Shelves allow easy access for raccoons. There are many ways to raise plants up such as milk crates or other stands.

Thank you. Shouldn't have to worry about raccoons or other critters, except possibly the neighbor's cat.....got a fenced in yard in a neighborhood - so no real critter problems for now.

Fences won't keep raccoons or herons out, and shelves do provide a shallow place for both to go fishing. I use plant pockets in the corners of my pond where there is extra liner. It's just a shallow pit dug adjacent to the pond so that it shares the pond water, and can be filled with pebbbles to conceal the pot. Or, as has been suggested, you can use stands or plastic milk crates. I will post a picture of the plant pocket in a few minutes to give you an idea what they look like.

Here's a couple of pics, first is of my black taro tucked comfortably into a bog pocket.

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And the second is some cattails, also in a bog pocket. Cattails are notorious for taking over when planted in rocks, but the pocket helps contain them.

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I personally like the looks of these pockets better than shelves, because I think they look more natural. They can be made as large or as small as you want. I've seen some large enough to hold several different varieties of plants, others, like mine, just hold one.

Anyway, it's just one of many suggestions for you to consider.

Forgot to mention -- tucked into a bog pocket with pebbles, tall plants will not fall over in the wind as they do on shelves.

I really like the idea of the bog pockets. As mentioned - the cattails have spread wildly, and the plants do tend to fall over. I agree that they do look more natural as well.

Thanks for the great input on this. I will try to get some pictures added as well.

Nancy, your black taro looks awesome. Which zone are you in???

I'm in Tulsa, OK, zone 6b

I like those bog pockets Nancy! Very nifty!
The first time I built my pond, it had no shelves and I regretted it. The pond was too little to put in bog pockets, and not deep enough to allow for milk crates and still keep the plant pots submerged. I tried to make sleeves that hung off the sides, but that was a disaster.
I think this is another personal choice. The second, third, and fourth time I rebuilt the pond, I put in shelves and been very pleased with them. I've been more apt to lose fish from snakes than from racoons or herons.

Raccoons and herons are everywhere. If you build it, they will come. I have a friend who ponds on a sixth story balcony in the middle of a big city and the raccoons get up there easily....

I have two shelves in my pond, like the staggering stones on the exterior wall of a pyramid, going all the way around my pond. It has three tiers, with the deep end being in the shape of a rectangle in the center of it. I like it that way. I built it that way so it would be more interesting for my fish and my critters. I didn't want it to look or resemble an aquarium. I wanted my fish to be able to move around something different and a little more interesting. I have different aquatic plants, floating plants and marginal plants that they can swim around or hide behind.

Also my kids and my husband like to put their feet in the water and watch the fish swim around or nibble on their feet from the top shelf. I am just waiting for one of the big algae suckers to come up to them and watch it scare the hell out of them. They have surprisingly grew bigger than my gold fish and koi, but are so pretty but with bigger mouths..

I have my shelves squared..It drops over a foot straight down for each level. My square paving stones lip over the edge of the pond so nothing can just creep in. My frogs and toads however are able to leap in and out of my pond using foliage from my plants. So does the new young frogs and toads that leave after growing hands and feet..

No birds, snakes, turtles or coons "in" my pond, as of yet. Not even my dog. He just likes to drink water from the pond.

Deep and wide shelves with straight up sides would be OK and the center even deeper. Maybe 2 feet deep for the shelves. No places to 'wade' in.

Beautiful pond Nancy!!!

You will want a shelf or two when your standing in the middle of that 3 foot pit thinking " how do I get out of here?" haha

First, that is some lovely taro!!!
Secondly, I have a plant shelf three-quarters around the circumfrence of one of my ponds. Probably ten inches below water level. All around the pond I have dry-stacked limestone which adds another six to 12 inches above the water level. As far as I know (anecdotally) racoons will not get into water that they can't feel the bottom of, so they'll just stay on the rocks without getting in the water and at the fish. Usual critters around here such as racoons, possums, and cats.
Thirdly. The plant shelf allows this old man to get in and out of the pond without that first big gasp as I step into 2 - 2 1/2 feet of water and makes it easy to get out for myself or one of my dachshunds if they do something stupid..john

I have never in eleven years seen the need to get into any of my ponds.

I have seen a raccoon feeling all around the edge of a pond I have that is about three feet deep with straight sides.

Then he went over to one that is only 18" deep and waded right in.