Thanks for all the kind words! The 'original' pond was about 9' long, and 5' wide. The expansion has increased the size to 14' long and 9' wide. Depth is about the same at 22" deep. Here are some pictures of the smaller pond. FYI the water iris and lilly pads are free growing. I secured the lilly down with a few pieces of rock, but otherwise they are unpotted and usoiled. Not sure how they have survived for the last 4 years, but I've had to split them 3 times. I never remove any of my water plants in the winter. Frog by the pond. Bee on the flowers Digging the expansion out (by hand!) Before I put the finishing touches around the new pond (flowers and edging river pebbles)

Well, I was almost too late also. I had put on the frame 2 weekends ago, but not the net. I put that on this past weekend. Just in time. I had a few minor problems doing that. First was thinking the net size was 15 x 20, so I cut the PVC "arches" at 15' and fitted the ends onto the rebar that were in the ground. I loved the high pitch of the arch, BUT the net was actually 12 by 20, so I had to cut 18" off each end so the cross brace pieces still ran along the top which made the arches 12' like the net. I also had to move the rebar in a few inches closer to the pond, so that I would still have enough arch. The second batch of trouble I had involved an accidental fountain I created. I was driving tent stakes into the ground, so I could use small bungee cords to make the net tight. Well, I drove one right through the hose that goes from the pump to the waterfall. Yep, that's when I hollered for my husband. "Oh Crap. HONEY??!!" LOL. But, anyway, I am still very happy with the way the frame and the netting came out. I knew I wanted it to arch and the net to fit tightly, that way I could just use my broom to sweep away alot of the leaves and hopefully the wind would help keep them blown off. Well, is spring here yet? We will have to keep ourselves inspired by new ideas and projects to try when spring is here again. We will have to keep each other posted on all of our wild ideas. I have a few. :)

Kara, that is a great hole you've been digging! My advice would be to make it as big as you have energy and space for. Usually people regret not making it larger. Take your time. As far as steep, the steeper the better. Vertical is best. It will make it less likely for raccoons, herons to get in. Most predators are waders and will not go in to a drop off. The other side of it is that you need to think about very small children being able to get out if they should fall in, so a shelf somewhere is good. I like the shelf you made. You can either use it for potted marginal plants, or large, partially submerged rocks, or both. You have lots of rocks, so you can make a large one somewhat submerged, and on the dry land create a cluster extending onto the surrounding area to extend the look of the pond. You can plant plants between rocks to make it more natural. If the pond is large enough, you can create the illusion of a boulder in the pond by propping a rock onto something inside the pond and having only a portion of it above water level. The water will hold the liner in place. Water is extremely heavy. You only need to cover the edge of the liner outside the pond. I used a bendable metal about 4 inches tall, and many feet long and wrapped the liner edge around it and secured with stakes. This made it so I did not need to put rocks all the way around, but you still will need plants or something on the edge to completely conceal the edge. Another tip is to make sure the pond is perfectly level. Othewise, the liner will show on one side if lopsided. Very important. Also, the edge of the pond should be a tiny bit higher than the surrounding land. This will prevent runoff of fertilizer (algae-producing nitrates), mulch, leaves, etc.) when we get heavy rains. If you use EDPM liner, you don't need any cushioning for the liner. If the liner is thinner, then cushioning may be a good idea. You can use old, used carpet or any thick material. Seek help on the pond forum about equipment. I don't know enough about that to advise you. If you will have fish, try to make a portion about 3 feet deep. The cooler the water stays, the better all-around for the pond and animal life. Plant a bush or small tree to partially shade the pond. Some gingers can look really pretty and provide enough shade. Don't put rocks on the bottom of the pond. Makes it very, very difficult to clean. If you don't want to be able to see in it, get a soy-based pond dye (natural) which will create a deep-looking effect, and help prevent algae. Enjoy the project! It will be beautiful and so much fun. Above all, keep posting pictures of your progress! Anna

I have some more. Here's one of mine. No liner and only has water in it about ten months of the year. All my downspouts are routed to it with 4 inch corrugated ADS pipe. I get overflow runoff from my neighbor's pond during the late fall, winter, and spring. I buy feeder goldfish in the spring to keep down the mosquitos. When it starts to go dry in the late summer the Herons and Kingfish help themselves and I get to watch the show. It beats watching expensive Koi being eaten. There are plenty of leopard and tree frogs. Mike