes and papyrus grow in only 2" to 4" of water. Plant deep marginals from 5" to 30" deep. Don't forget floaters such as water hyacinth and water lettuce. Finally, choose oxygenators (figure F), the cheapest plants you can buy and perhaps the most important in any pond. They not only oxygenate the water but also serve as a food source for fish. These planting depths are measured from the top of the pot to the water level. Deep-water and marginal aquatic plants are grown in pots placed in the water at the proper depth. The pots are placed on bricks, and one brick is removed at a time until the pot is resting on the bottom. You can set marginal and deep-marginal plants in at the proper depth and place them on a shelf or on an inverted pot or saucer so they're at the right depth. Several kinds of fish are available for ponds, but the most popular are goldfish and koi. In a small pond, stick with goldfish. Fish don't like sudden temperature changes, so first float them in their aquarium-store bag in the pond for about a half hour, then release them into the water (figure G). It's fine if the fish hide and don't surface for a few hours or days, even for food, because they'll eat algae and minute animals of one form or another. Feed your fish once or twice a day when they're most active, during spring and summer. If your climate is hot and the water temperature reaches 80 degrees or more, cut back or stop feeding for a while. In the winter, if you live in a freeze zone, you can stop feeding the fish altogether unless you get a prolonged warm spell. The fish will probably head for the deepest water and stay there in hibernation.
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