The waterfall at the end of the pond is made up of rocks built up on the slates topped with a large rock that we found along the side of the road with a blasting hole in it. The rock, you might say, inspired the pond. When I saw it I thought to myself that if we ever get to build a pond it would make a perfect, natural spring like waterfall - and I think it does.

The reason why I was scouring the side of the road looking in ditches is another story!

The pond supports a wide variety of lush vegetation. We strived to have at least 75% coverage of the water surface in order to control the algae. The pond is uniform in depth so our marginals ( water edge plants) are raised on rock platforms.

We have six varieties of native and hardy water lilies, water lettuce, water hyacinths, arrow heads, miniature bulrushes, reeds,and blue and yellow water irises.

Plants were our garden focus. We originally never intended to have fish but, we ended up being convinced that a pond could not be a pond without them.

Now our pond supports two very large koi, some albino fan tail comets, shubunkins & variations of mixed breeds of fish, as well as leaches, insect larvae, skaters, whirligigs, walking sticks, snails and who else knows what. They are all welcome and play their part in our pond.

Our pond is less than one year old.
We began digging, pardon me,
excavating in June of 1999. The water
garden evolved as a natural extension
of our other flower beds.

The pond dimensions are 8' x 12' x 2'
deep and it holds approximately 1330
gallons of water. It has a 1000
gallon/hour pump and filter as well as
a natural rock waterfall for effect
(sounds are wonderful) and aeration.
It is lined with a polyurethane black
flexible liner. The pond edge over the
liner is covered with slate from Scotia Slate Products Ltd. right here in Nova Scotia.

The pond is made up of lots of vegetation, fish, and other pond life. Most of the vegetation and the fish have endured their first winter intact and are beginning the new spring cycle.