Do-it-yourself pond at the dacha. Decorative mini-ponds and mobile ponds Mini ponds at the dacha plants in it

Benefits of a basin pond:

• arrangement takes a minimum of time;
• fits perfectly into the design of any site;
• if necessary, the pond in the basin can be easily moved to another area of ​​the yard;
• requires minimal care;
• It is a budget option and requires virtually no financial costs.

Artificial pond from a basin very easy to do. Take an old metal or plastic basin and dig it into the ground. If the basin is full of holes, then cover its bottom with construction film. It is desirable that it be thick and durable. If desired, the bottom of the basin can be decorated with stones and shells. A pond already filled with water is decorated with live or artificial plants, and the “banks” of the reservoir are lined with natural stone or pebbles. You can also lay out paving slabs.

A mini-pond from a basin will be much stronger if the bottom and walls of the basin coat with cement mortar. In addition, if you plan to put frogs in a pond, it will be much easier for them to get to the surface on a cement surface than on a slippery film.

The solution is prepared as follows: mix cement and sand in a ratio of 1:3 and dilute with water. Stir well until the sour cream becomes thick, so that there are no lumps left, and coat the basin. Layer thickness - 2cm. While the solution at the bottom of the basin has not hardened, you can make various compositions from stones in it. The basin, covered with cement, is left to dry for at least a day. After this, it can be painted with black water-repellent paint. When the basin is filled with water, the black color will give the surface of the water a mirror effect.

For mini-reservoirs with aquatic plants, it is better to use basins with a depth of more than 15 cm. In shallow basins, the water will heat up quickly in the summer, and in frosts it will freeze to the bottom and the plants will die.

Device

In order to decorative pond pleasing to the eye, first of all, you need to choose the right place for the reservoir.

Basic selection rules:

1. Choose a place in partial shade, so the water will bloom less, and aquatic plants will not wither in the sun.
2. Avoid open and well-ventilated places.
3. You should not place the pond under trees, otherwise you will constantly have to remove leaves from the water, and the water will become clogged.

The pond should be located so that it is clearly visible from everywhere. Choose a place so that the reflections in the pond are interesting and varied. For example, it could be clouds, trees, a house.

As visual aid when choosing a place for a pond from a basin, you can use ordinary plastic film. Place it on the site of the planned pond, and walk around, see: will the pond be visible from the main viewing points of your site?

Installation

How to make a small decorative pond from a basin at your dacha? The basin is made, the place is chosen, now we begin to build a mini-pond with our own hands.

Tools and materials:

1. Shovel.
2. Pump (if a fountain is planned).
3. Clay or sand for layering.
4. A small amount of cement mortar.
5. Natural stone of different sizes.
6. Pebbles for soil or gravel with non-sharp edges (if the basin is covered with film).

Stages of work:

1. Dig a hole slightly larger than your pelvis. The edges of the basin should rise 5 cm above the ground.
2. Make a layer of clay or sand under the bottom of the basin and between the walls of the basin and the pit. Such a “pillow” will allow you to place the basin more level, and the water in it will not heat up quickly.
3. The dug basin is filled with cement mortar around the edges. This is necessary so that the reservoir holds on more tightly, and so that during rain the earth does not wash out from under the edges.
4. Soil is placed at the bottom of the basin, and aquatic plants (duckweed, waterweed, and waterweed) are planted in it. You can decorate the pond with artificial flowers.
5. Fill the basin with water.
6. The area around the pond is decorated with pebbles or stones. It will look better when large stones are laid out first, and then medium and small ones.
7. You can plant moisture-loving plants, such as ferns or callas, next to the pond, and plant the adjacent area with lawn grass.

If the water in the pond comes from a tap, it must first be allowed to settle. The best option is water from the nearest natural reservoir, but you can also use rainwater.

Photo of finished ponds from a basin.

Caring for a pond from a basin

For a miniature water garden to be clean and well-groomed, it needs change the water regularly. Water is scooped out from the pond using a jar or ladle. If there are no plants planted at the bottom, choose pebbles and wash them with water. If the soil is shallow and difficult to choose, then pour a small amount of water and mix the soil with your hand, and then remove the water with a rag. This is repeated several times.

Walls and bottom of the basin wash with a sponge or rag. This should be done about once a month, otherwise the water will begin to “bloom” and microorganisms will appear in it.

In nature, the role of natural orderlies of reservoirs is played by snails. Therefore, you can populate your mini-pond with them so that they clean both the plants and the pond itself from algae.

In hot weather, water from a water garden evaporates very quickly, and you need to constantly ensure that its level is sufficient. Add water need to be done in small portions and slowly, so as not to damage the plants and decorative compositions at the bottom of the pond. If necessary, the pond can be protected in hot weather with an awning or canopy.

A miniature pond from a basin can be made on any site, and there are a great many ways to decorate it, it all depends on the author’s imagination.

If you follow all the simple rules for arranging and maintaining such a mini-pond, the artificial water garden will become a real one. decoration of the country landscape and the pride of the owners.

I really want to relax after summer heat and physical labor near a picturesque place. Perhaps the first thing that comes to mind is water. Unfortunately, not all plot owners are lucky enough to have a pond in their dacha. Therefore, many summer residents set up a mini pond in their country house with their own hands. We will talk about this in this article.

Perhaps at first you will have questions: how to do it? what material? where to place it? But believe me, you can build a pond with your own hands. Especially we're talking about about a small pond in the country - mini copies of reservoirs from 0.5 to 1.5 m3.

Design of the future pond

Thanks to today's technologies, the owner can build a pond of any complexity. For example, there are three possible options for not big pond: cover the hole in the ground with film and fill it with water; use a ready-made container that may be right at hand; Fill the walls of the hole in the ground with concrete and fill with water.

Option 1

To begin, create a design for your future pond on paper. Consider the width, depth and thresholds for planting. Start drawing outlines on the ground. This can be done with paint or sand.

If you plan to have several tiers in the pond, then mark them and dig them out one by one.

Purchase a film for your pond with a calculation of +0.5 m on the sides on each side of the pit bowl. You will also need to purchase: geofabric - a material that is laid on the bottom and walls of the bowl to protect the film from damage. Although you can use something from the bins: unnecessary carpet, old linoleum.

Geotextile for ponds

You can secure the film with crushed stone by placing it in trenches dug along the edges of the thresholds. Fill the pond with water gradually, taking breaks. Line the shoreline with stones and fill the bottom of the pond with small pebbles.

Option 2

First, decide on the shape of the container in which the water will be. Then dig a pit under it, stepping back 30 cm from the sides. Compact the bottom so that it is level. If you have chosen a multi-tiered plastic mold, then pour in the water gradually, and fill the space between the mold and the pit bowl with sand.

There are many more options for small pond in the country. Can be used:

• Unnecessary bath. Apply the dimensions of the bathroom to the area, adding 10 cm on the sides. Dig the pit 20 cm deeper. Under the bathtub drain hole, make a drain using stones for drainage. Place crushed stone and sand at the bottom of the hole and compact it.
• Taz. We follow the path of least resistance and use the most a budget option, because you can even use a leaky basin by covering the hole with film. Leave the edges of the basin above the ground. Under the bottom and between the walls of the basin and the pit, lay a layer of clay and sand solution. Pour soil into the bottom of the basin to plant duckweed and urut or whatever you choose. Such a pond will be miniature and beautiful.

Pond from the bathroom

And also tires, a barrel, a boat or even old wardrobe! Conveniently, some of these containers can be brought into the house for the winter. Indeed, making a pond with your own hands is not difficult!

How to make a pond from a bathroom (video tutorial)

Option 3

I think many will agree that to build a pond according to the third option, you need some, at least basic, builder skills. But at the same time, don’t let this scare you, because any summer resident or owner of a plot in the private sector is already a bit of a builder. And as a reward for your efforts, you will have an almost eternal piece of paradise in your yard.

Stages of constructing a reservoir at the dacha (video)

Take your choice of pond location seriously, because it will no longer be possible to move it. Now we can begin.

If you decide to make a pond without thresholds, this will greatly simplify the task. Dig a pit with slopes of 45 degrees. Compact the hole and fill it with sand.

Place PET or PVC film on the bottom without stretching it too much. Start pouring concrete from the walls, and then move to the bottom.

Try to complete this part of the work in one day to avoid cracks at the joints.

Press in reinforced mesh. Pour the second layer of concrete as soon as the first one dries. Constantly check the horizon level. Add water when the concrete has completely hardened.

Concrete pond

Before deciding on the option to build a pond, decide what design idea will look especially organic on your site. If the house, paths and flower beds are designed in a strict style, feel free to create a pond of clear shapes. If you like everything natural, then any arbitrary shape will do.

Let's decide on a place

How to make all the inhabitants of the pond feel comfortable? If you have a large plot of land, then carefully study the area so as not to make a mistake with your choice. There are several secrets that we will share with you.

• The roots of old trees can interfere with the work, and over time, even with the walls of the reservoir. Also, falling leaves and fruits will force you to clean your pond frequently.
• Choose a place with the expectation that the pond will be in the shade for some time so that algae and microorganisms do not develop too actively in it.
• At the same time, the sun is needed for plants along the bank. So you will have to look for the best option, taking these nuances into account.
• If your pond is small but deep, then make sure that it is always within sight when children are playing nearby. And why hide such beauty from view?
• The pond will look best in a depression. They almost always go down to the lake, river, or sea.

Mini pond for the garden

Let's think over a possible ecosystem

If you want fish to live in your pond and flowers to bloom, then several rules from this section will help you.

Plant selection

Decorative flowers in a pond do not suffer from temperature changes and can even withstand frost (of course, except for southern varieties of plants, which will need to be hidden for the winter). But still make sure that the water in the pond will be heated by the sun for at least five hours during the day.

The less light, the faster the mini pond at the dacha turns into a small swamp. Then it will look completely unattractive, a characteristic smell and flowering will appear.

In nature, an amazing process of self-purification has been launched, and at home, the owner must take care of the cleanliness of the reservoir.

As in a natural pond, plants in a home pond are divided into the following types:

• those that grow on the shore;
• those that grow in the humid zone at the border with water;
• floating on the surface;
• shallow water and those that grow at depth.

Although on the shore along the pond the air humidity will be higher than in other places, simple garden plants they can settle down there. But still, make sure that they do not look awkward or random next to other inhabitants of the pond. Begonias, aquilegias, impatiens and many other perennial plants that are used to decorate landscapes will be harmoniously combined.

An area with constant humidity, but without stagnant water is the best place for moisture-loving perennial plants. Among such stars are meadowsweet (meadowsweet), lysichiton, darmera, iris and many others.

Irises also thrive in shallow water. They compete with susak, pontederia, shank

The water lily can rightfully be called the deep-sea queen. She calmly copes with harsh winters. Water lilies are not only beautiful, but also useful. They are the ones who can create the shade necessary for the pond. Among other deep-sea beauties is the lotus (however, it needs to be dug up for the winter, because in most of the territory former USSR for almost 8 months the water does not warm up, as needed for the flowering of such varieties), watercolor, oronium, water chestnut and many other bizarre inhabitants of the depths.

Rivals for deep-sea plants are algae, which saturate the pond water with oxygen and support the vital activity of other organisms. Among them are swampweed, hornwort, etc.

Animal inhabitants

Insects, microorganisms and simple plants will grow in your pond on their own. You will have to take care of the fish yourself.

Fish in a pond at the dacha

But don’t think that you can’t get them. In fact, there is nothing supernatural here. Check the depth of your pond - it should be at least 90 cm deep. This is necessary for the fish, because this way they can survive the winter. And in summer the water does not warm up too much. Ponds of shallower depth are only suitable for growing ornamental plants.

By the way, in ponds with fish, a third of the water surface should be covered with greenery.

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An artificial pond in your country house can be a great place to relax on a hot summer day. To those people who have country houses on the shore of a lake or river, very lucky. Well, the rest will need to roll up their sleeves and arrange a pond in their dacha with their own hands.

We are drawing up a project

It is best to allocate a place for a future artificial pond even at the stage of designing a summer cottage. In this case, the reservoir must:

• Do not be exposed to prolonged exposure to direct sunlight - heated water provokes the growth of algae and the development of microorganisms. The water in the reservoir quickly becomes cloudy and will have a musty, unpleasant odor;
• be on open area– branches and leaves from trees will quickly pollute the water, and root system may damage the bottom of an artificial reservoir;
• be located so that later you can expand the size of the water surface if you want to convert the pond, for example, into a full-fledged complex - with a fountain, bridge, etc.

Professional builders It is advised to make the artificial pond shallow - since it will mainly be used as a beautiful element of the surrounding landscape in the garden. In addition, you immediately need to think about how you will care for the pond on your site - there should be a convenient approach to it. Naturally, not through alpine slides or a vegetable garden.

Water in artificial pond you will need to change it yourself, since it will not be cleaned naturally, unlike natural bodies of water. Therefore, you need to make sure that the water well at your dacha is located close to your pond.

Selection of material for construction

Before you make a pond with your own hands, you need determine its basis. In this case, there are several solutions. Let's consider what an artificial pond can be made from.

Reinforced concrete

The most durable pond in the garden can be made using reinforced concrete. The bottom and coastal zone, reinforced with reinforcement and filled with concrete, will be able to withstand various additional loads - the installation of sculptural compositions, a fountain, etc.

The complexity of construction makes it impractical this technology organizing small ponds in the country. The disadvantages of this solution include significant cost. You will have to rent special equipment, use a lot of building materials, and dismantling the installed reservoir will only be possible with great labor costs.

PVC film

A budget solution for the construction of an artificial pond in a country house. The depth and shape of this reservoir can be easily changed, its size reduced or increased. A pond on a site with a film base can even be made seasonal - for example, filled in with the arrival of winter and arranged again in the summer.

The disadvantages of this solution include the fragility and fragility of the PVC coating - the film can be easily damaged, and if the integrity of the bowl is damaged, water will easily drain into the ground. Therefore, swimming in these domestic ponds is not recommended - they made small in size and are used for garden decoration.

Store-bought artificial bowls

This is the golden mean for people who want to have their own pond in their garden and not have to worry about building materials for its organization. Store bowls for decorative ponds are made of durable and strong materials - fiberglass or polyvinyl chloride.

The first option is much more expensive. However, the cost of a fiberglass bowl is fully compensated by the excellent performance indicators this material. You can easily install this bowl with your own hands, without involving anyone in this process. outside help. The disadvantage can be considered the purchase of ready-made standard forms - that is, the foundation pit must be made to fit the shape of the bowl, and not vice versa.

Moreover, the possibility of constructing uneven terrain bottom for designing natural coastlines. Besides this method organizing a pond in the garden will cost much more than a pond made from scrap materials or film.

Available materials

Enough interesting option– use of different available containers or materials. Old troughs, cast iron baths quite suitable for construction.

The advantage of this method is that there is no need to build bulky reinforced concrete structures or purchase standard forms. The disadvantages include the low decorativeness of old containers - you will need to show imagination in order to old bath make a work of art.

For example, for people who have catastrophically little space in their dacha, experts advise using a convenient and simple tire pond. Old tires are dug in, film is laid inside, and the banks are decorated.

The resulting pond may surprise even professional designers– the finished pond will be an exclusive element of the landscape interior.

Pit

Then, when you have decided on the material for construction, you need to dig a pit. This work is best done in the summer, when groundwater leave as much as possible. The depth of the pit is determined based on the type of material from which they decided to make the bowl. If this is an old bathtub or another ready-made mold, dig a hole 25-30 cm deeper than the dimensions of the mold.

If you decide to make a pond from PVC film, then you will need to dig to a depth of about 70-90 cm - a small pond will completely freeze in winter, dry quickly and heat up. summer time. For reservoirs made of reinforced concrete, you will need to dig a pit more than 1.5 meters deep - here you cannot do without special equipment.

Let's look at the stages of work for building a pond at the dacha with your own hands for various types selected materials.

PVC film pond

When the pit is ready, all that remains is to clean its bottom and dig a future mini-pond on the sides small terraces. The depth of these terraces is approximately 30 cm and the width is about 25 cm. The bottom of the pit is compacted, pebbles, crushed stones, stones and other foreign objects are removed. The cleaned bottom is sprinkled with sand and covered with geotextile fabric. This bottom preparation will significantly improve the strength of the base coating and also extend the life of the film.

The next step is laying the film covering. The size of the film can be calculated as follows: take the total length of the reservoir and add twice the depth of the pit. The film sheet is fixed on the terraces with a margin of approximately 30 cm. The laid sheet is laid with stones or bricks - this must be done to preserve its laying shape.

Then you need to fill the pond with water, check the integrity of the film and begin decorating the coastal zone. No need right away cut off the remaining film under bricks, as it can shrink over time.

Pond from the bath

To build a pond from an old bathtub or other unnecessary container you will need:

• crushed stone;
• a piece of mesh;
• sand and cement;
• a coil of steel or aluminum wire;
• beautiful stones for decoration.

After the pit has been dug, it is necessary to make its edges. Why do we remove the top along the entire perimeter of the future pond? a layer of earth about 45-50 cm wide. This perimeter is deepened so that it is level with the shape of the reservoir. The drain hole in the bathroom is closed, then it is installed at the bottom of the pit.

To extend the operating time of the future mini-pond, it is necessary to protect the enamel on inner surface bowls. Why the sides and bottom of the bathroom can be treated with tile adhesive. After this, the bath is allowed to dry thoroughly. As a rule, this takes at least several days.

Then a chain-link mesh is laid around the entire perimeter of the bowl. It is required to reinforce the bottom and sides of the reservoir. Apply a cement-sand mixture to the mesh or concrete mortar and let it dry. Then comes the final design of the banks.

Pond from a ready-made mold

The pit dug for the form, cleared of debris, branches and other items. The walls and bottom of the pit are compacted. When the soil at the dacha is very loose, it needs to be strengthened. The finished form requires ideal flat plane sides and bottom of the pit. The surface can be leveled using a building level.

Then the bottom must be filled with sifted sand, which must also be compacted. The sand layer is an excellent preservative that will ensure the integrity of the finished bowl.

After this, the bowl is placed in the pit and water is poured. The resulting voids between the ground and the sides of the mold are filled with sand; this must be done gradually. First, 20-25 cm of sand is poured, which is moistened with water. After distributing the sand, this process must be repeat until the voids are completely filled between the walls of the pit and the form.

This must be done, since the pond mold is very fragile and can be easily deformed. Uniform pressure over the surfaces of the bowl will prevent it from bending.

After a day, check the gap between the ground and the sides of the bowl. If there are voids left, add sand. We pour the water out of the mini-pond, clean it completely and pour in clean water.

Plant selection

Planted on the shore part of the pond small plants. Hostas can create a picturesque picture on the shore of a pond; green ones prefer partial shade, and blue ones prefer shade.

Also, sedge with narrow leaves, which sometimes grow up to 80 cm, grows well in the shade. In partial shade, the unpretentious loosestrife with attractive inflorescences purple . On sunny area you can plant molinia.

A fern will perfectly decorate the shore of a pond located in partial shade. It grows well on moist soil. The same conditions are suitable for astilbe. Its low-growing varieties are suitable for planting near a pond.

If the body of water is quite large, plant darmera (peltiphyllum) on the shore - perennial in the form of bushes up to 1 m high and up to 0.5 m in diameter with notched round leaves.

On the second level in the reservoir, water lilies are traditionally placed. Hybrid nymphs are characterized by a variety of flower colors. There is no need to overload the pond big amount copies, they grow and only interfere with each other.

Sunny shallow water is great place for calamus. In a small reservoir, low calamus grass looks organic, and in a large reservoir, marsh calamus looks organic. Some varieties of irises also prefer low water.

The unpretentious whitewing is quite popular plant for home ponds. At the beginning of summer, a cob-shaped flower appears on it, and then red berries appear. We must remember that they are poisonous.

Aquatic hawthorn, which smells like vanilla, grows well in water, reaching a diameter of 50 cm. It is a deep-water plant. The miniature Azolla floating on the surface, covering the pond with a green carpet, looks original. However, you will need to fight it by periodically catching bushes.

When a small reservoir is not enough for the integrity of the landscape design at the dacha, mini-ponds save the situation. Beautiful and compact, original and always appropriate, miniature ponds easily fit into the surroundings of any site.

Features of mini-reservoirs

Already from the name it is clear that these structures are different small in size. Usually their depth does not exceed 0.5 m, and the mirror area is 2 sq.m. Such modest parameters allow you to install a mini-pond anywhere.

The video below shows a miniature pond consisting of several pots.

Choosing a pond container

It just so happens that to the dacha we often transport things that we do not need in city life, in the hope that they will one day be useful outside the city. With small bodies of water, this is precisely the case when almost any item that can be used as a container for a pond is used.

Let's list some of them:

• bath and baby baths;
• all kinds of basins, including cracked ones;
• large pots;
• various barrels, canisters, etc.

The video below shows examples of small bodies of water.

Don’t forget that you can make the container yourself using the following materials:

• pond film;
• trimmings plastic pipes diameter 50 cm;
• old car tires;
• reinforced concrete rings;
• brick, etc.

Making a miniature pond

The idea is to use a ready-made container or build one from existing materials. If the tank is intact, then it does not need additional waterproofing. But what to do when you have to deal with a structure that allows water to pass through? Let's look at the general approach using pond film as an example. Its use is attractive because it allows you to create a reservoir of any size and shape.

1. Select a location. There are no restrictions, it all depends on the lighting conditions. Usually the choice is made in favor of flat, secluded places illuminated by the sun for about half of the daylight hours.
2. Dig a hole. A depth of 40-50 cm will be quite enough. Make sure that the walls of the pit do not collapse. If this happens, make them more beveled.
3. Use waterproofing. It is advisable to use a special pond film. But for a small body of water a dense one is quite suitable. polyethylene film for a greenhouse. Cover the entire hole with it, leaving 30 cm wide material around the perimeter on the surface of the ground. Press it down temporarily with stones so that the film does not slide off while filling the pond with water.
4. Decorate the resulting container. Use flat or round stones - it's up to you. The edge can be decorated with covering decorative material under a stone. The banks can be made more rigid by lining them with small stones planted on cement mortar. For these purposes, first glue a plastic reinforcing mesh onto the film. After this, apply the first layer of mortar (cement/sand in a ratio of 1:3). After waiting for it to set, apply the next layer and cover the surface with stones.
5. Fill the container with water. For the smallest bodies of water, a few buckets of water will be enough. Otherwise, use a hose. Fill the container taking into account the volume of water displaced by the plants during planting (usually 10 cm is not added to the brim, but it all depends on the situation).
6. Plant the plants. What and how - read about it below.
7. Launch the fish. Read more about this in the article.

We invite you to familiarize yourself with a small selection of videos on which the most various items and materials.

Example correct application old bath.

The video below shows a universal technology for constructing an above-ground pond.

The next video shows an example of how you can use unnecessary tires.

Some tips for setting up a mini-pond.

• You can put several fish in a mini-pond. They will not only become its decoration, but will also play an important role: they will eat mosquito larvae, saving you from unnecessary discomfort.
• You should not combine fountains and waterfalls with all the variety of aquatic plants. The pump will become clogged with green matter, and plants will not be able to grow normally in unsettled water.
• It is worthwhile to provide a drain at the bottom of the above-ground tank. This will allow you to quickly drain the water for the winter.
• Get an inexpensive submersible pump, with which you can easily prepare your mini-pond for wintering.

7 plants for a mini pond

In fact, the number of representatives of aquatic flora is far from limited to the 7 plants we selected. If you wish, you can create your own unique composition, which will become a real decoration for your small pond in the country. We will consider the features of working with the plants we have selected.

Plants for a mini-pond and their features

Plant name	a brief description of	How to plant
Urut water	Herbaceous underwater plant with feather-like leaves. Forms dense green growth in the thickness of the reservoir	Plant in a pot with soil, sprinkle gravel on top. Immerse the pot completely in water, adjusting the depth of immersion using stone stands
Water lily	A spectacular plant with leaves floating on the surface and a large flower	Pour a 5 cm thick layer of fertile soil into a plastic container, place the roots of the water lily and sprinkle with about a 2-3 cm layer of soil. Cover the top with a layer of gravel. Immerse the container completely in water
Three-leaf watch	A low plant with a developed rhizome, creeping stem, large leaves and pinkish-white flowers
Iris ensiform	Perennial herbaceous plant with purple flowers	Plant in a clay or plastic pot with soil, pour gravel on top so that the soil does not wash out. The edges of the pot should protrude about 1 cm from the water
Lobelia splendor	Perennial plant with a high emergent part and red flowers
Dwarf papyrus	A tall plant with a panicle-shaped inflorescence for sweeping away dust
Pistia teloresidata	Floating plant with a small reduced inflorescence	Place a mini-reservoir on the surface of the water in a place you like.

Plant care in summer boils down to the following work:

• removing fallen leaves from the surface of a pond,
• pruning dead parts of the plant;
• feeding plants at the beginning of the season;
• thinning and dividing plants.

in autumn At the end of the summer season, the plants are transferred to a frost-free cellar and placed in a container with water. Water is pumped out of the mini-reservoir and left in this form for the winter.

Water has always attracted people. That’s why many people think about how to make a mini-pond at the dacha with their own hands, because then the landscape design will have its own zest. Being near water is natural for humans. You can relax on the shore, put fish in the water, make a fountain or waterfall.

What types of ponds are there?

The tradition of decorating areas near the house with bodies of water came to us from the East. But let's not consider simple stone bowls in the yard. After all, we are interested in integrating the pond into the design of the site. So, East. There are 2 design options: Chinese and Japanese. In China, a mini-pond was a body of water richly decorated with lush plants. It looked like a corner wildlife. In Japan, ponds were designed differently - in the style of minimalism. Having adopted this tradition, European designers began to make ponds in their own way. Often they were correct geometric shape. Which style to choose is a matter of taste for each owner.

There are no fundamental differences in the construction of reservoirs, so this material will be useful no matter what style you choose for your construction. It could be a traditional Chinese or Japanese mini-pond or a high-tech creation. Creating a pond is fun and you can get everyone in your family involved. This is especially true for design. Well, if you introduce fish, the children will be happy to feed them. The only thing that is not recommended to do in the pond is swimming. This is what the pool is for.

Construction of a pond

Just like in any other construction, you need to choose the right location. You should not build a pond where the water will be exposed to the sun all day. Plants will wither from excess sunlight, and algae in the water will multiply vigorously, and the pond will become overgrown. At the same time, if you make a pond on shadow side area, this will adversely affect plant growth. The best option- it is when Sun rays illuminate the pond for at least 5 hours a day. The mini-pond should not be located near trees. When making a pond in the garden with your own hands, keep in mind that in the fall all the fallen leaves will end up in the water and rot. In addition, overgrown tree roots can damage the bowl, even if you make it from concrete. Such a garden pond should be located at some distance from the trees. As a last resort, choose a place where old trees grow, cut them down, remove the stumps and use this place for a pond in the garden.

You should be able to admire your creation. What good will a reservoir be if it is located deep in the site and cannot be seen? It’s good to have a pond nearby garden gazebo or the terrace of a house. Or set up a comfortable bench on the shore so you can sit and enjoy the beauty.

You also need to choose the size of the reservoir. There are also recommendations here, according to which the pond occupies 3% of the site. This best option. However, not all people who want to decorate their site in this way follow it. Often mini-reservoirs are made from old bathtubs or even basins. They are also constructing a pond from tires. Well, lovers of large reservoirs spend a lot of effort to dig the appropriate pit. Or they make two ponds and a small river channel connecting the two reservoirs. This is a personal matter for everyone. In any case, whatever pond you are planning to make, look through different variants How you can make a pond at your dacha with your own hands, photos will help you with this.

Having chosen a place, start digging a pit. Marking can be done using regular rope. If the volume of work is large, it will be more rational to use the labor of hired workers or an excavator. Well, you can dig a small pond yourself. But before you remove the soil, you need to decide how you will make the pond. There are different options. You can install formwork and fill the walls and bottom of the pit with concrete with the addition of liquid glass for waterproofing. Or buy an annual plastic container for the pond and dig a hole for it. Or you can use the most budget option - PVC film, which will cover the bottom and walls of the pit.

The pit is dug in ledges (usually 2-3). Plants are then planted on them. It is not recommended to make the deepest part of the pit deeper than 1.5-1.8 m. The pond should not be made too shallow, as in this case the water will be strongly heated by the sun. Some owners drain it for the winter, while others do not. Usually water is left out if fish are introduced into the pond. If the depth of the hole is normal, then they overwinter in the deepest place. Well, if the bowl is too shallow, then the water freezes in winter and the fish die.

So, the pit under small pond dug up What's next? It is necessary to seal the walls and bottom. Let's consider the option with PVC film as the most budget-friendly one.

It is recommended to work with film in the warm season, when it is most elastic. A thick layer of sand is poured onto the bottom of the pit and onto the terraces and compacted. The film is placed on it. Sand is needed to prevent accidental damage to the material by sharp stones or roots of plants in the ground. The film will serve as excellent waterproofing, preventing water from escaping into the soil. On the surface of the earth, around the pit, the film is bent and pressed down by large stones. When decorating this garden pond, you will arrange the stones more beautifully, but for now you need to finish with the bowl. When the film is laid, it is recommended to pour a layer of sand on it. If plants on terraces will be planted in the ground, then you need to add soil, but it is much easier to plant plants in pots.

Another point that must be taken into account when building a mini-pond is that the water must be running. This way you will have to spend much less effort on cleaning the bowl and replacing the water. Making the water circulate is quite easy. Needs to be installed in a pond submersible pump. The water supplied through the hose will pass through the filter and drain back into the bowl. When making a pond in your dacha, you can choose any design for the drain. It could be a stream flowing from a nearby alpine slide(this is where you can put the earth from the hole), or you can make a fountain, which is also easy to construct. You just need to beautifully design the pipe connected to the pump and rising above the surface of the water. Having built such a pond at your dacha with your own hands, spend enough time decorating it. Can be used natural stones, paving slabs, terrace board and other materials. Your imagination is not limited by anything. You can also provide multi-colored lighting that will light up in the evening. Different design options for ponds in your dacha will help you choose.

When making a pond with your own hands, you must strictly follow safety measures if you plan to illuminate it, since water and electricity are a dangerous combination. Use only factory sealed fixtures that are specifically designed for underwater installation. If you do everything correctly, then such a garden pond with a fountain and lighting will become a real pearl of your summer cottage.

DIY mini pond (video)

Mini ponds

As already mentioned, in addition to a large bowl, you can also make a pond from a tire. It will be very small, but beautiful in its own way. It is much easier to make than a large pond. Need to pick up the old one big tire from a KamAZ or tractor and dig it into the ground. The inside of the tire pond is also lined with PVC film. There is 1 small terrace for planting plants. Small tires are not recommended. After all, the pond will turn out to be tiny. But the tires are from passenger cars can be used when you want to make a cascade of small ponds, in which water will flow from one to another. Such a structure also looks great, especially if it is well decorated. Basins or old bathtubs can also be used for this purpose. Tires can also be used to build flower beds around a large pond. In this case they can be painted bright colors.

Conclusion

As you can see, making a pond with your own hands is quite simple. You just need to fulfill the following requirements:

• choose the right place;
• make good waterproofing;
• provide water circulation;
• beautifully decorate the space around the pond.

And then, having created a pond with your own hands, you can rightfully be proud of it. Creating a beautiful artificial pond is a creative endeavor where you can fully use all your imagination. Please note that it should be in good harmony with the rest of the landscape design elements. Although options for construction on summer cottage, a pond can also be built in the courtyard of a private house in the city. Beautifully designed small ponds can decorate any yard.

Mini pond on the balcony (video)