This is the large pond that I have been digging on this winter.  Little by little I finally got it completely dug!  Took just about all winter to dig through all the rock and sand (well, I did work on it as I wanted, when I wasn't playing golf).  It has a 15 foot diameter, and it an average of 18 inches deep.  Follow the story and pictures below for The Times And Trials Of The Big Pond.  Now thumbnailed for quicker loading time.  To view the "big picture" just click on the numbnail.

For a pond size of fifteen hundred to eighteen hundred gallons, you could stock with two hundred and fifty inches of fish, five water lilies, twenty-one bog plants, and twenty-four submerged plants.

Winter 2001...  The Beginning

The liner is installed and filled with water.

04-01-2002

Colorado Peach Lily's are placed in the pond.  Starting to get some algae already.  (Have been combating it ever since).

Finally get to enjoy the pond on 04-21-2002

Pictures from the end of April through the beginning of June. 2002.   My Perry's Pink lily decided to bloom!

DISASTER on 06-08-2002!!!   

We came home and found a dog in the middle of the pond.  Needless to say, after a few hours we discovered that the dog had put a hole in the liner and all the water leaked UNDER the pond.  We spent that lovely evening in a search and rescue mission for Goldfish and Koi.

Start of Rebuilding...   06-21-2002

Epi took vacation and started rebuilding the pond.  We had planned on using the liner for 2-3 years and THEN build a cement pond, but sometimes plans change.  This is the start of the new cement pond.

First the plant shelf is built at 16" below supposed water level.  This shelf will be used to place 5 gallon buckets on with plants around the pond. 

Next we added the walls and then poured the floor.  Since we live in Arizona, we also added pipe cemented into blocks to put up some shade with.

Epi put on the final flagstone as she watched her wheelbarrow float away!  Next you'll see the pond in it's first filling.  This is for the cement to cure, and the some of the cement chemicals to escape into the water.  Two weeks later, we scrubbed the cement with Vinegar then painted the pond black.  After waiting 3 days, we'll be able to fill it again.

The pond is filled for hopefully the last time, and all plants and fish are happy in their new home! 

The finished pond.

Find Out MORE About Water Gardening By Clicking On The Book Below!