WoW! I really appreciate everyone's comments! Whoda thunk this would still be going on a year later?! Eggiesmon, the creek is about 3-4 feet wide for the hardscape, more for the plantings. It drops about 18" over the length of the pond, so not enough to have a real waterfall, but enough to allow the water to pick up a little speed and splash a bit on the way down. Ilovemygarden, I didn't do anything special over the winter. Also, I didn't run the stream pump, for various reasons (freezing, debris, cost, etc.) but I had a smaller pump that I put in the pond that just circulated the water in the pond and kept the top from freezing. It was a bit of a chore to get it all cleaned up this spring, with all of the leaves and dirt that settled in it over the winter. If I ultimately redo the pond at the bottom (which is just a small pre-form now) I'm going to put in a skimmer filter and a particle filter. Right now I'm relying solely upon the bio thingy's in the water and the plants. The water is very clear, but if I stir gunk up from the bottom, it just resettles again because it has nowhere to go. The sides of the creek are not very high -- at all. In fact, there are some areas where it really should be higher. It really depends upon how much water you flow through it. I think my pump is a 2000gph. It's a sump pump, if that sounds right. In any case, it flows pretty good, so there's quite a bit of water. Less water would flow less deep, so the sides wouldn't have to be as tall. If you're looking to put one in, I would suggest that you lay down plastic first (just the soft, cheap, clear stuff.) and run the pump. This will allow you to see how the water flows, how deep it flows, where it pools, etc. You can set large rocks temporarily to help with your vision. You may even decide you want a larger or smaller pump. The test won't be perfect, but it's a quick and simple experiment without the concrete work and commitment. (Oh, and the peat ratio I used was probably less than 20%, best guess.) Keep in mind, the higher the walls, the less water you'll see from farther away -- you'll actually have to be above the creek to see it, so I wouldn't recommend any higher than necessary. If I were to do one thing different, I would like to TRY adding more of the river gravel to the top of the concrete, before it dried as much as it did. I say try, because it may not work, as the gravel might just loosen easily. My reason for wanting to do this is that I like the look of the river gravel, so I've added additional loose gravel to the stream. Unfortunately, it makes it more difficult to clean. I would love to have access to the mix they use for resurfacing patios, but I've heard it to be extemely toxic so probably not good for fish. I think I've answered most everyone's questions, either in this post or via email directly. If there are any other questions, I'd be happy to help. Thx everyone! Sheri

Think our preform pond has a couple levels/shelves (I put the plant pots there) & the deepest is about 2 ft. & the ledges about a foot from the top). We got ours several years ago from HomeDepot & it has held up rather well sunk in the ground. Our son used the heavy waterbed liners & made a nice in-ground pond with several ledges,l & a deeper center as well as a waterfall & 'stream' running down from the pump/filter hidden behnd rocks. It has held up very well & very inexpensive.

What a lovely birdbath. Great idea. Let's see, if I were putting plants in this birdbath, some plants I would consider would be: Dwarf cattail (also has to be controlled like WH) and pickerel plant would be two possibilities. Marsh Marigold is a lovely plant with yellow flowers and would grow well in your bird bath, but I have read it is poisonous so I wouldn't have it if pets or children have access to it. Curly rush and bloody dock are plants that I have and like a great deal. They are non-invasive (at least for me) and are unusual looking enough to be unique. Bloody Dock - in this picture the plant as well as the hidden curly rush are new. As it has aged the red is more pronounced making it stand out: Curly Rush - I just took this because the previous picture was not clear. Keep in mind that it is now winter and this plant is a wee bit sad. In the skippy in the summer it is very happy: Creeping Jenny and hottyunia (sp?)will cover the edges of the liner as well as grow in the water. Here's a (not very clear) little creeping jenny plant I started in a floating planter: Frog bit is a very small water lily looking floating plant, that has tiny blossoms on it. That is one of my favorites. It reproduces like WH does with "daughters" growing off it. I don't have a picture of that. Please post updated pictures once you have plants established. I love to see what others have done with their water features. Anne

Not familiar w/ "everdry". As long as the water quality is good don't see why it wouldn't work. Is the water temp cool? If so there are some interesting things you could try, if you're brave. 65 gallons is big. I would fill the bottom w/ inert material to about 18" to 20" from the top, then you want to use a 50/50 mix of peat and sand, NO SOIL. Bogs are nutrient poor acidic enviornments. This would be a typical pitcher plant, flytrap, sundew type bog. Lots of things can be grown in this ecosystem including native orchids etc. I'm sure others will fill you in.