PondCraft 101

It’s a Wrap!
It's with mixed emotions that I bring this long series of videos to a conclusion:  It's been fun sharing what I know about all of the steps of the pond-installation process with you, and it's been gratifying to get comments from some of you along the way.  But all good things must come to an end, and that's what happens with this video. One technical point before I
Handoffs
I have a couple things to point out about the newsletter surrounding this blog: [  ] This edition includes the introductory text for - and a link to - the twenty-first and final video in Eric Triplett's amazing "PondCraft 101" series.   Eric originally prepared these videos as a means of letting interested consumers know
Developing an Edge
As I mention at the start of this video, setting the edges is just about my favorite part of the pond-installation process.  As is true with juggling and placing big rocks, there's an art to getting things just right and making the setting look as natural as possible - that is, as though the pond not only belongs there but has also been there for uncounted years.. As the video discusses, there are
Bright Ideas
As becomes clear in watching this series of videos, pond installation involves a bunch of specialized skills, from working with the liner and circulation system to moving large rocks and, as we'll see soon, arranging aquatic plants.  But completing the project also involves a range of common job-site skills.  As we've seen time and again, for instance, you need to know how to measure, fit and glue pipes, and you also need to
The Driving Force
Installing a pond pump is a fairly simple process - and, as you'll see in the video linked below, represents one of my last big chances to sound off on the importance of basic pipe-connection skills. Yes, I'll admit that I'm a perfectionist and maybe a bit compulsive about making my pipe connections look right in addition to fitting right.  In the operation covered here, however, there's good reason for care:  If you're sloppy with glue application while installing a check valve, there's always the possibility that
An Illuminating Exercise
Of all the messages I've tried to convey in this video series and its introductory texts, one of the crucial ones is my observation that the people who buy and own ponds will spend lots of time enjoying their watershapes after it gets dark.  The only way to make that happen, of course, is to include an effective in-pond lighting system to make the watershape's best features
Spillway Finesse
As the process of installing this beautiful little pond moves toward its conclusion, we find as always that we have lots of smallish details to consider - including the important task of creating a great look with the waterfall's spillway. This step may not take the strength or persistence or grand vision of some of the project phases covered to date in this video series, but I can assure you it takes both care and finesse - especially
Plumbed for Convenience
Of all the steps we've covered so far in this series of videos on pond installation, this is the only one that might be considered atypical, basically because the need for completing this operation depends on the type of filtration system you're using.   In this case, we're installing a permanent gravel bed in the waterfall/filter unit, which means we need to include a backwash system in the form of a three-way valve and a drain line to make the bed easy to clean, refresh and maintain.  The great thing is
Sealing the Deal
The project we've been covering in this series of videos is definitely in the home stretch, but there are several key details that still need our attention.  The most important of these from the perspective of long-term performance is properly securing the liner to the faceplate of the waterfall/filter unit. As seen in the video linked below, this step in the process is all about preventing leaks:  No matter how small they might be, the fact that they'd allow water to
Skimmer at the Ready
I've always been a demon when it comes to getting everything having to do with my pond skimmers right:  If they're set up properly, they'll work so well that you rarely need to think about them - and that's always my goal, both for me and for my clients. Trouble is, you usually end up securing the liner to the faceplate at a fairly awkward point in