Last summer with all the work I did on the Laurentian I was lucky to get the grass cut. So, this year it's make-up time. Connie had been quietly hinting about doing some of those projects in the yard we had talked about for the last couple of years. We have a couple of areas that I called "dead zones". Either they get baked in the summer and the grass gets burnt, or the area had overgrown shrubs and weeds. One such area was located in one corner behind my house. Last year I installed a small rain barrel station (see other post) and pulled out 10 overgrown evergreens. Our house is situated in such a way that the ground slopes down as to get to the rear of our house so the sunroom and deck at the rear of our house ends up being on a second level (our basement walks out at the back). My inlaws granny flat is also at the same level so we installed an elevator for easy access to the back yard. Here is an older photo explaining what I mean:


The granny flat is on the upper left, the elevator in the center, the "dead zone" on the bottom left. The area below the granny flat is a storage shed. This photo was taken before the ramp from the elevator base to the ground was built. So, essentially the dead zone is boxed in. I knew I wanted a walkway to the rain barrels (to the left of the shed) but wasn't sure what to do with the rest of the area. We decided the construct a pond. We initially wanted to do the typical dug in pond but then felt it might pose a hazard to Connie's dad as he is very unsteady on his feet and being the stubborn fellow he is, could lose his footings getting too close and could fall in. I checked for other ideas online and visited a few local pond suppliers. One suppier had a small above ground pond set up, mostly to display plants, fountains etc. It got me thinking. Why not create a large, above ground pond? I called my favorite carpenter and he came over and we threw around some ideas. We traced some outlines on the ground, trying to come up with a shape.



Connie wanted it devided into three areas- a main pond, plus two other sections that could either be flower beds or separate fountains etc. We also determined we wanted a walkway all the way around that was walker/wheelchair friendly.
We got a materials list together and got to work. I had the week off (1st week of June) and Charlie and Bev (my experts) came over to lend a hand. Things slowly took shape. The hardest part was getting it level as the ground still slopes at this point.




Once we were happy with the height (about 22") we put down a layer of sand, then a layer of felt to protect the liner. The liner was set into place, overlapping the frame:



We then filled it with water and let the liner settle for a couple of days:




Next the liner is trimmed to about .5" over the edge of the frame. We stapled it in place every few feet. The top boards will cover it completely and are screwed in place. Next the extra two "areas" are constructed.


Finally the top boards are installed and the walkway constructed. Add a few plants, some fish, a fountain, flowers and woila:





This planter covers a compartment with a removable lid that stores pond supplies and an outdoor power bar (for lighting, fountains etc)




A quick walk around:



While this isn't for everyone, we really like the results. It's pretty relaxing sitting next to it listing to the fountain. We can also change the fountain head to other designs. Connie's dad likes standing on his deck looking down at the fish.

After we were finished Connie said "I guess I can't complain if you spend all of next summer in the garage".

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

Todd