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10 Stunning Ways to Turn an Old Pond into Something Amazing!

A close up of lily pads in a pond with a pink flower.

When moving into a new house, there will be many things that surprise you, and most of them will take time to reveal themselves to you. One of the most common and unfortunate surprises that many people get is a pond hidden away in the deepest shrubbery of their new yards.

Here’s what you need to know about fixing a pond or trying to make it look better before deciding what the best thing to do with it is. Some options discussed in this article are:

  1. Completely Renovate The Pond
  2. Build Barriers Around The Pond
  3. Convert It Into A Swimming Pool
  4. Convert It Into A Fountain Feature
  5. Consider A Water Garden
  6. Rebuild Your Pond Completely
  7. Transform The Garden Into A Pond Garden
  8. Move The Pond
  9. Rent The Pond To Someone
  10. Get Rid of The Pond

You might want to give up and decide to leave the pond as it is to see what happens when plants start growing wildly in and around the whole pond! It’s best to take care of it, try these ideas.

#1: Why Not Completely Renovate The Pond?

You need to renovate the entire pond, which can be done within a few weeks and leaves you with a perfect new garden feature; My article here will walk you through exactly how to do that. Many people forget that this is an option and that renovating a pond will breathe new life into the entire garden and will also be fun.

Many pond renovations change the entire garden by lifting and moving plants around. The pond could be made into a main garden feature, or it could be renovated to give a complimenting feature with a set of plants that you want to be the center of attention.

It should be noted that some pond owners also move their entertainment area to be right next to or on top of the pond, to comfortably and efficiently use the pond as a talking point while enjoying the changes made to the newly refreshed pond.

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#2: Could You Build Barriers Around The Pond?

Many people that move into a new dream house don’t hate the pond that is there but would like to remove or change it due to fear of someone getting hurt. A gigantic open pond can be dangerous for young children and some pets.

You should consider building a series of barriers and bridges across and around the pond to make it look amazing if there is nothing there already. Doing so will ensure that the pond is a lot more comfortable to live with and you can keep it without fear of accidents.

Some people build decks in their gardens to close off the entire pond. Filling it with sand and then sealing off the pond to prevent it from ever becoming a problem allows the homeowner to open the pond back up in the future.

#3: Have You Tried Converting It Into A Swimming Pool?

Ponds are usually quite large, not as large as the regular swimming pools you may install, but they are large enough to swim in. These are the steps to use the pond as a swimming pool:

  • drain the pond
  • add a few filtration systems
  • paint the surface to be smoother

Further, many eco-friendly swimming pools are ponds and pools simultaneously, with a series of plants and fish working to keep the water clean enough to swim in. With some help, you can convert an old pond into the perfect small splash pool right in your yard.

Another interesting fact is that converting the pool back into a pond isn’t as much work as most suspect, and you can use it as a feature to show off to friends. Many homeowners are changing between the two as their needs change in the coming years.

A water garden pond growing greenery and flowers in water and surrounding the water.
A water garden can look really beautiful

#4: What Would Your Pond Area Look Like As A Water Garden?

Ponds are great, but the fish and animals can become a troublesome load. If you find yourself with a pond that is no longer fit for fish and you are not in a state where taking care of fish seems agreeable, a water garden may be the best answer.

Simply put, a water garden consists of plants that only grow in a layer of water. Some prefer only water while others grow in soil that is covered in water. We recommend that you consider this when you have a new pond, as it is affordable and can make your entire garden look much nicer.

Water gardens are well worth considering because they bring in a lot of fresh air and generally make the entire environment of the garden better. As the plants grow and the water flows, it improves your entire house and garden as the air is cleaned through aeration.

#5: Why Not Try Converting It Into A Fountain Feature?

Sometimes the reason a pond doesn’t work is that it is not as extravagant as the garden needs it to be, with many smaller ponds getting completely lost. This means that you should consider converting the pond into a full fountain feature with several small spouts going throughout the actual area the pond is in.

We recommend that you consider this if you don’t want to take care of any plants or fish in the pond either. If you want to get a good water feature, install a small filter and put some chlorine and acid (Amazon link) in the water once every few weeks to keep the water clean.

Several gardens have been transformed because they suddenly have a giant water feature with spouts in the middle, making the garden a livelier place overall. It is worth noting that when water is running through spouts, it does help clean the air and introduce nice smells overall.

#6: Is It Possible To Rebuild Your Pond Completely?

If you don’t like the pond because it’s not the right shape and size, spend a bit and rebuild it completely. In this process, you can see what the garden would look like without the pond and what it would look like in different stages.

Getting a pond rebuilt only takes a few weeks and means that you can easily have something to be:

  • proud of
  • comfortable with
  • enjoyed soon

Further, if you don’t want another freshwater pond, you can rebuild it to create a saltwater fish pond.

However, we don’t recommend doing this, as keeping an open-air saltwater pond requires a lot of special equipment and even deeper pockets. Rebuilding the pond will mean that you can make it something you want to look at every day instead of trying to ignore it all the time.

A pond garden with paths, bridges, a bench, and ponds with water features surrounding.
Turning the whole yard into a pond garden is an option

#7: Why Not Transform The Entire Garden Into A Pond Garden?

The most significant change you can make to a pond and garden is to transform the entire garden or even just half into a pond area. This involves changing how the garden looks and feels by:

  • getting new plants
  • creating a larger pond
  • building decks

However, when done right, you can quickly and comfortably live with the pond spread throughout the garden. Instead of the pond being an eyesore or another extra chore you need to take care of, it will be the only thing you need to maintain in your garden.

Often this is the best solution if you have a smaller garden, as the other easy-to-implement solutions can cause a steep rise in price. We recommend that you consider this and create a few plans to choose from, with many homeowners quickly changing their pond to be the only feature of their garden.

#8: Would It Be Affordable To Move The Pond?

At one point in time, it was a popular thing to make ponds in the middle of the garden, planning everything around the pond. This creates problems to this day as they are usually in the way of everything else you could want to do in the garden, including just playing a few fun games.

Move the pond into a corner spot or closer to the house to create a unique-looking pond near the rest of your entertainment area. Further, you may be able to move the pond into the far corner of the garden, changing the entire shape and layout.

We always recommend that you consider these options and have the complete layout of your garden on a piece of paper before you make any changes. Ponds can work to create a garden where everything works together, or they can ruin the entire feel of your garden.

#9: Would It Be Possible For You To Rent The Pond To Someone?

This is a genuinely unique thing you can do with the pond and is often unknown to those living outside of the world of ponds. Finding a good large pond for fish can be a challenge, especially for people who constantly have to remodel and work with ponds.

A good idea can be to let a local pond company know that you have an empty pond that they can use if they are willing to keep it working and clean. Usually, they will be happy to use your pond as a storage space for fish in need of a new pond or as a holding tank for fish while older ponds are remodeled.

Further, you can also hire a company to manage the pond if you want to keep it but not do the daily maintenance. They will usually have a person who visits and checks on the pond each morning to ensure everything is okay and use it as a safe pond for any extra fish.

#10: Can You Get Rid Of The Pond?

The first thing that we suggest to everyone that has suddenly found themselves with an unwanted pond is to consider removing it. If you have ever had to keep a pond or take care of one, you know how much work a pond can be to keep clean and working constantly.

However, it might rob you of the opportunity to have something different in your garden that can last for the entire time you live in the house. We recommend that you consider this when you are looking at the house. If you know you won’t have time or money to keep it up, think of removing it.

Ponds can be extremely expensive to maintain. If you are moving to a new house and have never had to maintain a pond before, you may make the wrong calculations. Costs for keeping it clean and healthy can quickly compound, draining away any money you have for your house or family.

A pond with a wood border growing plants and flowers.
There are many options for unwanted ponds!

Conclusion

Things you can do with an unwanted pond are:

  • renovating it
  • making changes to it
  • repurposing it
  • renting it out

Many people forget that having a pond is not always just looking at the fish enjoying their leisurely lives throughout the day. Fish is also something you have to buy and take care of, requiring care.

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