Artificial ponds in the country. How to make a pond in the garden ⛲ and on a summer cottage with your own hands - photos of small ponds from a bathtub and a tire

“Water is the beauty of nature,” S. T. Aksakov.
Take a look at fig. It’s good to have a dacha or estate in such a place! And if not? We’ll build it ourselves; a homemade pond at the dacha is not an easy task, but it’s doable without special equipment, complex tools and subtle skills.

The bottom row of pictures are self-dug and self-designed ponds that can be squeezed into a fully developed 6 acres. And tell yourself honestly: do you now want to refresh yourself with something futuristic and technogenic, as in Fig. lower right? Even if you can afford to order something like this in the middle of the Karakum Desert, and bring water there from the Irtysh? No? Then let's get down to business. To build a pond, you will need some knowledge of hydraulic construction and aquaculture, but that is why this article was written, to give it to novice hydraulic builders.

A pond itself, or a natural pond, is a hydraulic structure where the water mass in a small non-navigable reservoir is retained by an embankment dam without a sluice. A closure is made in seasonal fish farms, drained for the winter, and irrigation ponds, and a spillway is used when there is an excess supply to the reservoir. A natural pond receives its nutrition either from natural sources of water (a spring, a spring), or during its construction the adjacent aquifer is opened, artificially creating a discharge zone for it, but most often the dam is blind.

Note: “completely natural” ponds, when a dam is formed, say, as a result of a collapse or landslide, are usually called dammed lakes.

An artificial pond, in a non-professional but widely accepted view, is a dug pool without groundwater supply, not intended for swimming, water supply and/or commercial economic use. This is customary to distinguish it from, although during the construction of an artificial “pond” nothing is dammed, and there is no sign of a dam.

Most often, an artificial pond is a small reservoir at a dacha, up to 30-40 cubic meters. m, volume for decorative purposes. However, as we will see later, on a plot of 18-20 acres you can build a pond with a swimming area. Its banks can be anything: flat, embanked, trimmed with stone, but a plant frame is required, the bed is almost always planted with plants. Often the pond is stocked with ornamental fish species.

What to expect?

A dammed pond (a tautology, but acceptable for brevity), per unit volume of water mass and water surface area, is the least labor-intensive and expensive. Over time, it fits into the landscape so much that not every hydraulic builder will immediately distinguish it from a natural reservoir, see Fig. again. higher. The biocenosis of a natural pond can develop by itself and exist for centuries. Its construction is possible in a natural depression of the soil with low continental permeability, i.e. underlying the fertile layer of rock.

To make a pond with your own hands, so to speak, naturally, you need to build a dam and, possibly, open the aquifer. Two not lazy and strong workers cope with the dam over the summer, which can hold up to 1000 or more cubic meters of water. They begin to fill the pond in the fall, so that less evaporation, winter precipitation and spring meltwater accelerate the clogging of the soil, see below.

However, firstly, consider that there are no areas left suitable for constructing a pond and free from other types of economic use. Secondly, a natural pond with insufficient ground nutrition, i.e. with topping up with precipitation, it must have a volume of at least 300-400 cubic meters, otherwise the area of ​​the water surface and bed will be excessive relative to the volume of water, and over the summer the pond may dry up even in the Leningrad region. Third, fresh water– a valuable and increasingly scarce resource. According to experts, in the near future it will be water reserves, and not energy resources, that will become the determining factor in the nature of interstate relations. As for ideas, “values”, etc., then, excuse me, these have been verbal husks since primitive times. Talleyrand put it well on this matter: “Language is given to a diplomat in order to hide his thoughts.” Therefore, water use throughout the world is regulated more and more strictly, and it is impossible for an individual to approve a natural pond project (without which very severe liability is provided) these days.

Stages of the long journey

A decorative pond is created in several large stages:

• Hydraulic engineering – construction of a reservoir and its filling;
• Aquacultural: colonization and landscaping of the pond;
• Construction and design - arrangement of the entire own hydropark: pergola, benches, tables, rock garden, barbecue by the pond, etc.;
• Additional: stream, cascade, waterfall, fountain.

The sequence of work is exactly this, because It is only possible to harmoniously fit a pond in the garden into the landscape independently, without expensive construction, design projects, and work performed by specialists, only if it is alive with an established biocenosis. This article deals mainly with the first 2 stages: it is possible to embrace the immensity, but not in one publication. We will highlight only certain circumstances that are closely related to the “wet” stages, which need to be taken into account in advance.

First, There are 2 ways to finish the bank: dry, before filling, and after it. The first one is simpler and cheaper, because does not require expensive materials and complex technologies. However, you need to have a developed artistic taste and clearly imagine in advance how a filled pond will look in a finished hydro recreation area. Otherwise, the finishing of the shore may run counter to the existing landscape design, and it is impossible to correct the stonework or tiling that goes into the water.

Alternatively, you can leave the banks unformed for now, embanking them or raising the side of the bowl or fastening the upper slope upward by 5-10 cm; in case of film insulation, see below. The shaft or edge of the side is covered with insulation, and its “wing” of 0.5-1 m is given to the sides, which is sprinkled with earth. For examples of this design, see several figures. Further. Then the finishing of the shore can be done at the earliest last resort, but the bare slope will be visible through the water.

The best option for finishing the shore is the initial, dry design with wild stone; it fits into any landscape design in the vast majority of cases. But be careful: do not finish the underwater part with flagstone! On land it is quite appropriate, if only because it is convenient and safe to walk on it, but a pond like the one on the left in the figure will not survive a frosty winter. The fact is that any natural flagstone is not very strong, it is porous and cracked. Over the summer it will fill with water to capacity and frost destruction in the cold is inevitable. And in warm regions, due to the rather high chemical activity of shale rocks, after a few years the lining will crumble, and the biocenosis in such a pond will not develop.

It is best to finish the shore with granite boulders (on the right in the figure) or crushed flake stone, in the form of relatively thin plates with a relatively flat surface, which is also cheaper than rounded stone. In addition to granite, any dense brecciated volcanic or intrusive rocks will work: gneiss, gabbro, labradorite. Tuffs, limestones, sandstones and metamorphic rocks (marble, quartzite, for example) should be avoided: they are washed away, crumbled or dissolved in water.

Filter or leak?

The pond on the site is most often dug. What to do with the pit? Let's look in more detail further; for now you need to know that there are 2 options: with and without infiltration into the ground, “deaf”. In the latter case, the reservoir bed is covered with waterproofing or water is poured into the finished bowl. How to build one and the other, we will consider in more detail below.

A dead pond (more precisely, with exclusively evaporative water losses) is good because it can have a minimum volume, literally from 5-10 liters, and can be placed indoors. But existing indefinitely for a long time Without outside intervention, the biocenosis will not develop in it due to the accumulation in the water of soluble waste products of the population of the reservoir, primarily humic acids. Therefore, a dead pond (essentially an aquarium dug into the ground) must be regularly cleaned and periodically completely reconstructed, emptying it and creating a new biocenosis. Without additional devices, cleaning is necessary once a week or season (the smaller the volume, the more often), and reconstruction once every 1-5 years.

If the volume of the pond is more than 2-3 cubic meters, then the interval between cleanings can be increased to 1-5 years, and between reconstructions up to 10-25 years, using a pond filter, see fig. on right. Aquarium submersible filters clean reservoirs up to approximately 500 liters and up to 0.8 m deep. A pond filter is not at all like an aquarium filter:

1. Surface collector 1 collects debris from the surface.
2. Deep water intake 2 sucks in organic suspension.
3. Both of them - with replaceable cartridges rough cleaning, which need to be periodically removed, washed or replaced.
4. Coastal deep purification station 3 - a complex of a set of reverse osmosis membrane filters and a circulation pump - purifies water from soluble contaminants.

Note: It is unacceptable to use skimmer filters for swimming pools in a decorative pond! They will not purify the water properly, will destroy the plants and will soon fail.

What is colmatage?

Deep cleaning station equipment is not cheap and is quite energy consuming. The latter makes its use problematic in a country pond, unless it is powered by a solar battery. But then you need a powerful one too large area, reliable and durable, i.e. Expensive. In this case, you should consider the option of a colmatage pond: it has a slight filtration into the ground, carrying away soluble waste. A properly constructed colmatage pond can exist only on sediment without topping up from the outside.

Colmatage, or colmatation, is the process of self-compaction of soil in aquatic environment. During clogging, small particles fill the pores between large ones, as a result of which soil permeability and water loss due to infiltration decrease. Colmatation differs from siltation in that the pores of the soil are clogged with its own particles, and not with foreign suspension. In this case, the soil does not liquefy and weaken, but becomes compacted and strengthened. The ability of the underlying soil to colmatate is the most important factor determining the possibility of constructing a pond with a dam. A colmatage pond has all the properties of a natural thing: it is viable indefinitely, and fits naturally into the landscape.

For forced colmatage on any soil (we won’t talk about colmatage by micro-explosions, etc.), the reservoir bed is prepared in a layered manner from a colmatator (a source of filling particles) and 1-5 layers of a colmatant that absorbs them. The layout and design of the clogging reservoir bed is designed based on on-site survey data. For example, on the left in Fig. – diagram of a half-section of one of the options for a colmatage pond on light silty sandy loam, this is one of the most difficult cases. From here, if you estimate the size, you can see that a “normal” colmatage pond cannot have a volume of less than 150-200 cubic meters, otherwise it will dry out before the colmatage ends, for the same reasons as a natural one.

Note: Pay attention to the layer profiles. They are designed in such a way as to avoid the appearance of concentrated underground runoff, which can cause very dangerous soil suffusion.

When will the colmatage end? When will it be possible to build a pond? When water loss goes mainly to evaporation. This is judged by the rate of drop in the water level, for which measurements are taken after the initial filling of the pond every day at the same time. After the measurement, water is immediately added to the calculated water level in order to restore pressure at depth. It’s just difficult to understand something from measurement data, because... the drop in water level depends on weather conditions and precipitation, the blue broken line on the right in Fig. Then, using the least squares method, an averaging curve is constructed (the green one is thicker), from which everything is immediately visible. It is no longer necessary to know mathematical statistics for this; there are computer programs for such cases, incl. online.

An ordinary colmatage pond will not fit in a dacha or estate, especially considering that the required volume of excavation work is more than twice the volume of the water mass. However, for a small decorative pond there is a solution that allows you to reduce its volume by 30-70 times, get by with cleaning once a season and reconstruction once every 5-15 years. How so? The pond pit (see below) is made from an old bathtub or, with a water volume of up to 2-3 cubic meters, from a plastic container, see figure:

Place a bathtub with plugged holes on a 15-25 cm sand cushion in geotextile. The slope of the pit is made steeper, at 90 degrees, and reinforced so that it does not rot or corrode. sheet material; the gap between it and the bath is tightly packed with richer clay (preferably with a plasticity number of 15 or more, if measured accurately). Other terraces are built in the same way (sand 10-15 cm - clay 7-10 cm - slope fasteners). Pockets for plant substrate in them, see below, are formed using a clay cushion. The bathtub is filled one-third to one-half with substrate for deep-sea plants.

The fact is that the intensity of infiltration in a clogging pond strongly depends on water pressure, i.e. from depth. In this case, in its deepest part it is stopped. Silt will flow into the pit, but it will not harm the rhizomes of nymphs and lotus during the season. Cleaning a small colmatage pond of this type is also not difficult: sludge from the terraces is carefully raked with a soft scraper on a pole into a hole, and removed from it with an air-lift pump. An airlift for cleaning a pond can also be made with your own hands from a low-power compressor and pieces plastic pipes. But you cannot use submersible pumps of any type, as they themselves will deteriorate and damage the plants!

Note: Adding water to a small colmatage pond is required, but in small quantities; at the latitude of Rostov-on-Don during the summer, approximately 0.15 cubic meters per cubic meter of water mass volume. To the north of the Moscow region, such a pond lives on precipitation in normal summer.

No infiltration

The smallest colmatage pond can have a volume of approximately 3 cubic meters. m. With a depth of about 1.2 m, its dimensions in plan will be, taking into account the profile of the bed, somewhere from 3x4 m. It is not always possible to carve out a place for it next to the house, and the labor intensity of colmatage ponds is high, and the formation of a biocenosis in them It doesn't fit into season 1. Therefore, most lovers of decorative aquaculture still prefer ponds without infiltration with plastic insulation. Ponds in concrete bowls are becoming a thing of the past: they are no better than plastic ones, but much more expensive, more complex and difficult to work with.

In a bowl or in film?

The plastic pond, as mentioned above, is poured into a ready-made bowl or bed lined with waterproofing. Ponds in bowls are more expensive: the price of a good bowl, for 20 years or more, ranges from 3,500-20,000 rubles. per cubic meter of capacity depending on its volume and region of the Russian Federation. In addition, bowls for ponds over 10 cubic meters are rare on sale, because... not transportable by conventional transport. However, ponds in bowls have a number of valuable advantages:

• Any slope angles of the terraces, even negative slopes, are allowed, which makes the pond compact (see the figure on the right), and the water loss from it due to evaporation is minimal.
• Slope creep is eliminated, which provides all the possibilities for a containerized, easy-to-care aquatic plant culture.
• Building a pond in a bowl takes a minimum of time and effort.
• Caring for a pond is also easy, especially when planting plants in containers: all you need to do is, without anything special, as they say, without bothering, select the mud using an airlift.
• It is possible to build a mini-pond, because... bowls are sold in volumes from 120-150 liters.
• Undesirable infiltration during operation is eliminated, so the pond can often be located on the site as desired and even built indoors.

Let's look at how to build a pond in a thicket. section, but for now let’s stick to film ones, they are inexpensive and not that bad at all. The structure of a pond in a film is shown in Fig. below. It usually has 4 zones:

1. Coastal A – decorative, with moisture-loving land plants;
2. Shallow water B, with ornamental emerging plants, i.e. aquatic plants that normally develop only protruding above the water;
3. Deep B - decorative plants with floating leaves, winter-hardy and antagonistic to deep-water ones, are planted in it. They generally do not require deep water. But the main purpose of this zone is to plant assimilator and oxygenator plants, i.e. converting soluble waste from the inhabitants of the pond into insoluble sludge and releasing oxygen into the water;
4. Wintering pit G; it is also needed in a pond without fish, this is the kingdom of the queens of ponds - nymphs and lotuses. Their cultivation is possible in mid-latitudes, see below, about plants, but provided that the rhizome does not freeze. Therefore, the depth of the wintering pit is the standard freezing depth in the given area + 0.5-0.7 m.

Note: Please note that the pockets for the plant substrate are formed by the reverse slopes of the terrace shelves. You can’t lay them out of stones, the terraces will slide! For the same reason, container plant culture is difficult - the shelves have to be made 2-2.5 times wider than the “flowerpots”, which is why the pond “spreads” to the sides.

So what is so good about a film pond, besides being cheap? The most important thing is that it is natural: nothing man-made sticks out in plain sight. Then:

• Container culture is convenient for owners, but not ideal for plants: there is nowhere for the roots to grow. Nympheas in small, up to 2 cubic meters. m, pond, take root well and bloom only on free ground.
• The shape of the pond is not tied to the configuration of the bowl: it can be built even like a winding snake.
• It is not difficult to form the banks dry, while it is impossible to securely fasten the stones on the slope of a plastic bowl.
• Also, further development can be done without any problems: a stream, a waterfall, etc. With a bowl, if you don’t immediately take it with the corresponding communication pipes (very expensive), then you won’t have much trouble.

The film pond is not without its disadvantages:

1. Slopes should not be steeper than 45 degrees, otherwise they will slide. This requires a larger land area, correspondingly more excavation work and more frequent topping up due to increased evaporation.
2. The insulating film can be damaged by plant roots, resulting in unwanted infiltration. “Healing wounds” is possible, but it is difficult and troublesome.
3. Maintenance is difficult: poking at random with an airlift can destroy valuable plants. Therefore, they clean the film pond from the walkways or from inflatable boat, looking at the bottom through a box with a glass (acrylic) bottom.
4. To remove a plant that is diseased or unnecessary, without waiting for the reconstruction and drainage of the pond, you have to dive for it or make a special tool for extraction from the surface, which does not protect neighboring plants from damage.

A miniature but very pretty pond, only without a deep-water zone and without nymphs, is obtained by combining a bowl with a film. In this case, the bowl is free, made from a worthless tire. We'll see how to build one when we get to the mini-ponds.

What about fish?

Decorative ponds are stocked with species specially bred for viewing from above: colored koi carp and golden orpha ide, see fig. Goldfish do not survive in amateur ponds: although they come from the unpretentious goldfish, they have become completely softened in culture over thousands of years.

For stocking with fish without additional equipment, a colmatage pond of approximately 50 cubic meters and with a wintering pit at least 1.8 m deep is suitable. You can even grow crucian carp, carp and mirror carp in it for your table. A fish pond without infiltration into the ground must be equipped with a deep cleaning station. In this case, its volume is from 1 cubic meter. m for 12-15 tails, that is, heads, the depth of the wintering hole is the same, and the area of ​​the water surface is from 0.2 sq. m on the head. The area of ​​the pit in a fish pond is approximately 20% of the area of ​​its mirror.

A fish pond is not densely planted with plants: they do not emit oxygen at night and in bad weather, but consume oxygen, and the fish can suffocate. So it’s better not to plant oxygenators at all (they all grow rapidly), but to blow water from a powerful aquarium compressor with a sprayer. This is also good because in winter there will be a hole in the place where the bubbles come out, but then the air tube needs to be insulated so that it is not blocked by frozen condensate.

Note: in an aquarium, the problem with oxygenators is solved by lighting and periodic thinning. But to create the same intensity of lighting in a pond, kilowatts of electrical power will be needed, and caring for it is orders of magnitude more difficult.

It is also undesirable to plant emergents: their stems and leaf petioles are the natural habitat of terrible enemies of juvenile fish - dragonfly larvae. But in a fishless pond, dragonflies are appropriate: they soar beautifully over the water and eat midges, and their larvae in a fishless pond eat tadpoles. However, we will talk about self-invaders in ponds later.

We build in plastic

First you need to select a material based on the expected lifespan of the pond and available funds. Please note that the pond bowl cannot be replaced: the pit will have to be rebuilt to accommodate a new bowl, which is very difficult and time-consuming. For the construction of plastic ponds, the following materials are used, in increasing order of durability, resistance and price:

• Polyethylene (PE) - the film lasts 1-3 years, solid, i.e. bowl, 3-7 years. In the light, under the influence of humic acids, the mass becomes brittle, the bowl cracks and leaks. Recommended only as films for seasonal small ponds. Good semi-permeability: metabolic products dissolved in water gradually go into the ground, which simplifies pond maintenance.
• Reinforced polyvinyl chloride (PVC) – 5-7 years in any form. In prolonged frost it becomes brittle and ice or heaving soil breaks the bowl. Recommended for regions with consistently above-zero winters and a standard freezing depth of up to 0.9 m.
• Polyisopropylene (PP) – 10-15 years, frost-resistant.
• Butyl rubber (BR) – 15-20 years. Available only in sheets (mats), because This material is soft. It is completely impenetrable, but is easily damaged by plant roots, and rots in water saturated with organic matter. Recommended as an elastic backing for PVC or PP film (double-layer insulation). Indispensable in ponds with steep slopes where it is impossible to add a sand damper.
• Cyanoacrylate (acrylic, CA) – 25-40 years. Hard material, available only in solids (bowls).
• Fiberglass composites (GF) - over 30, up to 50 or more years. Also only bowls due to rigidity.
• Carbon fiber composites (carbon, UP) – over 70 years. Hard, just bowls. Very expensive, but durable and light: a bowl of 70-100 cubic meters can be moved and turned by two people without mechanisms. Afraid of shock and concentrated loads, because The walls of the bowl are very thin.

Bowl

Building a pond in a bowl does not require any special skill. First, having placed the bowl in place on the ground, a contour is drawn from the edge of its side with a plumb line. There is no need to turn the bowl over and mark the outline along the side, as is sometimes recommended. Symmetrical bowls are on sale as an exception, and then what to do with the pit in a mirror image? Unless you find this adviser and deal with him in your own way. Being certainly in the legislative field, but what else.

The pit is dug with a margin of about 0.5 m to the sides for backfill. For terraces and pits, they take a reserve of 15-20 cm in depth. You don’t have to adhere to the profile of the bowl very precisely, the sand will compensate. At the end of the digging, a sand cushion is poured onto the bottom of the pit and the shelves of the terraces. There is no need to backfill with excavated soil, which can also be found in the recommendations: frosty heaving of the soil in winter can break the bowl. It is better to use the soil on a hill, in a greenhouse, in a vegetable garden, etc.

Next, the bedding is compacted and the bowl is placed in the pit, pos. 1 in Fig. Check the height of the side above the ground and, if necessary, adjust it with additional bedding by removing the bowl. Having achieved the desired elevation in the middle, set the edges along the horizon in the same way, pos. 2.

Filling, pos. 3, is carried out along the bowl levels in parallel with the side filling. First of all, pour water into the hole, add sand to the side to its level and water the filling from a hose with a sprayer. The next day, add more sand (yesterday’s will have settled down) and water again. On ordinary soils this is enough, then fill the bowl to the next level, add in the same order, and so on until the top. The technology cannot be simplified: residual stresses will remain in the bowl, which will most likely cause it to crack in winter. The work is completed by populating the pond and finishing the banks, pos. 4.

Film

A film pond is cheaper to build, but more difficult. This is done step by step like this:

1. Mark a contour on the ground and treat it, with a strip of about 25 cm, with organic soil binder, pos. 1 in Fig. There is no need to spend money on expensive silicone binder: bitumen emulsion, which is used by road workers, will do. For clays with a plasticity number of 12-17 (very heavy and oily) and uncemented coarse soils (construction waste, etc.), you will have to fork out for urea-formaldehyde resin (UFR), but it is still several times cheaper than silicone. Soil strengthening is carried out in stable, warm, dry weather, because it is effective only when soil moisture is not higher than (20-30)% of the moisture yield threshold;
2. Wait 2-5 days, at a temperature of 25-15 degrees, respectively, until the binder saturates the soil and sets;
3. Roughly, with plenty of room for developing a profile, they dig a pit. At the same time, it is unacceptable to disturb, or at least hook with a shovel (bucket) a reinforced wedge of soil!
4. The profile is drawn out using a pick-up shovel as a “plow”, i.e. without loosening the soil, pos. 2. The contour of each underlying step is strengthened before digging it with exposure, as in step 1. Do not touch the reinforced wedges!
5. If the bank is supposed to be embanked, it is made using excavated soil from the most dense and plastic layer. Before diking, humus is removed from the outside of the contour to the width of the shaft + 0.5 m;
6. Cover the bed with BC mats, and on top - with PP or PVC film, pos. 3. This is more expensive than the usually recommended 1-layer insulation, but will give the pond a lifespan of at least 30 years and, combined with reinforcement, will allow for slopes of up to 75 degrees. The mats are laid with overlapping edges of 15-25 cm;
7. If the film is not rolled, but in panels, then the panels are laid along the mats with a half offset in width so that the seam does not fall on the seam. The wings of both layers on the ground are from 1 m. The overlap of the panels is also 15-25 cm;
8. Carefully straighten and smooth the folds of the film, following in a circle from the pit to the shore, pos. 4, and allow the insulation to sit for at least 3 days. Without diligence when pouring, the film will creep along the rubber, and all the insulation will go down the drain;
9. Fill in levels. In this case, the insulation will “go”, pos. 5, it must be straightened out immediately and, before filling the next level, allowed to settle;
10. decorate and landscape the pond.

How about a swim?

Yes, I really want it in the heat. It’s unbearable to have a pond nearby. But, alas, you cannot climb into a decorative pond: a single wash of grease from the body can irreparably disrupt the biological balance in it. It is still possible to build a swimming and decorative pond, see fig. on the right, connecting the pool with baths for plants with channels no deeper than 0.3 m. But then, firstly, you will have to abandon varietal nymphs. Secondly, you need to arrange a powerful pillow that can hold a lot of water in the swim compartment, which, by the way, can be solid plastic. And most importantly, the distance from water sources and buildings, your own and neighbors’, will have to be driven into sanitary standards, so you need a plot of 20 acres or more.

Plants

Here, according to the plan, we should have started talking about mini-ponds, but the very bio-equilibrium in them is so delicate and fragile that without information about pond plants it is impossible to give intelligible information about “small ponds”. Therefore, we had to wedge aquaculture into construction.

The choice of plants for ponds on sale is extensive, but to begin with it is better to limit yourself to natives from local reservoirs: they are free and hardy, and well-groomed in appearance they compete with rare exotics. The substrate, also for starters, is loam with an admixture of crushed stone. We’ll leave complex mixtures for incredible rarities for later. It is placed in terrace pockets or containers, and the plants are planted, or containers with them are placed, before filling the next stage, when the dregs from the previous filling have settled. It is best, of course, to plant in a completely filled and settled pond. Containers are then placed relatively simply, using poles with hooks or some other method on top. However, to plant in the ground, you will have to dive into the pond, at least with a mask and a snorkel. And first of all, plants from natural bodies of water need to be disinfected.

Treatment

Before planting, wild plants are washed, visible foreign particles, dead leaves, rotten roots are removed, and bathed (at least the underwater part) in a 0.2% solution of pharmaceutical methylene blue, i.e. 20 ml bottle per 10 liters of water. The treatment lasts 5 days, and every day the solution needs to be changed to a fresh one. Bath the plants in a glass bowl or trough lined with in one piece waterproofing: enamel and plastic turn blue from blue, and contact of the solution with metals is unacceptable. You need to work in latex gloves and old clothes: the skin also turns blue from blue for a long time, like a restless ghost, and its stains on the fabric cannot be washed off.

Coastal

For a shaded bank, plants are needed that can withstand waterlogging of the soil with insufficient light and low temperatures. From ordinary garden plants, hosta, pos. 1 in the figure, available in many forms with different colors of flowers and variegated ones, and their wild ones are large forest ferns: bracken, pos. 2, foliage, etc. On the open bank you can plant any moisture-loving plants: irises, anemones, scillas, etc. In the very sunshine, cattail, or kuga, pos. 3. Although it is a swamp, it is not emergent: its above-ground part develops well at any air humidity, as long as the soil is damp. The above-water part of true emergents requires an air humidity of 80%; then they can grow outside of water in thoroughly wet soil.

Emergents

Emerging plants are planted in shallow water. Of the “savages” in the pond, arrowhead looks good; it produces underwater, floating and above-water leaves. In the Middle Zone you can find 2 of its types, differing in the shape of the airy leaves, poses. 4 and 5.

Arrowhead develops well and overwinters at a depth of no more than 0.5 m. For greater depths, up to 0.8 m, alisma or chastukha are suitable. Habitually it is similar to arrowhead, but its emergent leaves are ovate-oval, pos. 6, and less decorative.

Oxygenators

It must be said that there is a problem with wild oxygenators in the pond. The Canadian Elodea, or Lagarosiphon, pos. gives the most oxygen. 7; The heat-loving aquarium curly Elodea will not survive in a pond. But Elodea is extremely aggressive, which is why it was called the water plague: its lashes in a short time fill the entire volume of water, suppressing life in the pond, and they themselves silt, turn brown and become simply disgusting in appearance.

The hornwort, or water fir-tree, pos. 8. As a rule, he does not go beyond his terrace. But, unfortunately, it gets dirty and loses its appearance faster than elodea.

Of the readily available oxygenators for the pond, the most suitable is the common Vallisneria (again, not the aquarium spiral sissy), pos. 9. Its leaves grow up to 1 m long and spread beautifully over the water. As it flows, the picture turns out to be enchanting; just look at the beginning of A. Tarkovsky’s film “Solaris” based on the novel by S. Lem. Vallisneria reproduces quickly, like all oxygenators, but is kept in dense clumps, the bushes of which are connected by horizontal shoots - stolons. Therefore, thinning it does not cause much difficulty; however, this is already on the topic of pond care.

Note: if the pond has a stream, then plant Vallisneria in it. It’s best for her there, and the pond will always be clean and saturated with oxygen. Wild Vallisneria is not afraid of freezing; it overwinters with dormant buds.

Nympheas

An exquisite decoration for any pond are plants from the nymphaeaceae family, or simply nymphaeums. The most accessible of them is the yellow capsule, which is often incorrectly called water lily, pos. 10. Its rhizomes with characteristic marks from previous leaves, pos. 11, can often be found along river banks after floods. They are quite viable; In general, the egg pod is unpretentious.

The egg capsule is an amphibious plant: it can grow at a depth of up to 3 m, and out of water in moist soil at air humidity of 70%. The egg capsule is an antagonist with other nymphs, and its floating leaves can cover the entire water surface. In general, this is a last resort option, especially since the flowers are not very impressive compared to other nymphs.

True water lilies, also known as water lilies, form the genus Nymphaeum, which gives its name to the entire family and order. Pure white water lily grows like savages in the Russian Federation, pos. 12 and, in the Far East in some places, the water lily is gigantic, with large, up to 17 cm, and more brightly colored flowers, pos. 13. Don't confuse it with the giant tropical nymphal Victorias!

South of Krasnodar and southwest of Stavropol, on the plains, sometimes open cultivation of the lotus water lily, or Nile lotus, pos. 14. By crossing mainly these 3 species (there are others), many were obtained garden forms water lilies with huge flowers, like magnolias, of the most bizarre colors, see for example. pos. 14a.

Planting material for natural and hybrid water lilies is widely available. One of the most important conditions for the success of their culture is proper planting, especially in containers. How to properly prepare for planting and plant nymphs in containers, see for example. video:

Video: dividing and planting nymphs

Up to and including the Moscow region, open cultivation of true nut-bearing lotus is also possible, pos. 15. He comes from South-East Asia, however, in the Russian Federation it naturally grows in the Volga delta. The Russian lotus has fully adapted to a warm-temperate climate, but, like water lilies, it is demanding on the quality of water; The impurities of iron salts in it are especially harmful. Water lilies and lotus overwinter with rhizomes, but they do not tolerate freezing, so they need deep water. Maximum depth – 5 m; optimal - 1.5-2 m, minimum - 0.8 m, but in any case without freezing to the bottom.

Floating

There is no need to plant small floating plants: duckweed, riccia, wolfia, azolla, salvinia; they will cover the entire surface, depriving the pond of light and oxygen. Of the large ones, the water hyacinth Eichornia, pos. 16. But if Elodea is a water plague, then Eichornia is an enraged cross between Genghis Khan and Hitler. In warm countries, where elodea is considered a malicious weed, water hyacinth is awarded the title of national disaster: it paralyzes shipping, disables waterworks and hydroelectric power stations. In addition, it releases substances into the water that destroy all living things in the pond except itself. Therefore, if you really want to, you need to keep Eichornia either in a swamp or in a creek connected to a pond by a narrow shallow channel. How to attach it to the pond, see below.

An excellent, absolutely useful and decorative floating plant for a pond - water chestnut chilim, pos. 17. He is an aborigine, but his culture is difficult: he is demanding about living conditions. Chilim is an annual; To renew it next year, you need to leave the nuts in the pond for the winter. If the harvest is plentiful, then you can eat the excess: they look scary, everyone around you has horns, chilim nuts are healthy, very tasty and nutritious.

Oddly enough, for beginners the best floating aquatic plant is the tropical pistia, or water lettuce, pos. 18. The name is given only by external resemblance; pistia is not eaten. Pistia shades the pond moderately, just as needed summer heat. It does not interfere with gas exchange, and its long hairy roots are an excellent refuge for fry. Pistia will not survive winter in a pond, but several young bushes will survive well until spring in a small aquarium at home. They are released when the water warms up to +16, and the air to +20. By mid-June, the old bushes in open water can grow up to 20-30 cm in diameter. Thinning out pistia is simple: its bushes, like Vallisneria, are tied into clumps by stolons. They pull on one, like a crucian carp on a fishing rod, and pinch off the excess.

Note: With the plants described, their choice for landscaping a pond is far from exhausted. A more complete picture of pond plants can be obtained by taking a video tour of the famous nursery of aquatic plants by A. M. Marchenko:

Video: excursion to the aquatic plant nursery of A. M. Marchenko

Mini ponds

There are 2 types of miniature ponds: shallow and deep. In the former, the ratio of the area of ​​the water surface to the volume of water is approximately the same as in the larger ones. The second ones, in essence, are separate wintering pits, narrow and deep. Both of them are quite capable of competing with large ponds in beauty, but they require immeasurably less money, labor and space.

Basins and barrels

Shallow mini-ponds contain either emergents or aggressors like water hyacinth; with a sufficiently large surface area, also floating plants. A water nursery garden of this kind can be built from basins, pos. 1 in Fig. They also make fillers for large ponds or cups for homemade cascades.

An excellent deep-water small pond suitable for nymphs is made from a plastic barrel. The steel needs to be thoroughly primed inside, doused with boiling bitumen and sprinkled with sand. In this case, before St. Petersburg, it is possible to grow a white water lily in a barrel, pos. 2, and in plastic insulated and with negligible drainage (pos. 4) - varietal nymphs up to the latitude of Lipetsk-Ryazan, pos. 3.

Bath

A small garden pond made from a bathtub is versatile. Simply by digging it in, we get a shallow pond in which there is enough space for swimmers, pos. 1 in Fig. And a bathtub, equipped like a pit for a colmatage pond (see above), will also provide a deep-water pond for nymphs; perennial, however, only for places not north of Voronezh, pos. 3 and 4.

Unnecessary tires

A shallow tire pond is effective and almost free. Structurally, it is a combination of film and bowl; the construction process and the final result are shown in Fig. If the tire is for a truck or tractor, then a lot of plants will fit in it.

What about at home?

Wait, the reader may ask, because such a pond can be installed at home! True, but for reliability, it is better to lay out a home mini-pond from bricks, as in Fig. on the right, then he will stand in the corner without any problems. The dried masonry is coated with silicone from the inside, covered with insulation (cheap PVC in 1 layer will do for the house), a substrate is placed, water is poured in - and it’s ready for even the most heat-loving exotics. Unfortunately, except for the nymphs: the depth is too small, and if you make it deeper, the load on the floor will exceed the permissible limit.

Friends and enemies

Someone from outside will settle in the pond. Who exactly and what to do with them is already a large section of the topic of pond care. Here we will touch on the very basics.

First, don’t harass toads and frogs. Every gardener knows how useful toads are in the garden. Frogs also hunt for flies and mosquitoes, and their mating trills are an indispensable attribute of the romance of summer-spring nights, just like the singing of a nightingale in the evenings. However, in a garden pond, frogs don’t really croak: they scream at the top of their lungs in vast communities where there is a large choice of males. And if there is only one groom for three, then the girlfriends themselves will jump up without a croak. Animals are pragmatists and do not suffer from feminism-narcissism.

Note: Narcissism is a male version of narcissism and self-admiration. This remark is in compliance with the principle of complete equality.

Next, do not touch the larvae of non-biting mosquito mosquitoes - bloodworms - and small aquatic relatives of the tubifex earthworm. They are excellent assimilators and food for fish. If there are bryozoans and/or freshwater sponge in the pond, they are even better filter-assimilators. These animals are very demanding of their living conditions: if they settle, it means the pond is thriving.

Birds are scared away with a scarecrow, but nowadays there is no need to make a monster out of rags: modern scarecrows for birds are very effective and do not catch people’s eyes. For example, LED flashing lights are not visible at all from the ground, but they immediately convey the message: “You can’t go here!” the stupidest duck who confused Stirlitz with Muller in a joke.

Without the participation of animal carriers, water bugs often appear in the pond: ranatra (pos. 1 in the figure), water scorpion, pos. 2, and smoothie, or water pheasant, pos. 3 and 4. The water scorpion and ranatra are safe for humans, but don’t pick up a little one who likes to swim upside down: its bites are unbearably painful; the pain may be so severe and prolonged that you will have to see a doctor.

All large bugs in a pond are harmful: they spoil plants, eat eggs and fry. Unfortunately, the only effective way to get rid of them, other than catching them individually, is continuous water filtration. The larvae die in the filters and the population dies out. There is no need to touch small water striders and diving spiders: they are harmless, let them amuse the children.

Also, under their own power, in the form of resting eggs in the dust, shield crustaceans sometimes appear in ponds, pos. 5 and 6. They are harmless silt eaters, reproduce poorly and do not harm the pond. Shchitni lived on Earth long before dinosaurs; observing these living fossils is very interesting.

As for unwanted plant settlers, any algae is intolerable in a pond. A well-maintained living pond is planted only with higher aquatic plants. Fortunately, there are plenty of algae control products on the market. With the help of modern drugs, even such a dirty trick as Vietnamese blue-green algae is completely eliminated.

There was no sadness...

Whoever gets excited about building a pond himself will have his mouth full of troubles. Some of them are pleasant: a recreation area, a stream-waterfall, fish. Some, like cleaning and maintaining a pond, not so much. But the beauty, grace and peace of mind from the pond are worth it. Therefore, instead of a farewell farewell, on the right there are greetings from uninvited, but useful and, if you look closely, quite nice new residents. And in addition to the text - several photo of what you can achieve by building a pond with your own hands:

The time has passed when summer cottages were associated only with a shovel and potatoes. Today, it is primarily a place of relaxation from the bustle of the city, an opportunity to relax and have a pleasant time in contact with nature.

Having your own lake helps to achieve the desired relaxation, the creation of which is quite possible with your own hands, which will be discussed in this article.

A little history

Before taking on the installation work, let's turn to the origins of this engineering miracle.

The fashion for arranging our own reservoirs came to us from the East, and three different styles can be distinguished:

1. Near East . These are places where water has a special value in light of its scarcity. Therefore, the wastefulness of creating an entire artificial lake is inappropriate here. Instead, strict geometric shapes small sizes with built-in fountains.

1. China. Here the art of creating reservoirs has developed into a whole philosophy. It is customary to fit their features into the surrounding landscape so that they blend harmoniously with nature. Common attributes include a lonely “dream island” in the middle of the water.

1. Japan. The lack of space instilled in the Japanese a craving for asceticism and rational use of every inch of land. In this regard, their artificial reservoirs are created in the form of a small vessel with water - tsukubai, with a stylized stream flowing from bamboo tubes and dwarf trees planted along the shore.

A decorative element viewed from the East garden plot successfully migrated to the West and was reflected in the following two directions:

1. England. The local design of reservoirs, just like in China, is in harmony with nature and fits perfectly into the surrounding landscape.

1. France. The so-called regular style, characterized by precise division into zones, the use of correct geometric shapes and tanks rising above the ground.

Creating your own pond

Making a country pond with your own hands is not easy, but it is quite possible. Let's look at all the stages in order.

Deciding on a style

The design of a pond in your dacha should match its surroundings and please you. These are the two most important criteria.

So, if you place it in the depths of the garden, then you can follow the Chinese and the British by disguising the artificial pond as a natural one. If you are planning the location of the tank near the house, then the regular style or geometric shapes of the Middle East will look more appropriate.

Choosing a location, dimensions and suitable building materials

Once you have decided on the general concept, you need to make other equally important decisions:

1. Location . An artificial pond at the dacha should be illuminated for about five hours a day and be open on the southwest side.

This will provide two main, albeit contradictory, conditions:

• It will limit the intensity of algae proliferation, which will protect the water from violent seasonal blooms.

• Will ensure normal development of ornamental plants decorating the pond.

1. Dimensions. Ideally, it is assumed that the home lake will occupy 3% of the total area of ​​the site. But not every gardener will decide to allocate 18 square meters of its standard six acres for decorative purposes. In addition, the larger the pond, the higher the cost of creating it.

Therefore, be guided when choosing the appropriate sizes:

• Your material capabilities.
• Compatibility with existing buildings.
• Personal preference.

As for depth, the reservoir is usually divided into three stages:

Advice: so that the fish have a place to spend the winter, it is enough to dig a hole of appropriate depth in the middle of the tank, and not make the entire pond so. This will preserve the population and save your material costs.

1. Material. There are three possible options, differing in their reliability, cost and complexity of implementation:

Name	Features of application
Concrete	Installation of formwork and reinforcement, mixing or purchasing ready-made mortar - all this leads to considerable costs and difficulties. Of course, the strength of such a structure will be at a high level, so it is recommended to use such a labor-intensive method for large multifunctional objects.
Plastic	A finished container made of polypropylene is much easier to install. In addition, manufacturers offer a wide range of shapes and sizes. But even though the project will ultimately be cheaper than concreting, it still remains quite expensive and limits the flight of designer imagination.
Film	As they say: “cheap and cheerful.” The low cost of the material, the ease of its installation and the ability to create a bowl of any shape make this option the most rational for a summer cottage.

Installation work

Now let’s look at how to make a pond at your dacha on your own:

1. It all starts with a sketch. Try to depict everything on it in as much detail as possible and taking into account the scale. Also think about what will be the “highlight” of your composition: stone unusual shape, decorative tree or even sculpture.

1. We mark the proposed contour with sand at the selected location. At the same time, we check the level of the banks using a spirit level, which should be done periodically throughout the construction work.

1. We carry out earthworks:

• We remove the first ball of earth with a depth equal to the height of the top step.
• Then we draw the outline of the next hole and dig it.
• The last step is to create a hole in the center for wintering fish.

1. We measure the dimensions of the resulting pit, adding 50 cm of allowance, and according to the data obtained, we buy thick plastic film.
2. We place sheets of old roofing felt or linoleum in the bowl to protect the polyethylene of the base layer.
3. Lay the film on top.

Tip: it is advisable to lay polyethylene on a hot sunny day. This will give the material greater elasticity and allow it to go around all dangerous sharp areas without damage.

1. We dig a small trench around the perimeter, tuck the edges of the film into it and fill it with gravel.
2. We strengthen the edge with stone blocks to prevent the soil from crumbling. We lay it out with decorative stone.

1. We place the prepared plants in plastic containers and install them on curtains.
2. We lay out the bottom with gravel.
3. Fill the reservoir with water. At the same time, measure the volume of liquid used for this on the meter to make it easier to calculate required quantity chemicals and select the appropriate pumping equipment.
4. To prevent H 2 O from stagnating in the pond, we bring the source above the level of the bowl and connect to it the hose of a submersible pump, located previously at the bottom of the tank. We decorate the mouth of the resulting stream with stones and plants.

Conclusion

Having your own pond in your summer cottage is everyone’s dream. But the apparent complexity and high cost of this venture can stop many.

We looked at a way to build a reservoir on our own and without significant financial costs. Patience, accuracy, compliance with the above recommendations and creative imagination will allow you to achieve the desired result.

The video in this article will provide you with additional information that is directly related to the materials presented ().

Make your dreams come true!

Having a beautiful pond in the garden is the dream of any summer resident. In order for the reservoir to be original and easy to maintain, it is necessary to think through all the details: choose a location, select materials, select residents and plants, and then begin construction.

A pond in the garden: how to choose a site and not make a mistake with the shape and size

At the initial stage, often due to their inexperience and ignorance, gardeners make mistakes that can cause many problems in the future. Only correctly selected terrain, size and shape ideally suited to the area of ​​the site is the key to successful construction. That is why, before carrying out such work, a diagram is drawn up and planning of landscape design objects and buildings in the garden is carried out.

Site selection

• An open area is best suited for a pond, as tall trees and shrubs will constantly clog the water. Alternatively, you can cover the surface with a net during leaf fall, but in the summer the protection will have to be removed, and debris from surrounding plants will still end up at the bottom of the reservoir. A pond placed in the shade will take a long time to warm up, especially in early spring.
• It is very important that the selected area is exposed to sunlight either in the first half of the day or in the second.
• The surface of the construction site must be perfectly flat. Even a slight difference in height can ruin the whole appearance For example, waterproofing protruding from high banks does not look at all aesthetically pleasing.

Form

The laws of landscape design state that for a small palisade in a natural style, the optimal solution is a winding, intricate shape. As practice shows, placing such a pond in a small area is quite problematic, and it will look comical.

But this is not a reason to abandon the reservoir; you can make a waterfall with a height difference or a small semi-fountain. With proper decoration, even the simplest geometric model will fit into all kinds of plantings without disturbing the landscape.

If the palisade is designed in a certain style, then the pond should correspond to it. So, for the English style a round pond is suitable, for the classical one - with strictly defined corners, and the oriental design will allow you to choose a completely arbitrary shape.

Size and depth

It is not necessary to make a pond in the garden large, even if the area allows it. A properly placed small pond will look much more impressive than a lake in the middle of the lawn. Although the larger ones are easier to care for, easier to decorate and can be used for swimming or fishing.

The optimal depth of the pond is from 30 to 50 cm; under such a thickness of water both vegetation and living creatures will be comfortable. But it is worth considering that such a reservoir will freeze, and fish and plants will have to be relocated for the winter. It is much easier to install and design a shallow reservoir with gently sloping banks.

DIY pond in the garden

Garden ponds are installed from a wide variety of materials: plastic, concrete, stone, film, geotextiles. You can also buy a ready-made base - it is relatively easy to install, it is suitable for wintering aquatic plants and has a fairly long service life.

The purpose of a pond can be different:

• a mini pond made from a cast iron bathtub or garden cart;
• a decorative swamp with which you can drain a problem area;
• home to local flora and fauna;
• a haven for exotic fish and plants;
• pool with iridescent water.

Arrangement of a pond from a ready-made mold

Using a specially designed container made of polyethylene or fiberglass, creating a small mini-pond with standing water is quite simple. They come in a variety of shapes and types and are sold in specialty stores and at themed landscape design exhibitions.

1. Place a two-level base in a predetermined place and outline its contours on the surface of the ground, adding 15 cm for seams. Dig a pit for one level, and then, after re-trying, for another, but 15-20 cm deeper than the bath itself
2. Thoroughly clean the recess from stones and plant debris and compact it well. Next, make a layer of dry sand, 10 cm thick, and level it. Using a level and a ruler, ensure that the container is installed correctly.
3. Fill the resulting air space with sand, moistening it until it stops seeping down. At the same time, fill the pond with water and monitor its level. If necessary, twist until the position is even.
4. After 24 hours, check to see if the pond has subsided. If this happens, add sand and compact it. Then empty the container, wash and pour clean water.
5. That's it, the pond is ready for decoration. Place pebbles around it or make paths from colored gravel, plant plants in containers.

Original do-it-yourself pond in the garden photo

Often the main determining factor when choosing one of the decorative pond options is the financial side. We offer several very original and relatively inexpensive ways build the treasured water feature.

Second Life

Old barrels located in a secluded place will serve as an excellent habitat for aquatic plants. The principle of laying such a mini-pond is the same as in the previous method. Wooden barrels It is better to use oak, the main thing is that they are not dry. But with metal containers you will have to tinker a little: wash it, cover the outer surface with bitumen, and paint the inner surface with black oil paint to give visual depth.

Man-made lake

What could be more charming than a small lake next to country house? You will need plastic film, which can be used to cover 3 by 3 meter pieces of cardboard and plywood or similar pieces of plastic (5 pieces).

You'll have to work hard:

• dig a pit with a volume of 3*3*3 m;
• secure the ground (using thin plywood or construction cardboard); if the plastic compound will not be installed, then first cover them with plastic film;
• It is ideal to install the plastic coating on the inner surface and bottom evenly.

As a result, your creation will delight the eye for many years.

raised pond

If the garden area is very small, this is not a reason to deprive yourself of the pleasure of admiring the water composition. The basis can be the usual old bath, the sides of which will be successfully disguised by wood or stone. This design is not recommended for breeding fish, but it is ideal for aquatic plants and snails.

For ease of pond cleaning and masking of enamel white use black film, securing its edges with decorative stones so that the bathtub is not visible at all.

DIY pond in the garden photo: choosing plants for compositions

Without a doubt, a pond made with your own hands is a great achievement, but in order for the pond to attract the eye and invite you to relax, you should choose the right vegetation.

Floating crops

The key place in every garden pond is occupied by the well-known water lily or nymphea (lat. Nymphaea). Many small-flowered and large-flowered varieties allow you to beautifully decorate a pond of any size.

For example, for a small pond, the most suitable are dwarf water lilies (Pygmaea Alba, N. tetragona, Marliacea Rosea), as they can visually increase the area. It is not advisable to plant other floating plants next to the nymph, or to erect a rockery or fountain (splashes can damage the leaves).

Marsh buttercup (Hottonia palustris) and water buttercup (Ranunculus aquatilis) will look very impressive on the water. These species are unpretentious; a piece of shoot is enough for their reproduction, but they are completely unsuited to wintering under thick ice, so during the cold period the plants should be moved to the basement.

Shallow water plants

The peculiarities of the root system of amphibian crops make them most suitable for landscaping ornamental swamps, reservoirs located in low areas, as well as shallow waters. This group includes: iris, marsh marigold, manna, arrowhead.

Coastal zone

The selection of plants for edging the pond depends on the level of soil drainage and the depth of the pond. groundwater. Heuchera, daylilies (Hemerocallis), bathwort (Tróllius), Siberian iris (Íris sibírica), and cornflower (Thalictrum) will take root on a gently sloping, damp bank. Numerous varieties and the most unusual color schemes allow you to combine these aquatic plants advantageously.

The coastal zone, framed by rocky hills, involves planting drought-resistant, light-loving plants, such as saxifrage (Saxifraga) and young (Sempervivum), as well as low-growing bells and cereals, edelweiss and phlox. When planting crops, it is necessary to regulate the layering of plantings: plant low-growing perennials at the top, in a kind of water plateau, and tall ones - several levels lower.

Bottom line

A garden pond is not just a water feature - it is a real architectural structure, the erection and arrangement of which will require a lot of effort and time. But thanks to our practical tips and instructions, the creative process of constructing and landscaping a pond will bring a lot of pleasure.

Holidays at the dacha are an opportunity to devote yourself to nature, relax, forgetting at least for a while about everyday life in the city, and this is best done on the shore of your own pond. It all depends on your imagination and the size of your summer cottage. Is it possible to make a pond at your dacha with your own hands? Of course. Follow the instructions below and you will succeed.

Man-made pond at the dacha

Of course, you want to spend time at a well-equipped dacha, the territory of which has been landscaped and fully landscaped - after all, relaxing at a dacha, which is a rickety little house with a small courtyard overgrown with weeds and thistles, will definitely not contribute to peace of mind.

At the same time, a green, well-groomed lawn and neat trees, flower beds and artificial ponds will turn the territory of the dacha into a real earthly paradise. And decorative ponds will occupy not the last place in it. Your own pond at the dacha can be of almost any size - from a couple of square meters to a reservoir of significant area.

The first thing you need to understand is the very purpose of a decorative pond: unlike swimming pools, the water in which needs to be subjected to special treatment(chlorinate, ozonize, etc.), a pond in the garden will require the creation of a certain biological balance. Otherwise, the water in it will bloom and become cloudy, the plants will begin to wither, and only midges and frogs will fall in love with it - a dubious pleasure for the owner of the pond.

Types of Garden Ponds

Garden ponds having a geometrically regular shape - rectangular, round, diamond-shaped, etc. - look especially good on summer cottages, landscaped in the correct geometry (straight lines, perfect shapes). As a rule, such decorative ponds are edged with tiled stone (artificial or natural) at the edges; they are arranged near buildings, thereby emphasizing straight lines.

Ponds with the correct geometry can be made above ground level: this type of pond minimizes excavation work during their construction, simplifies their care, and reduces the risk of small children falling into it. The sides of such a pond protruding above the ground are suitable for a flower garden; seats can be installed on them, and a fountain can be arranged in the pond itself.

Artificial ponds that imitate natural reservoirs - they are characterized by rounded shapes and a coastline of arbitrary shape. Plants natural to the swamp flora are planted along their banks. A gentle slope under the water, covered with cobblestones or pebbles of medium size - this type of ponds landscape designers usually placed at the back of the garden, near the lawn. Such natural ponds are especially successful in random garden landscaping.

Choosing the size and location of a garden pond

Of course, the size of an artificial pond directly depends on the total area of ​​the summer cottage. If we talk about building a pond ecosystem, then large ponds are more convenient for this. It is easier to strike a balance between vegetation and aquatic life in a large pond than in a small one, and larger ponds are also easier to maintain. The smaller the artificial reservoir, the more often it will have to be cleaned - the lack of space for the inhabitants of the reservoir will not allow establishing a full ecological balance.

The location for the future pond is chosen from an aesthetic point of view; placement is especially good artificial reservoir near the main building - you can watch the surface of the water from the windows or sitting in a chair on the terrace.

The optimal place for a pond will be an open space not exposed to strong winds - strong winds will prevent the development of tall plants on the shore of the reservoir. It is necessary to calculate the illumination of the pond: direct rays of the sun should not illuminate the pond for more than 10 hours (6-hour illumination is optimal). With greater illumination in stagnant water conditions, the active development of aquatic bacteria and green algae (for example, mud) will begin. At the same time, in those parts of the pond where the illumination is insufficient (shading), the growth and development of aquatic plants will slow down.

The proximity of an artificial reservoir to the crowns of trees will lead to its pollution during seasonal leaf fall, in addition, root system trees can damage the pond bed by breaking through the underlying film or displacing the edges of the pond.

Owners who plan to install lighting for a pond in the dark, or install a pump for a waterfall cascade or fountain, must consider the location of the pond from the point of view of power supply.

Artificial pond - materials

A man-made pond can be made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or butyl rubber film, use a ready-made container made of reinforced plastic or fiberglass, or create a pond bowl from reinforced concrete.

In terms of speed of creation, the first place is occupied by purchased containers made of fiberglass - all that is required is to dig a deep enough pit for them and install the container in it on a prepared and compacted sand cushion (it resembles a large plastic basin and, often, of a bizarre shape).

Is it true, big pond It will not be possible to make it out of fiberglass - mass-produced containers, as a rule, have a small square footage (usually an area of ​​about 4 m2, depth - 500-800 mm). Larger fiberglass containers are intended more for swimming pools (over 10 m2 in area) and are therefore expensive. However, a small pond made of plastic or fiberglass for small dacha areas quite suitable. The cost depends on the volume, shape and color.

A large pond with a “free” (i.e., not tied to any standard forms) layout can be arranged using a film (PVC or butyl rubber) - the film is needed to waterproof the reservoir. The cost of such material is low; it is widely represented in retail outlets both in terms of quality and manufacturer.

Do not use ordinary polyethylene to create an artificial reservoir; it will serve you for a maximum of 2 years, then its density will be damaged under the influence of physical and temperature influences.

PVC film or butyl rubber is suitable for creating a garden pond. The first material has sufficient strength and elasticity, and has a high-quality structure - the reservoir formed by it will last at least 15 years. However, the undoubted leader in the field waterproofing materials for artificial ponds is butyl rubber - it has high resistance to sunlight, high and low temperatures, and is not prone to cracking. Among other materials, butyl rubber has only one disadvantage - it is not cheap, but its service life exceeds 50 years.

If we are talking about complete reliability and durability, then there is only one material left - reinforced concrete. Unlike pond bowls formed by film or cast materials, you can walk on the bottom of a concrete reservoir without fear - such a bottom is difficult to damage. However, it is more difficult to work with concrete; full compliance with the technology will be required (welding of reinforcement, manufacturing of formwork), double waterproofing (on both sides of the concrete casting, both outside and inside) - for protection from groundwater, i.e. the cost of such work will be the highest. You can use special grades of concrete that are not exposed to water, but it will be even more expensive and its use will require strict adherence to casting technologies.

Let's summarize the characteristics of materials for artificial ponds

Main advantages film waterproofing: the ability to form the required shape, change the shape of the reservoir bowl in the future, ease of repair (if the film breaks). Minus: in winter, the water from the reservoir will have to be poured out; if it freezes and expands, it will inevitably tear the film.

Advantages of reinforced concrete: high reliability, independence from external climatic factors (subject to concreting technology), resistance to physical influences (falling stones, rodents, etc.). Disadvantages: high labor intensity, extremely difficult rework. As a rule, creating artificial ponds from concrete is not popular, since the film is much easier to use. But if you plan to build bridges over a reservoir and sculptural compositions on its banks, best choice there will be reinforced concrete.

When creating garden ponds, it is necessary to ensure that the selected materials are completely non-toxic, otherwise the fish and plants in the pond will not survive.

Pond in the garden based on a finished (rigid) container

Choosing a rigid container to create a pond with total area up to 4 m2, it is worth choosing a fiberglass or plastic bathtub. The minimum depth of such a container should be about 800 mm - the water in such a pond will warm up evenly in the summer, and in winter it will not freeze to the bottom.

A ready-made container as a basis for a garden pond will allow you to avoid cutting and fastening (activities performed when installing the film base of a pond), there is no need to build a general configuration - everything has already been done, the container is equipped with terraces for planting aquatic plants. You should be careful about your choice; you won’t be able to change it.

Ready-made pond baths are sufficiently durable and are not afraid of winter frosts. And yet, when transporting the pond container to the site, it must be handled carefully and not stepped on. The thickness of the walls of such a tank is 3 mm and at mechanical damage cracks will appear that will be difficult to seal.

Cheap bathtubs made of plastic have the shortest service life - they are gradually destroyed by sunlight, and the surface of such containers cracks when bent. In contrast, containers made of reinforced plastic are more resistant to ultraviolet radiation and have a greater margin of safety (they are more plastic) - the service life of such pond reservoirs is up to 20 years.

The best, and therefore most expensive, tanks are made of fiberglass with a rubber base. A reservoir based on them will last more than 30 years and, unlike plastic containers, they can be repaired without compromising its general characteristics. Fiberglass is the most resistant to low/high temperatures and exposure to sunlight, it has high environmental performance and is completely safe for the flora and fauna of an artificial reservoir.

In addition to quality characteristics, fiberglass containers also have aesthetic appeal: they can be of three colors - black, brown and green; applied to their edges decorative coating, imitating natural materials, which makes it easier to give an artificial pond a natural look.

Fiberglass bathtubs are made not only for ponds, but also for streams. Containers for simulating a stream have a “stone” texture in appearance and easily fit into the overall landscape, and the multi-stage shape allows you to conveniently plant aquatic plants. The bed of such a stream is fenced on the sides with projections that protect plant roots from being washed out.

Artificial pond with film waterproofing

Flooring of flexible coverings is carried out both in a prepared pit and between constructed walls raised above ground level. Such a decision to create a pond at the dacha is justified if the expected size of the future reservoir is larger than the parameters of hard shells offered by specialized stores. Film coating is also used to create reservoirs of complex shape - use waterproofing film will make this task much easier.

To create a reservoir, you can use polyethylene (thickness 500 microns), laid in two layers; its cost is the lowest among other film coatings. Although the characteristics of polyethylene are more than minimal: it is easy to tear (by sharp stones, animal claws, etc.), under the influence of the sun it becomes fragile, and if damaged it is practically impossible to repair. The polyethylene coating will provide waterproofing of the reservoir for no more than 5 years (on average - 3 years). This is rather a temporary solution for those summer residents who do not like constancy - after three years there is an excellent reason to change the location of the pond.

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) coating will cost more than polyethylene, but will also last longer - on average about 8-10 years. Manufacturers offer two types of polyvinyl chloride coating: regular two-layer and reinforced, in which a woven mesh is laid between the layers of film (for strength). In general, this coating has all the disadvantages of polyethylene. Solar ultraviolet damages the strength of PVC film; it is easy to perforate. But, unlike polyethylene film, damage in PVC film can be repaired using a special repair kit. In addition, this film stretches better - after filling the reservoir with water, most of the folds will stretch out and level out.

The best pond film is made from butyl rubber - this material is durable (service life is about 50 years), durable and not subject to destruction by ultraviolet radiation. Butyl rubber film comes in three colors: black, stone-colored, and charcoal-colored. If the soil on your site contains a large number of stones, or you plan to build a pond with a high load on the foundation (great depth and considerable width of the pond), choose a butyl rubber coating and you won’t go wrong.

Characteristics of butyl rubber coating: high plasticity, ease of installation regardless of the time of year and air temperature. Low temperatures do not affect this coating, so there is no need to drain water from the reservoir in the winter.

Pond film - which color is better

The color of the film will seriously affect general form reservoir The black bottom will turn the reservoir into a kind of mirror; reflections of the sky, clouds, and plants planted along the shoreline will be clearly visible in it. Film black or Brown will serve as a good imitation of natural bottom soil. A cream or blue bottom color will look unnatural, but colorful fish look great against this background. If you choose a grayish or bluish shade, the pond will look like a swimming pool. Choose the color of the film depending on the functions of the reservoir: if it is a pond - black or brown, if a pool - white or blue.

Create a decorative pond using film

We draw the outline of the future pond at the selected location and determine the required film size. The calculation of the film covering is done as follows: the width and length of the canvas will be equal to the sum consisting of the size of the width (in the second case, the length) of the future reservoir, twice the depth and 600 mm of allowance for securing the film along the edges of the pond.

It must be taken into account that standard parameters a roll of butyl rubber film is as follows: width from 4.5 to 15.25 m (more precisely, 4.5; 6.1; 9.15; 12.20 and 15.25 m), length - 20-25 linear meters . Sometimes it is easier to make adjustments to the parameters of the future pond than to glue pieces of film together. If there is a need to glue a film for a pond, this is quite possible; you only need special adhesives and adhesive tape, produced by the same manufacturer as the selected film. To obtain a high-quality seam when gluing butyl rubber film, use mastic followed by hot vulcanization.

In addition to the waterproofing film, when forming a reservoir bowl, you will need geotextiles (optimal density - 350 g/m2) - for the insulating coating it will act as a protective layer (from tree roots, teeth and claws of animals, sharp stones, etc.).

To create a reservoir with your own hands you will need: sand (for the underlying layer), spirit level ( building level), a roll of cord (or twine for marking), wooden pegs, a garden hose, shovels.

Creating a reservoir pit

First of all, evaluate the future shape of the reservoir using a hose of sufficient length and pegs - change the position of the hose fragments until the shape of the reservoir bowl suits you. When planning a free-form pond, try to get rounded lines without sharp corners - such a pond will look better. When planning a pond, mark terraces for pond plants along its edges; they are done at a depth of 300 mm.

Having decided on the shape of the reservoir and completing the markings, begin work on the foundation pit. First, three-hundred-millimeter terraces are torn off (after filling the reservoir, the distance from the terrace to the water level will be about 200 mm). The banks of the future pond should have a slope of approximately 45°. In the process of creating a pit, try to remove all plant roots and stones that you come across. After completing work on the terraces, check the horizontalness of the banks using a board with a spirit level placed on it.

The next stage of work is the formation of the main bowl of the reservoir, its deep part. Remember: the minimum required depth of the reservoir is 600 mm. Such a reservoir will not freeze completely in winter, and in summer pond fish will be able to find refuge at such a depth from the scorching rays of the sun. Then along the shore line it is necessary to dig a ledge 60-70 mm deep for subsequent laying of a blind area from tiles, bricks, natural stone or laying turf.

We form a drainage layer and waterproofing

Having completed work on the pit, you need to pour washed sand over its entire area in a layer of 30-50 mm - the sand is placed on the bottom, banks and terraces, and carefully compacted. After making sure that sand drainage is sufficiently good (no unevenness), lay a geotextile fabric on top to insulate the film covering from damage.

The next step The prepared sheet of film will be laid. Do not try to align the film along the contours of the reservoir - let it sag above it - lay it loosely. Align the film sheet along the banks, securing the edges with a sufficient number of bricks (stones).

Connect a garden hose to a water source and feed it in the center of the film laid over the pit - it will gradually shrink, taking the shape of a reservoir. Monitor subsidence by moving retaining stones along the banks. After the artificial reservoir is completely filled, you need to wait a day, then cut off the excess film, leaving a margin of 250-300 mm at its edges (the blind area will be laid on them). Secure the edges around the perimeter of the pond using wooden wedges or wire arches.

The next stage is laying the blind area. Its width must be at least 600 mm, it is made of tiles, bricks or natural stone. The blind area needs to be laid on cement mortar - if it is laid only on a cushion of sand, a person who steps on the tile can slide into the pond with it.

Summer residents planning a waterfall or fountain in an artificial reservoir need to lay a water supply hose and cover it with a blind area before laying the tiles on the cement mortar. The same should be done if there is a need for power supply to the pond (underwater spotlights, water pumps), by installing a plastic or copper tube for subsequent pulling of the electrical cable.

Creating a reservoir raised above ground level

Such a reservoir will require at least one retaining wall. A foundation for such a reservoir is required, otherwise the pond bowl may become distorted.

The construction of a reservoir above ground level is carried out in the same way as the construction of an ordinary garden wall: the location and parameters of the future pond are determined, trenches are dug for laying the foundation. After casting, the foundation must harden within two full days.

When creating a pond half submerged in the ground, dig a pit in the deepest part, then form terraces for planting (approximately at the level of the concrete foundation). Then carefully remove all the stones and place a sand cushion on the bottom of the pit.

Build retaining walls around the perimeter of the pond, carefully tracking the position of each row. Before laying the waterproofing film, wait 48 hours - the wall solution must completely harden.

Lay the film so that its edges evenly protrude from all sides of the supporting wall. If your future pond is rectangular or square shape, form folds of film along the inner corners in the form of a neat accordion. The film sheet must be temporarily pressed against the top of the supporting walls with bricks.

Gradually fill the film hanging over the reservoir with water, moving or removing the pressing stones on the supporting walls, leveling the corner folds. After completely filling the reservoir, cut off the excess film along the edges, maintaining a gap of half the size of the supporting wall (it will be covered with stones when forming the ridge). Remove water from the pond. To protect the edges of the film, we install ridge stones. The pond is ready - fill it with water, place plants and fish.

Decorating a country pond

On my own garden pond not bad - you can put a gazebo by the water and relax on a hot afternoon in the shade and coolness, watching the fish play in its depths. But you can turn it into something enchanting and colorful - fountains created by a pump system and underwater lighting will help here.

Pond pumps are produced in two versions: above-water and underwater. Let's say you want a two-meter stream of water to come out of a pond - then you need an underwater pump. If a two-meter fountain is not enough, choose an above-water pump and you will be provided with a really high column of water.

The underwater pump is mounted at the bottom of the pond: first a stone base is placed, the pump is placed on it and covered on top with a ceramic casing made to look like natural stone. The complete set (pump, base and casing) can be purchased from one seller.

How an underwater pump works: it draws water from the bottom of a reservoir and sweeps it over the surface of the water using special nozzles. If a fountain or waterfall is installed separately from a reservoir, water is supplied through supply pipes. Some pump models can simultaneously supply water to both a waterfall and a fountain. The pump is powered via electrical cable with waterproof insulation.

The surface pump is installed in a camouflaged brick chamber on the shore of a reservoir, not far from a fountain or waterfall. Water is supplied to the pump from the reservoir through a pipe with a mandatory filter at the inlet. An above-water pump requires more technical equipment than an underwater one - a drainage system, filters (on the suction pipe), and a suction system. Otherwise it will overheat.

The greatest effect from the operation of fountains is achieved in reservoirs of the correct shape. Fountains are placed in the center of the reservoir so that the water they throw out does not fall on the shore plants.

The type of fountain and the height of the jet depend on the type of nozzle installed on the underwater pump. The stream of water itself, depending on the installed nozzle, may have the shape of, say, a bell or a beating key. A boring fountain tube can be decorated with fiberglass, stone, bronze or ceramic lining. If lining is used, the water nozzle is attached to the brass connector with which the lining is equipped. The lining body is placed either on the bottom of the reservoir or on a special stand.

Lighting will help create a magical atmosphere in the evening and at night. Lighting equipment for private ponds is designed for 12 V power supply. The power of halogen lamps in lamps can be from 5 to 75 W - it is enough for bright lighting, because the luminous flux of such lamps is 3 times higher than that of household lamps.

Mini-spotlights are installed on a special support or on a fountain nozzle, highlighting the flying splashes of water. There are floating lanterns, they consist of a light bulb placed in a sealed glass ball. They can be lowered to a certain depth into a reservoir, suspended on a weight, or installed at the bottom. Thanks to the spotlights equipped with color filters and rotating devices, the night pond will take on a simply stunning look.

How to care for a pond

The natural balance of the reservoir will form quite quickly. To maintain it, it is necessary to remove all wind-blown debris and fallen leaves before this mass falls to the bottom and begins to decompose. It is quite possible that the bottom of the reservoir will have to be cleaned with a net every autumn, eliminating bottom debris.

To protect the water area of ​​the pond from falling leaves, you can use a fine-mesh net - it should be stretched over the mirror of the pond before the autumn leaves fall and removed closer to winter. Or use a skimmer - a special pump for collecting floating debris.

To clean the bottom, a bottom vacuum cleaner is useful - its design resembles a regular one, but it does not have a filter. Water from the bottom of the pond is sucked into the device; as the chamber fills, the device automatically turns off and the container with dirt must be emptied into the drainage system.

If you put fish in your decorative pond, they will need oxygen. If there is a lack of it, use aerator pumps - they resemble aquarium pumps, only larger in size and power.

The main problem that owners of reservoirs face with the beginning of the warm season is that the water in it becomes Green colour, which is caused by the active reproduction of protozoan algae. Most often, this problem is faced by owners of small reservoirs with shallow depth and therefore quickly warmed up by the sun's rays. You can prevent overheating of water by using aquatic plants with large floating leaves (water lilies and egg capsules), as well as by planting oxygen generators - plants that fill pond water with oxygen (Elodea canadensis, hornwort, mireweed).

At the beginning of spring, when the plants have not yet developed sufficiently, the use of chemical control agents (algaecides) is required. However, these drugs are harmful to both humans and aquatic life - so they should be used only as a last resort.

Birds and cats can pose a danger to fish in a pond; for them, fish are a subject of hunting. To protect pond fish from birds (for example, herons), you need to cover the space above the shallow areas of the pond with a net or black threads (the latter solution is especially successful - black threads are practically invisible against the background of the water surface). An obstacle for cats will be decorative fence made of wire (at least 150 mm high), usually used for fencing flower beds.

The main danger to aquatic fauna in areas subject to frequent frosts is ice. An ice shell that steadily blocks a reservoir for more than a day will lead to the accumulation of toxic gases formed by decaying remains of vegetation and, as a result, partial or complete death of fish. It is necessary that part of the pond is always free of ice; the best solution would be a special small heater. You should not try to break the ice using force - blows to the ice shell can stun and even kill the fish.

If your artificial reservoir is deep, use a pump to supply warm water from the depth to the water surface - this measure will prevent ice from forming. As a last resort, if there are no other methods and means, make an exhaust hole in the ice shell using wormwood; to do this, place a pan of boiling water on the ice (after the wormwood has formed, do not forget to remove the pan!).

How to properly plant a pond

Aquatic plants perform an important task - they are kind of filters for water. The biological balance will be established when at least a third of the artificial reservoir is allocated for plants. Moreover, each type of aquatic plant requires planting at a certain depth.

So, the pond is finished, filled with water - it needs to be allowed to settle for 10 days and only then begin planting. The optimal time for planting aquatic plants is the beginning of summer.

You can plant the plants in the laid soil at the bottom of the reservoir, but it is best to place them in mesh baskets, placing the latter on the bottom. It is easier to care for plants in baskets - move them to a warm room for the winter and propagate. The soil in the baskets is ordinary land from the garden, its enrichment with manure, fertilizers or peat is not required. Laying clean burlap or other coarse fabric on top will help keep the soil layer in the baskets from being washed away by water. Place medium-sized gravel on top of the fabric to protect the roots from pond fish.

Before planting, remove particularly long roots and old leaves from plants. After planting, compact the soil around the plant stem so that the distance between the soil and the edge of the basket is 40 mm.

Some types of pond plants do not require planting - they float freely on the surface of the reservoir, keeping themselves afloat. Representatives of such plants are water lilies and lotus. Such plants need to be closely monitored, since favorable conditions They will quickly multiply and occupy the entire pond - periodically some of them need to be removed. The main plant problem for any enclosed reservoir is duckweed, which multiplies quickly and tends to take over the entire area of ​​the reservoir - do not plant it on purpose!

When purchasing aquatic plants, be sure to ask the seller at what depth they should be planted. When planting, take precautions - plants need light, and dense thickets on the surface of the water look unattractive.

During the winter season, aquatic plants, whose natural habitat is a temperate climate, remain in the reservoir. If you planted exotic plants from warm countries in the pond, then they should winter outside the pond. Take them out and place them in a body of water indoors - an aquarium or a bathtub, after pruning especially overgrown plants.

An important point: when moving plants indoors for winter, do not forget to provide them with sufficient lighting.

Caring for fish in a pond

For the full existence of fish in a country pond, its depth must be no less than 1200 mm. At shallower depths, the fish need to spend the winter outside the pond, otherwise they will die. Freshly purchased fish cannot be placed in a pond; give it time to acclimatize - it must get used to the temperature of the water in the pond. Let the container with fish float around the pond - this measure will help prevent the fish from going into shock.

If you did not purchase fish from specialized stores, you should not immediately release them into the garden pond. Place them in an aquarium filled with pond water. The duration of such a quarantine should be at least seven days - this way you will find out whether the fish is sick.

Now about fish nutrition. In principle, the pond should have enough food for them: duckweed, algae, mosquito larvae and other insects living at the bottom of the reservoir. However, if there is not enough food or the number of fish increases, it needs to be fed. Buy fish food in specialized stores - it contains everything necessary for pond fauna, in addition, such food is enriched with oxygen and will not become a source of pollution for the pond; it will float on the surface for some time. Give the fish as much food as they can eat in 10 minutes, otherwise it will sink and rot.

Fish have a special need for vitamins in the spring; during this season, increase the number of feedings. In autumn, when the temperature in the reservoir drops below 10 °C, stop feeding completely.

Constantly monitor the condition of the fish, do not overfeed them, control their numbers (optimally: for 50 liters of water - one fish 100-150 mm long. Keep in mind that the fish are growing!).

A sick fish can be identified by its behavior: it, as a rule, swims in circles and at the same time “staggers”, rubs its sides against objects in the reservoir, lies on its side on the surface. The presence of diseases is indicated by “glued together” fins, a white coating on the eyes, snout, fins or gills. Having discovered a sick individual, immediately isolate it from the rest and place it in the aquarium. Then visit a pet store, describe the signs of the disease to a specialist and buy the necessary medications.

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