We've been contemplating a pond ever since going on the 2004 Midwest Pond & Koi Society pond tour. Certainly, this area of the backyard needed something. (But check out the new Techny arborvitae along the alley in the later picture on the right!)

After a bit of searching, we decided to hire Aquatic Artforms to design and install the pond following Kim's basic design. This is the progress they made by lunchtime on the first day.

On the left, you can see the new serviceberry (Autumn Brillance) we got installed at the same time as the arborvitae. Now that all the weeds are gone from the back of the garage, we can put in some trellises along it to dress it up a bit.

After the first day, the pond is completely dug and the liner is in. All of the dirt that filled in the pond is now at the back of the lot, where the old concrete pad used to be. The deepest part (only 2 feet or so) is right by the patio for optimum fish viewing. The square gray "rock" to the left marks where the skimmer is, and the black biofalls are faintly visible to the right (it is in the picture above, as well).

The second day brought rocks...lots of rocks. The waterfall area is pretty much built up, and all of the edges have been filled in. Also, the lining has been trimmed and there are some underwater lights placed. There's no water yet, but perhaps tomorrow we'll get that.

And it's done! The waterfall is gorgeous (close-up pics to come) and is so relaxing to hear. The water is still pretty muddy - not sure whether it needs time or plants or fish or all three to look less like the Mississippi. The neighbors seem to like it, thankfully.

We've now added some plants to the pond, including water hyacinth to the upper left and varigated sweet flag on the lower right. The stream is mesmerizing...

We have some feeder goldfish too, although it's unclear how many will survive. The water has become perfectly clear now that it's had time to settle and we've been spiking it with beneficial bacteria.

As of Labor Day, the newest fish are doing well, although they refuse fish food in favor of algae. One of the marsh marigolds (upper right) is blooming even though it is supposed to be a spring plant!

Fall update: We've been scrambling to keep the pond relatively clear of sticks and leaves, but we can't keep them all out.

Fortunately, a few extra leaves and algae growths can be beautiful on a fall afternoon!

December update: The pond is still running, even with our recent cold weather. Having a source of water makes our backyard very popular among the local critters, as shown by the tracks in the snow. All the fish appear to be surviving so far, but it's not January yet!