I wan't to do this when I have a garden big enough, so I'll watch with interest. I hope all goes well  

Blimey Gina when do you have a rest, making me feel guilty now as I've been doing the front garden off and on for a couple of weeks, keep stopping to have a break 

Dave

Only a small pond but I'm not up to a lot of digging these days.  Wasn't too bad though with relatively soft ground except for further down where I hit the clay.  I think the hole might be just about deep enough.  It needs to be a bit deeper than the pond form to allow for back-filling with soft soil and check for sharp stones.  I also need to get my spirit level on it as this ground slopes and is misleading.  The SW Pillar Mount (white) visible in this photo is virtually perfectly upright - I checked that a few days ago as that's where my micro dome observatory is going.  This is the view from my living room window.

18 minutes ago, Davey-T said:

Blimey Gina when do you have a rest, making me feel guilty now as I've been doing the front garden off and on for a couple of weeks, keep stopping to have a break 

Dave

I have a rest every half hour or so ?  Having one now!  Anyway, I think that is pretty much my exercise for today - no need for a nice long walk up the hill, into the woods and back.

My Koi pond holds 3000 gallons took me and my son weeks and a few skips to dig it out by hand, nice wet clay that glued itself to the shovel, I was a lot fitter then 

Dave

Cleared the hole of stones and adjusted the odd bit of the shape to get the pond level.  Started back-filling but stopped for today - done enough.  Got to be careful not to overdo it.  Now enjoying a much needed cuppa ?

Wow Gina, that the best view ever, the skies must be dark over there.

Good luck en succes with the pond.

Pretty dark yes, but not quite as dark as it was a few years ago when I built my observatory.  Better than a lot of places though and I shall be imaging again in the autumn when it's dark enough.  It certainly is a lovely view and I really enjoy it - I'm very lucky ?

Clay? No excuse now, dig a huge hole , line with the clay and puddle it by borrowing a neighbours herd of cows and chasing them round and round  ?

More seriously, good luck and I bet you are pleasantly surprised by how fast the wildlife arrives.

As stated above, you must be the Queen of DIY projects Gina, where do you get all your energy.

We had a pond in the garden for some years from a sunken children's turtle playpool (lol), and all manner of wildlife arrived in it.  Including, frogs and spawn and tadpoles, newts, pond skaters, water beetles, Toads arrived, and this is from the suburbs of London, so who knows what you may get down your way.

Carole 

Oh I don't have much energy Carole!  Mental energy isn't lacking but physical certainly is.  I have to do a bit then have a rest then do a bit more and so on.  I amazes how I had the energy to build my observatory some years ago - don't think I could do that now!  That was a marathon of a job!

Just had one short session at the pond - back filling and levelling.  Making sure there was support under the pond form.  I had to take that out and add some extra soft soil cleared of stones but I think I now have enough support under the form.  It's now level and just needs a bit more back filling around the sides.  I think I might add some water and let it settle.

8 minutes ago, Gina said:

back filling and levelling.

Don't worry Gina the water will level itself 

Dave

10 minutes ago, Davey-T said:

Don't worry Gina the water will level itself 

Dave

And if it doesn't you can always use it for waterskiing ?

James

Taken from living room window.  Pond is level - ground slopes.  So does my bird feeder - must re-plant that upright ?  Another lovely sunny day with a few clouds about.  I'm doing what I can before it gets too warm - 23°C forecast for today.  Stopped for a mug of coffee ATM.

6 minutes ago, JamesF said:

And if it doesn't you can always use it for waterskiing ?

James

A pond skater might be able to water-ski but this pond is only about 4ft x 2ft ?

There is a very slight possibility that I might make a bigger pond to the east of the house.  There is a tiny water-course (drain) running in a large pipe through my property and emerging just inside my boundary before going under the fence into the field next door.  It is uphill from my current garden project and I do have thoughts of redirecting a small amount of the water into another pond and back out to the field.  But that's way into the future.  One thing at a time ?

What a place to live. I am truly envious. 

Good luck with the pond. Ponds are a a constant source of interest.  They're also a source of hard work. Unlike other parts of the garden they often need things doing to them. 

We made one about 18 years or so. We went for the wild life pond. There was a partially excavated hole in the ground already, so it didn't take much digging out. We laid old carpet down first, then a butyl sheet on top, then a six inch or so layer of poor soil, and rocks and stones around the outside. Added water and some plants and stood back and waited for wildlife to arrive. And boy, did it! Within a few days there were things like pond skaters. Newts, pond snails, dragon fly larvae, the occassional frog all arrived on their own with no help from us whatsoever within months. Remarkable. 

Pond filled.  More back filling with soil.  Now having a rest!  Some photos.

Been out adjusting the back fill to get the pond to the right shape.  Still more to do but it's got very warm outdoors now.  The pre-formed pond shell should have an almost flat top with no kinks.  That is what I'm trying to achieve but it isn't easy.  Think I shall see if I can find some large stones to go round the edge of the pond.  Guess I should have collected some when Gigaclear's contractors were digging the trench but I didn't.  I do have some concrete slabs I can mix with the stepping stones I have in mind, to form the patio and path to the observatories.

Well, I've found three stones - they wont go far.  I have some concrete blocks though.  Not as nice as stones but guess they may do the trick.  Have to ask my neighbours I think.

Placed the three stones round the pond ?  It could do with three dozen!!  No, I don't think 3D printed stones would work!!

What about just using lawn turf?

Maybe I could if I had a lawn ?

I do have some moss though...

? I meant buy a roll or two of turf...