A FORMAL POND

For thousands of years, creative architects have employed formal ponds to provide focus, noise abatement, and evaporative cooling in both public and private gardens. Although formal ponds were traditionally built of stone, today they can also be built with brick, concrete block, poured concrete, or pressure-treated wood. A raised perimeter wall can highlight attractive structural materials and offer visitors a place to sit by the water; a flush edge is easier to build and will make the garden feel more spacious. Simple rectangular shapes with vertical side walls are recommended for ease of waterproofing, but other shapes are possible. Fish and plants are optional, but a fountain is a virtual necessity. A depth of 18" to 24" is sufficient, except in cold climates.

In the illustration, protection fabric is laid over the earth bottom and up the concrete-block side walls. A custom-fitted rubber liner covers the fabric and is secured to the walls just above the water line with black metal bars and a tacky rubber tape. Water is drawn through a slotted screen into an adjustable-flow pump which ejects it upward through a fountainhead.

FORMAL POND KITS: We can custom design a complete kit with everything required to build a formal pond of any size and shape. Typical components are shown below: click on an image or title for more information. Waterproofing can be a flat sheet of rubber that is folded at the corners, a custom fabricated box liner that requires no folds, or a liquid-applied liner. After construction has been completed, we can also ship a package of appropriate plants.

custom-welded
box liners

liquid-applied
liners

fountain
pumps

protection fabrics

underwater lights

fountainheads

biological
clarifiers

termination tape
and bars

fabric
planting pots

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