A waterless pond adds an unusual element to your garden while removing the hazard a water-filled pond presents. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that drowning was one of the leading causes of unintentional death, especially among children up to the age of 4, between 2005 to 2009. If you love the idea of a pond, but the danger of a water feature is simply too high, create an alternative. When building the pond, include drainage in your plans to ensure rainfall doesn't collect, making the dry pond a water hazard during the rainy season.
Select your location. Your waterless pond's placement determines the plant options that soften the borders and add visual interest. It also determines the method by which you'll drain rainfall. Since you won't be filling the pond with water, you don't need to worry about installing liners or screening filters or pumps, which makes placement easier in some gardens. If you are draining an existing pond, skip to Step 3.
Dig out the interior of the pond, removing excess soil from the site or adding it to the sides to elevate them.
Dig a trench, moving away from the pond to a drainage site; lay landscape fabric and gravel the length of the trench. Lay perforated tubing, using a large diameter if you're at the bottom of a hill and a smaller diameter tubing if the site doesn't require as much drainage, on top of the gravel. Connect the pond to an existing French drain by cutting an opening in the side of the existing drain and connecting the tubing from the pond. Alternately, run the trench until it collects and drains to your exterior gutter. Cover the tubing with sand and ground cover or sod to disguise it in your garden. If you've sited the pond at the top of an incline, the pond does not need additional drainage.
Install smooth-edged river rocks on the bottom of the pond. These water-worn stones are not only attractive, but are also an excellent support for plants.
Install slate tile around the edge of the pond, stacking them until they reach comfortable seating height. Lay the first layer at the edge of the pond, adding mortar between layers until you reach the height of the seat, about 17 to 19 inches. Slate tile provides an attractive, natural-looking addition to your garden and adds seating in the area.
Add plants that like well-drained soil or that are appropriate for planting in a rock garden. Plant them along the edges to soften the look of the pond, adding color in the interior of the pond if you find the river stones monotonous.
Things You Will Need
- Landscape fabric
- Perforated tubing
- Smooth river rocks
- Slate tile
- Plants that work well in a dry pond installation include rock jasmine (Androsace lanuginosa), which grows well in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 through 8. It is a slow-growing sun-loving plant ideal for installation over a dry pond bed filled with stones. Coral bells (Heuchera spp.) grow well in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 through 9 and can tolerate partial shade if your dry pond is located near a shady tree or structure.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Drowning — United States, 2005–2009
- Sunset: Solving Special Problems - How to Improve Soil Drainage
- University of California, Marin Master Gardeners: Ponds, When It Comes to Building a Backyard Water Feature, Start With a Good Plan
- Fine Gardening.com: Dry Stream Does Double Duty
- Monrovia: Rock Jasmine
- Perennials: Heuchera ‘Snow Angel’
- Landscapeforms.com: ADA Requirements for Benches
- Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images