Custom Garden Ponds and Waterfalls
A water feature changes how you use your yard. Whether you want a quiet waterfall or a stocked garden pond, we build them to fit naturally into your existing landscape.
This pond is a great example of how I combine water features with hardscaping and plantings. The small waterfall provides gentle background noise for the patio.
For this project in a more rural setting, I built a natural-looking pond with a rock border and white river stone. The water plants help keep the pond clear.
A healthy pond ecosystem supports beautiful aquatic plants. This water lily is thriving in a pond I installed the previous summer.
About Ponds & Water Features
A good pond should not look like a plastic tub in your backyard. We use 45 mil EPDM liners and carefully place river boulders to hide all synthetic edges, ensuring your water feature looks like it has been part of your landscape for years rather than a new installation.
How We Build Your Pond
We design water features that function as a self-sustaining ecosystem rather than just a decorative hole in the ground. Our process focuses on three main elements to ensure the water stays clear and the pond integrates with your garden:
- Structural Foundation: We start with an excavation followed by a heavy-duty, fish-safe 45 mil EPDM rubber liner. We always include a protective underlayment to prevent punctures from roots or rocks.
- Filtration System: Clear water requires the right equipment. We install a mechanical skimmer to catch debris before it sinks and a biological waterfall filter that houses beneficial bacteria to keep the water balanced.
- Natural Aesthetics: This is where the 'natural' look comes in. We use river boulders and granite rocks to mask the liner completely. We also finish the edges with aquatic plantings like water lilies and marginal plants to soften the transition between the pond and your garden beds.
The Build Process
Each project is custom-sized to your space, but our standard setup is an 8ft x 6ft installation. This includes the construction of a 1 to 2 ft cascade waterfall, which provides that steady background noise many homeowners are looking for. Before we hand over the site, we run a 24-hour leak observation period to make sure everything is watertight and performing exactly as it should.
If you are worried about maintenance, do not be. A properly built pond with the right filtration and aquatic balance requires very little day-to-day effort. We can discuss plant placement and water volume during our initial site visit to ensure the feature fits the maintenance level you are comfortable with.
Looking for other landscaping services?
Browse our full range of garden and hardscape services to complete your outdoor space.
More from Landscape Design & Installation by David
More services by David