Small Home Improvement Project - The Pond Area

 

I've been super excited to move onto this project because I truly love water features in a yard.  I built this pond a good twenty plus years ago and until last year it has always been a bit part of our landscape.  The pump died at the end of the summer of 2020 and I wasn't able to fix it last year so the pond had to sit empty.  First things first, I had to clean up this area and get the pond put back together.  I took out everything and started with a clean slate.

 

Since it was pretty much empty I pulled the rock filter and dumped it out first

Then I pulled out a pile of leaf debris and then flushed it out

Like the big flower bed I was pulled up all of the vinyl edging and replaced it with a rock border, again all rocks I already had onsite.  I brought in several loads of compost from our backyard bin and turned the soil too.  Then I put in some perennials around the pond as well as a hosta between the boxwoods, which got a trim.  Then I dressed it all up with four bags of bark mulch ($2 a bag at Home Depot).

 

I decided to completely start over so I removed all of the rocks

And after a few days progress was being made

The best part for me was getting to fill the pond with water, fill the filter basket with gravel and sink a brand new pump into it.  Then I added new tubing and a new frog spitter.  Once the pump was plugged in we were back in business.  Having our pond up and running absolutely makes my heart sing.  When I'm in the house I open the kitchen and dining room windows so I can hear it.  I can watch it from the dining room window too.  I love to sit next to it when I am outside.  It is really relaxing to have that water running in the background whenever I'm out in the yard.

 

More rock to replace the vinyl edging and
I added a hosta as well as more bark mulch

I added plants around the pond

The pond itself is just a black stock tank I picked up at the feed store.  It is super durable and much more affordable than an actual pond liner.  It has definitely withstood the test of time.  I've been quite pleased with it.  I bordered the edge with rocks and stacked a pile for the frog to sit on.  You then get creative with how to camouflage the tubing and cord (more rocks).

 

More plants

And a new friend

A little whimsy

I think it turned out pretty darn cute! 

This was a great project and didn't take long to complete.  I puttered with it over the course of a few days and got it done.  Now onto the next project.  I have to move a fence!  Wish me luck.