Build A Watergarden Into Your Deck

Watergarden Built Into Deck

How to build a pond into your deck. Enjoy the sights and sounds of water, pond plants and fish without stepping off your deck. 25 Steps to a successful water feature.

Photo: This watergarden was planned before the construction of the deck. The water feature is in a hardshell pre-formed pond. Click to enlarge.

Essential steps in planning this project.

1. Design, Size and layout your deck (DIY or hire a professional)
2. Decide where you want your recessed pond/watergarden/waterfeature on the deck
3. A water feature at the edge of the deck is best. It can be enjoyed at eye level also.
4. Design with maintenance in mind. Make the filter easy to reach.
5. Run a water line from your house to a permanent spigot.
6. Use a removable flex hose to connect your water source. Remove in winter.
7. You will need power to the pond. Install an outdoor multi-outlet recepticle (2 or 4 outlets)
8. If you have one on the side of the house that is reachable with a HD extension cord… that will work.
9. Attach to the side of the deck near the pond. The filter(s) will need this power source.
10. Make sure there is plenty of room for deck chairs and tables around the water garden
11. Buy the appropriate sized and shaped pre-fab pond to drop into a pre-measured, supported hole in the deck
12. Structure the deck to accomodate the pond weight
13. The pond at the right had a wooden box under it filled with beach sand to support the bottom and part of the sides of the fiberglass pond. ( You may use any prefab pond as long as the bottom and sides are supported unless the pre-fab pond is structurally supportive of itself.)
14. As long as the bottom and the lip are supported a pre-fab usually has enough strength in the sides to hold its form when filled with water. (Please check this with the retailer you purchase your pond from.)
15. Pre-Fab Pond Liners
16. Once your pond is set into your deck you may line it with flat wall stone or any decorative stone to hide the edge.
17. Place potted plants around the perimeter. They can be annuals or perennials. Some aquatic marginals if kept very wet will also work.
18. Purchase pond plants of varying shapes and sizes including floating plants to help hide the surface area.
19. If you decide to keep fish in this pond, please make sure the pre-fab shell and all pumps and tubing are fish safe.
20. If you want a waterfall… you can purchase a pre-fab waterfall unit to set on the deck beside the waterfeature and hide with stone and plants. ( I have used lead flashing (comes in 12″ wide rolls) which is easy to shape into a funnel to guide the water into the pond. Be creative. This lead flashing could be damaging to the health of the fish, however I never had issues with gold fish.
21. Shape the flashing and lay onto preset rocks to form your waterfall. Hide the hose from the pump.
22. If you decide not to have a waterfall and only install a fountain be sure to buy the appropriate sized pump.
23. Pumps are sized according to the amount of gallons of water/hour they pump. Remember to check with a professional or online guide to determine the size of the pump you require.
24. You must have a filter system even if you are not going to have fish. Plants help control algae as do fish. Air and water temperature are large factors when it comes to dealing with algae.
25. Please write if you have any specific questions you are not able to research or find on your own. I hope you enjoy your deck water garden / pond.

Tagged as: Watergardens