Need advice on construction of very large pond

eggplant1

Hi there. When we built our house we shaped and emptied a huge tear drop shaped hole for a pond as it was our dream to have a very very larg pond. It measures 28m x 14m and I'd estimate its about 3m at its deepest point.

Its been 4 years now and we still havent got around to lining the pond and getting on with the project. Our biggest problem is trying to source the most appropriate pond liner? We'd hoped for something that wasnt necessarily rubber and we'd heard about "bentofix" as a possibility. Has anyone heard of this? Does anyone have any other suggestions?

I get a little freaked when I hear something is guaranteed for 30 years because - in my idiot brain - I see my pond disintegrating when I am in my seventies and am too old to effect any repairs? I need something that will last until after I have "shuffled off the mortal coil" and its the beneficiary's problem.

I also wanted to turn the tip of the tear drop into a bog garden but I dont know how to do a divider between the bog garden and the pond that will keep the bog garden damp but wont allow the soil to escape into the pond.

I have a thousand other questions but we'll start slowly. This is going to be a huge project. Thanks for any suggestions

ponddigger · Posted: Sun May 01, 2011 5:20 pm Post subject: cons of large pond

hi eggplant1.have a look at a website called www aquascapinc.com.,you will get a lot of ideas. yours ponddigger Question

kindredspirit · Posted: Sun May 01, 2011 7:13 pm Post subject:

Hi Eggplant,

You can look at this post about our pond, if you like.

http://www.gardenplansireland.com/forum/about1885.html

It measures 90 feet long by 30 feet wide but we built it out of wizard fibre concrete instead of using butyl liner.

Have a look and if you want, I can answer any questions you might have.

kindredspirit · Posted: Sun May 01, 2011 7:20 pm Post subject:

It'd be dead easy to make the tip of your tear drop into a bog garden by putting a type of filter into the dividing wall that would allow moisture through but not solids. e.g. perforated zinc plate or a load of pea gravel behind a hole.

ponddigger · Posted: Mon May 02, 2011 1:18 pm Post subject: cons of large pond

hi eggplant1,if you can,you should visit manor stone in ballacolla co laois they have a display pond and waterfall about a big as you are building, well worth the visit . yours ponddigger Idea

eggplant1 · Posted: Mon May 02, 2011 7:57 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the replies. Kindred Spirit. Your pond is incredible abd very inspiring. You're making me rethink the concrete but we were wanting something that looked natural to fit into the rural area we're living in. However that has its own problems as - whatever pond liner we use - I dont know what to do with the edges to make them look " natural" in the middle of a man made lawn. Even stones will eventually come up against lawn. I cant plant plants around the whole pond or it reduces the view.

Heading for that aqua scapes website now.

Thanks fo replies. Please keep the advice coming to a very grateful pond builder.

eggplant1 · Posted: Mon May 02, 2011 7:59 pm Post subject:

Thanks Pond digger. Co Laois is a bit far away but I will remember when next I am heading that way.

eggplant1 · Posted: Mon May 02, 2011 8:00 pm Post subject:

kindredspirit · Posted: Mon May 02, 2011 8:07 pm Post subject:

Eggplant, here's a link to Paul Dyer's site.

Best ponds of all, if you can afford them.

http://www.waterfeatures.co.uk/nw.html

Loads and loads of pages of pictures on this site.

ponddigger · Posted: Mon May 02, 2011 9:10 pm Post subject:

hi eggplant1,,how deep are you making your pond. yours ponddigger

ponddigger · Posted: Mon May 02, 2011 10:25 pm Post subject:

hi eggplant1.this may be of some use to you.go to the forum,water features in ireland including all aspects of water garden, look up post,my watergarden im currently building, by david. yours ponddigger Confused

kindredspirit · Posted: Tue May 03, 2011 6:00 pm Post subject:

Eggplant,

Water garden in the UK, which is supposed to be very good, although I've never seen it.

http://www.longstockpark.co.uk/index.htm

Also, you might like to contact Rockworld on this forum. He installs ponds and would give you VERY good and sound advice.

eggplant1 · Posted: Wed May 04, 2011 9:55 am Post subject:

Thanks guys. The pond is about 6 feet deep at its deepest point. I'll dive in to these website recommendations s as soon as I get a chance - stupid day job getting in the way of my gardening aspirations - but I have also realised that, thanks to the economy, my budget is reduced to about €2500.00. This is gonna be fun.

medieval knievel · Posted: Wed May 04, 2011 10:48 am Post subject:

has butyl rubber as a pond liner become less common?
i need to help someone replace the liner in his pond, and everywhere he's looked stocks a PVC liner.

eggplant1 · Posted: Wed May 04, 2011 10:58 am Post subject:

No I think I saw a lot of butyl being sold on various websites. Is your friend Irish or UK based? I'll get you some websites in a moment.

We initially turned our noses up at because it "only" has a life span fo about 20 to 30 years and we cant face replacement problems at that time 'cos we'll be old enough to be facing "replacement" ourselves.

But I am starting to rethink this approach because the butyl products seem to be getting better and thicker