If you like the idea of having a nice pond in your backyard, but you brought a house without natural water, then you should just build a backyard pond. It's simpler than you might think. As long as you don't mind getting sweaty doing some heavy landscaping, you can create a stunning pond that will be a beautiful addition to your home. Here's a list of what you need to do in order to get it done.

Shovel and Pick Axe

You need to dig out the hole for the pond. This requires not just a shovel, but oftentimes a pickax. This will help cut trough the tough tree roots, pull up stones, and hack away at really packed in dirt.

Polyethylene Underlayment

Once the hole for the pond has been dug, you will need to lay an underlayment. This is the thick barrier that goes on the soil before you lay down the pond liner. A polyethylene underlayment is durable, yet flexible enough so that it will conform to the shape of the hole you dug. If you don't use a polyethylene liner, you risk tearing the pond liner. The soil can have sharp rocks, pebbles, and cut roots that could cut through the liner. Some people who use solid form pond liners won't have to bother with underlayment or pond liners, but they also have to spend a considerable amount of time making sure that the hole is the exact dimension of the solid form. A free form hole offers you much more creativity when designing the pond.

EPDM Pond Liner

One the sub-layer has been laid, it's time to place in the pond liner. These are soft and the main purpose is in keeping the water in. Without them, your pond will slowly leak away and you will end up with a muddy hold.

They will also help reflect heat, and add to the insulation of the pond, which is important if you decide that you are going to have fish (as in a koi pond, for instance). You can choose a pond liner that is bright blue or dark green if you prefer a more natural color. If you are not planning on having fish or aquatic plants, you could also choose a textured pond liner that mimics a natural pond surface (a pattern resembling little pebbles).

Decorative Stones

Around the edge of the pond you will need to place large, decorative stones. These will mask the pond liner, and help it blend in with the ground. It will also anchor the pond liner so that it does not slip down back inside the pond hole. If you don't have access to fieldstones, you can buy synthetic rocks at a local hardware store.

Submersible Pump and Skimmer

You can't simply have the pond sit idle. If left alone, it will stagnate and turn green and moldy, and, eventually smell. The solution is to get two devices. The first is a pump that will circulate the water around the pond. The second is a skimmer. This will act as a filtration device and remove any bits of mold, and debris that will cause an issue. These two items are especially important if you plan on having fish.