This is the largest of my koi that I have in my backyard ponds. He's patrolling the area.
How to Choose Rocks for Your Landscape
Rocks and Stones
Rocks are perfect to use for pathways and retaining walls. They enhance the appearance of a pond's waterfall.
Rocks and stones will make any landscape design more interesting and pleasing to the eye. There are many kinds of stones to choose from.
Boulders
This is the tough part. If you find nice boulders, many times they are large and heavy and hard to transport. Believe me, I've found plenty of boulders I'd love in my yard but it's not gonna happen. There's just no way to haul them.
At the same time I have managed to get some very large rock into the yard. You need some manpower to do so and a good sturdy wheelbarrow.
Flag Stones
These stones are perfect for walks and patios. They are thin and smooth and come in various shades, sizes, and distinctive shapes. They are generally placed above a layer of sand. The flag stones can be adjusted to make a pleasing design.
River pebbles
When it comes to drier locations, river pebbles are the best choice since they help with water conservation. They can also be used as a decorative balance to a plantings. I use them in my small stream.
Other Tips in Choosing the Appropriate Rock
1. It stands to reason that the more space you have, the more rock you can use. Consider adding rocks into your garden for a unique and interesting layout.
2. Color is also a distinct feature in the landscape. I use mostly natural stone but when I see some nice colors like a white rock or blue running through it, as an example, I always find a way to add it to the landscape.
3. Porous rock is a better choice for a weathered look. They are receptive to growth of mosses and other plants like creeping phlox. Rock with moss on it is absolutely perfect.
4. Avoid using sharp rocks near the pathway.
5. For a more natural look, choose rocks that are of similar appearance, considering texture, color and form.
Utilize rocks in the best way possible. Use your imagination. This is one of the fun parts of landscaping. Remember always to make the area look as natural as possible.
Rocks are perfect to use for pathways and retaining walls. They enhance the appearance of a pond's waterfall.
Rocks and stones will make any landscape design more interesting and pleasing to the eye. There are many kinds of stones to choose from.
Boulders
This is the tough part. If you find nice boulders, many times they are large and heavy and hard to transport. Believe me, I've found plenty of boulders I'd love in my yard but it's not gonna happen. There's just no way to haul them.
At the same time I have managed to get some very large rock into the yard. You need some manpower to do so and a good sturdy wheelbarrow.
These stones are perfect for walks and patios. They are thin and smooth and come in various shades, sizes, and distinctive shapes. They are generally placed above a layer of sand. The flag stones can be adjusted to make a pleasing design.
When it comes to drier locations, river pebbles are the best choice since they help with water conservation. They can also be used as a decorative balance to a plantings. I use them in my small stream.
Other Tips in Choosing the Appropriate Rock
1. It stands to reason that the more space you have, the more rock you can use. Consider adding rocks into your garden for a unique and interesting layout.
2. Color is also a distinct feature in the landscape. I use mostly natural stone but when I see some nice colors like a white rock or blue running through it, as an example, I always find a way to add it to the landscape.
3. Porous rock is a better choice for a weathered look. They are receptive to growth of mosses and other plants like creeping phlox. Rock with moss on it is absolutely perfect.
4. Avoid using sharp rocks near the pathway.
5. For a more natural look, choose rocks that are of similar appearance, considering texture, color and form.
Utilize rocks in the best way possible. Use your imagination. This is one of the fun parts of landscaping. Remember always to make the area look as natural as possible.
How to Install Pond Liner In Deck Floor - Step 2
In part 1 I showed you the beginning stages for dropping a pond liner into my deck. I have to note that before I did anything, I moved the liner to different spots on the deck and sat outside and tried to decide which spot I liked best. The spot I chose was pretty much the middle of the deck but there was also a reason for that.
There are 2 joists that run parallel to the planks and they are about 2 feet apart. In between there are joists so first, I could knock out a cross joist without any worry of losing any support. Then I added 4 - 4x4's, 2 to each supporting joists to brace the deck for any additional weight.
The idea wasn't to have much weight on the deck itself as I was building a structure under the deck for the pond to sit on but I felt the precaution was a good idea.
Here is the support structure. You can see I nailed in a 2x6 to 2 - 4x4's. 1 on each side. Then I laid 2x6's across the braces and nailed them in place. I actually ended up adding a piece of plywood on top of the planks for more height.
The liner sits directly on the structure and the weight added to the deck itself is minimal.
Take your time on this step. It's very important to get it right.
Then I dropped in the liner. The tedious part came in that I had to cut each 2x6 to fit around the liner. I used longer boards than needed and cut off the ends once I had these in place. That made it easier for the numerous times I had to cut off a little more to slip under the liner.
This is what it looked like when I completed this step.
Now came the fun part. Adding the water and some rocks for a waterfall. I made some changes to the waterfall after I took this video but you get the idea. I change my waterfall setup in my backyard ponds from time to time. I mention in the video that I wanted to have a pond mushroom extension but after adding the waterfall, I decided I liked that best.
We went out and caught some mosquito fish and currently have a couple small koi in there until they grow big enough to move to my grandson's indoor pond.
This job takes some time but it's really not that expensive if your adding the liner to an existing deck. Just make sure everything is thoroughly braced, including the deck joists, before dropping in the liner and adding water.
There are 2 joists that run parallel to the planks and they are about 2 feet apart. In between there are joists so first, I could knock out a cross joist without any worry of losing any support. Then I added 4 - 4x4's, 2 to each supporting joists to brace the deck for any additional weight.
Here is the support structure. You can see I nailed in a 2x6 to 2 - 4x4's. 1 on each side. Then I laid 2x6's across the braces and nailed them in place. I actually ended up adding a piece of plywood on top of the planks for more height.
The liner sits directly on the structure and the weight added to the deck itself is minimal.
Take your time on this step. It's very important to get it right.
This is what it looked like when I completed this step.
Now came the fun part. Adding the water and some rocks for a waterfall. I made some changes to the waterfall after I took this video but you get the idea. I change my waterfall setup in my backyard ponds from time to time. I mention in the video that I wanted to have a pond mushroom extension but after adding the waterfall, I decided I liked that best.
We went out and caught some mosquito fish and currently have a couple small koi in there until they grow big enough to move to my grandson's indoor pond.
This job takes some time but it's really not that expensive if your adding the liner to an existing deck. Just make sure everything is thoroughly braced, including the deck joists, before dropping in the liner and adding water.
How to Install Pond Liner In Deck Floor - Step 1
At least half of it. The other half of the deck was slippery but no bad boards so I power washed them. This shows the boards once they were flipped (not nailed down yet) compared to the boards still needing removed.
I was sitting on the deck looking out at my ponds when I decided I would take one of the two pond liners I had downstairs and put it into the deck so it would be level with the floor. I built in one liner in my family room and we use it to house the smaller fish from our smaller pond over the winter. We start koi and other fish in our small pond and move them to the large pond once they are too big for the bass in the big pond to eat.
Bookmark my site if you're interested in seeing the final result. I have some other ideas for the deck floor as well. You'll want to see the final result.
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