In 2021, nearly 58 percent of Americans planned on sprucing up their backyard in some way or another. Likely, the increased purchases of backyard accessories, furniture, and landscaping are due to the extra amount of time people spent at home during the pandemic.
Do you want to turn your yard into a beautiful outdoor oasis? If so, why not add a backyard pond? By adding a water feature to your yard, you can create a calm and beautiful space while providing a safe haven for wildlife.
In this post, you will discover five garden pond ideas that fit just about any backyard! Keep reading to find your favorite!
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Concrete Pond
Concrete ponds are the perfect choice for modern landscaping designs. They can be made into a variety of shapes, but one of the most popular is rectangular.
The best part about concrete ponds is that you can build them yourself or hire someone to do it at a minimal cost. Just remember to install a pump and a pond aeration system to keep the water fresh.
After you build your pond, you can add fish native to your area, which will keep it free from unwanted insects. Local fish can also survive the winter and summer temperatures and don’t require too much effort on your part.
If you’d like, you can pour gravel around the outside of the pond and border it with plants. This will create a lovely mix of textures and make your pond all the more pleasing to the eye.
Rock Pond With Waterfall
If you want your pond to blend in with the natural landscaping, rocks are an excellent choice! With various colors, textures, and sizes, rocks look more realistic than rubber liners or concrete. Thus, they are the best choice if you want a rustic or natural-looking pond.
Moreover, you can place rocks in your pond to manipulate the flow of the water, creating waterfalls or diverting the stream into different directions.
Furthermore, ponds create the right environment for beneficial bacteria to grow, which results in cleaner water. They also protect your pond liner from UV exposure, preventing it from cracking or becoming brittle over the years.
Long Fish Pond With Bridge
Ponds with bridges tend to be long and narrow, almost like a creek. They can go in a circle around your property or create pools at each end. Either way, you need a fairly large yard to make this type of water feature.
People prefer to add a bridge to their pond because it gives them a platform for viewing the fish and other aquatic life. It also is convenient when it comes time to clean your pond, especially if your pond is large and has hard-to-reach areas.
Moreover, your fish will also thank you since a bridge gives them a shaded area to escape the hot summer sunlight.
Swimming Pond
If you want your DIY garden pond to double as a swimming pool, a natural pool is a perfect solution!
The best part about natural pools is that they provide you and your loved ones with a chemical-free place to swim and have reduced maintenance costs compared with typical pools.
The reduced cost is due to aquatic life such as plants, microorganisms, insects, and amphibians that feed off each other, keeping your pond clean and clear. The best creatures for a natural pool include:
- Snails
- Frogs and amphibians native to your area
- Floating plants
- Oxygenating plants
However, it is best to avoid adding fish to your ecosystem since fish excrement encourages algae growth.
If the idea of sharing your pool with wildlife is off-putting, don’t worry! These little creatures have no interest in you, and they are much faster swimmers. So you probably won’t even notice they’re there!
Raised Garden Pond
If concerns over your little ones’ safety are holding you back from putting in a pond, you should consider some creative raised garden pond ideas! Building a pond above-ground is also a great choice if your yard is quite small since you don’t need much space to incorporate this design into your landscape.
Some people feel that raised ponds are easier to build, especially since plenty of pond kits are on the market these days. There is no digging or equipment involved either, so you can easily assemble it yourself. All of these factors make raised ponds more cost-effective than typical ponds.
Moreover, since raised ponds are elevated, you don’t need a pump to drain them. Thus, cleaning and maintaining it is much more effortless. Raised ponds also allow you to get a better view of the fish and wildlife in your pond.
In some ways, an elevated pond is like having an outdoor aquarium. Some companies even sell prefabricated ponds with windows. These allow you to observe the fish underwater!
Choose the Best Garden Pond Ideas for your Home
After considering these five garden pond ideas, you are likely inspired and ready to get to work! But, of course, if you don’t feel up to the task of building a pond yourself, you can contact a local landscaping company for a quote. By doing so, you will ensure that your pond turns out exactly as you envisioned it and save yourself a lot of frustration.
Did you enjoy these garden and pond ideas? If so, be sure to check out more of our interesting posts related to landscaping! You’ll find more inspiration and helpful tips to create the outdoor sanctuary of your dreams!
