So you're thinking of building a pond......GREAT! One of the most important steps to building a pond is research. Once you start digging it's a little late to change things, so do your homework before you ever even think of picking up a shovel. Are you going to buy one of those formed ponds, or make your own design and use a liner? How big will it be? Are you going to want your pond in the shade or sun? There are thousands of sites that will give you ideas of different designs out there. I have added a few of my favorites to the links, so check them out. After you have decided what you want as far as size and shape, you must decide on a location. Since light will play a big part of how your pond looks. and works, be sure that you take this into account before you get started. To much sunlight will cause algae to take over your pond, but to much shade will cause your lilies to not bloom as often. If you decide to put your pond under some trees, remember that you will be spending extra time dipping out the leaves that will inevitablly end up there in the fall. If you put your pond in the sun, you can work around the algae problem by making sure that your pond has a 40%-50% plant coverage. This will shade the pond enough to decrease the chance of algae, but remember, plants don't grow in the winter, so be ready for algae problems then. We decide on 2 round ponds, joined by a waterfall, with another large waterfall at the back. We had to build up the walls around the upper pond so the water would flow freely through the waterfall into the lower pond. Ready to get started? Following are directions for the design your own shape. Lay a garden hose out in the place that you are planning to put your pond early in the morning. Check on it several times during the day so you can see how much light your pond will receive at the different times of day. Take a look from several places in the yard at different times of day so you can see how your pond will look from all the different sides. If everything is to your liking, take a can of white spray paint and paint around the garden hose.