Post #540280 by pariartspaul on Thu, Jul 1, 2010 3:45 PM

Here's some better shots of the pond as requested...
First, here is the overall view. I've got the two waterfalls, both fed by an industrial waterfall pump and filtered by an above ground pool cartridge type filter. And the water is chlorinated.

Next, here's a detail of one of the planters. The fake lava surround is made of cheap mortar mix scooped onto mesh lath that's been shaped around rocks and junk pieces of concrete. Then when we sculpted it we stuck seashells in here and there. Hint for your mortar mix.. I use a coffee can full of half lime and half mortar clay per bag of mortar. It makes the mortar stick better and is easier to sculpt. And it dries really hard and durable. No cracks anywhere so far! The paint is low cost black housepaint.. one coat is all it needs. It soaks in and kind of dyes the mortar mix. It lasts for years... haven't had to repaint any of it. I could have been a little neater with the paint on this section, but what the heck. Some of the north-side sections have some nice moss growing on them and look really great.

Next, here's 54 year old (naked) me to show the scale of the pond. It's just big enough for our normal sized yard. I'm sitting on one of the seats inside. This is where I am most summer days! It gets over a hundred here during the summer.

And there you have it!