Charlie, I don't know your planting zone, but daylilies do really good around a pond, some water iris do very good, (you have to water them frequently), ornamental grass, big or small, I have small grass, small shrubs do fine, I have a banana plant in a pot next to my pond, I also have canna, (they live over the winter where I live), as for vines, is the fence a wood fence? If so, hydrangea that climbs will grow on wood easily, some jasmines will grow on wood, any vine that has "feet", oh, and creeping jenny will live in and outside of your pond if kept moist. I have it in and out of my pond. Hope this helps.

If you're planning to have someone dig the pond, lay the liner, and add a few tons of rocks, then the price you were quoted is probably an average cost. There are ways you can do it for less. When I put my pond in, the liner and equipment (skimmer, waterfall bio box, plumbing hoses, pvc glue, waterfall foam, and other assorted equipment, cost a grand total of $1,200.00. The catch? I dug the pond myself, got some friends and relataives to help me lay the liner in the hole, and did the plumbing work myself. It isn't hard. The rocks cost extra, but I ended up taking the rocks out anyway -- it looked great, but too much maintenance for my taste. I personally wouldn't use the aquascape system. I'm sure their equipment is probably good, but they dump a ton of rocks in there and their calculations are often way off the mark, leaving you with less water volume than promised. I also don't like the stair-step shelf rings that invite predators. If you want a liner pond and don't want to wield the shovel yourself, look into renting a mini excavator. They're fairly easy to operate, and you should have the job done in one day. The cost should not be much, compared to the price you were quoted for installing the pond. Or, if you know some teenage boys who would like to earn a few hundred bucks for some hard labor, ask them to dig it for you. I have a friend who hired her garden men to dig her pond, and they had it done in one afternoon. Some people are perfectly happy with their little preforms and stock tanks, though, so it's all in what you're looking for. For me, I like large koi, which cannot be placed in a small preform.

Don't use products used for sealing block walls. There is a product called Permaflex that is a paint on liner. It was recommended to me by a guy that builds koi ponds. Here is a link that might be useful: PermaFlex

What kind of liner is in the pond? What is the size of the pond? What is the depth in the center? Are there shelves in the pond? If so what are the depths and widths? Is there rock on the bottom? Is there rock in the water at the waters edge? If so what kind of rock is it? Does it have sharp edges? What kind of heater was in the pond? Any water moving during the winter? Anything else in the water over winter? Mike