Gardening : Water Features : A Formal Pond and Patio : Home & Garden Television

The simple lines of an English garden, accented by a formal pond, can define a space and add drama to a yard. Landscape Smart achieved this formal mood at the home of Jim and Joan Coda in the San Francisco Bay area. The Codas wanted to replace their nondescript rectangular concrete patio with a formal pond and stone patio, enhanced with colorful plantings.

Figure A

Landscape designer Cynthia Egger designed an L-shaped pond in the middle of a stone patio, surrounded by colorful flowers and shrubs that add soft touches (figure A).

Egger estimates that a professional would charge about $10,000 to build the pond and patio, but do-it-yourselfers can cut the cost to about $2,700, using top-of-the-line paving stones, or as little as half that cost with cheaper stones. Egger rates this project a 5 on a difficulty scale of 1 (easy) to 5 (difficult) and estimates that it would take four weekends to complete.

Step One: Preparing the Pond

Figure B

Clear the site and dig out a 6- by 3-foot L-shaped area, 24 inches deep. Add three inches of sand (figure B), and rake it level to create a smooth base and protect the liner from sinking or tearing.

Use a 45-mil liner to cover the bottom and sides of the pond. Tuck the liner so that it conforms to the shape of the pond, leaving plenty of overhang, and tack down the edges.

Step Two: Building the Frame

Figure C

Use a circular saw to cut plywood planks about 12 inches shorter than the pond dimensions. Attach boards, using 3/8-inch galvanized screws, and add 1x1s in the corners (figure C) to reinforce the frame. The form should fit easily inside the pond, leaving room for concrete.

Figure D

If needed, build forms for the landing and the stairs (figure D) by the back door, using 2x6s crisscrossed by a rebar grid. Attach flashing to the house foundation to protect it from water that could be absorbed by the concrete steps.

Step Three: Pouring the Concrete

Figure E

Before beginning to pour, spray-paint a border around the bottom of the pond to mark how much concrete is needed (figure E). Next, fill a wheelbarrow with concrete. (Egger recommends using a small mixer, which you can rent for about $90.) Pour concrete onto the pond liner and spread it out with a shovel.

Before the concrete sets, lay five-foot-long pieces of 3/8-inch rebar, and push them into the concrete until they're completely covered. Add another layer of rebar, crisscrossing the first layer. Smooth with a trowel.

For the side walls, tie rebar to the grid at the bottom to create vertical rebar stubs. Using tie wire, attach more rebar to the stubs horizontally around the perimeter.

Once the grid is complete, set in the plywood form, making sure it is centered correctly, with a six-inch gap between the form and edge of the pond.

Figure F

Attach scrap wood with screws from one pond edge to another to brace the form so it won't bend when the concrete is poured. Mix some concrete, fill the walls, and use a trowel to smooth the top edges (figure F). After the concrete has cured for at least 24 hours, remove the forms. Also fill the forms for the back-door steps, smoothing the concrete with a trowel.

Note: if you plan to run any electrical wiring to the pond, do it before adding concrete.

Step Four: Installing the Patio

Egger chose 12-inch-square Connecticut blue stone, which costs about $10 per square foot. This durable stone provides formal, straight lines with variable color.

Figure G

To set the stones, begin next to the house and work outward. Use a trowel to spread a thin layer of mortar mixed with an acrylic additive. Press the stone firmly in place, ensuring that it is level and lines up with the other stones. Set the first stones in a T pattern against the house, then fill in the rest. Leave a 1/4-inch gap between stones for grouting (figure G). When the steps are complete, move on to the patio.

Clear any debris off the surface, then mortar the blue stones, as done for the steps. Place stones with slight color variations next to each other to create an attractive pattern.

Complete the pond by drilling a hole in one wall, using a hammer drill, to accommodate the electrical wiring that attaches to the submersible pump. To give the pond walls a finished look, spread a thin layer of mortar to cover any small holes in the concrete and smooth the surface.

Figure H

To create a mosaic border around the pond, cut paving stones in half, using a wet saw (available from tool-rental centers for about $48 per day). Set them in mortar around the pond, slightly overhanging the surface. To create the corners, cut stones at a 45-degree angle for a clean fit. Let the stones set overnight (figure H).

Fill a masonry bag with light gray sanded grout, and squeeze it into gaps between stones. Smooth it with a trowel and let set for about one hour.

Now it's time to install the pump. Egger chose a submersible pump that can handle 1,200 gallons an hour, with a spout to create a small fountain. Set the pump on the pond floor, and feed the electric cord through the hole drilled earlier. Fill the hole with caulking to prevent water from leaking out. Finally, fill the pond with a few inches of water and test the system.

Step Five: Planting a Formal Garden

Figure I

To achieve a formal, manicured look, Egger designed an English garden with roses, colorful perennials, a boxwood hedge and water plants such as lilies and reeds (figure I). The plants she chose include:

Coral bells, Heuchera micrantha (Zones 4-8)
Nemesia caerulea 'Innocence' (Zones 9-10)
Rosa 'Flower Carpet' (Zones 5-9)
Common boxwood, Buxus sempervirens (Zones 6-8).

Guests
Cynthia Egger
Landscape Designer
Cynthia Egger Landscape Design
San Rafael, CA
Phone: 415-460-0858
E-mail: cynthia@eggerlandscape.com
Website: www.eggerlandscape.com
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