The Greener View: Water Garden Design Considerations

Jeff Rugg on Jul 16, 2025

Q: We attended a garden walk that included one landscape with a water garden pond. We are interested in putting one in our yard but don't know the best location. What should we consider when placing the pond so we can most enjoy the fish and water?

A: You want to be able to see the fish and hear the waterfall so, as in many things in life, location is very important. Before building a pond, many people assume that the best place to install it is in a low area of the landscape. While that is the natural location of a drainage system pond, the best place for a water garden or koi pond is up higher and closer to the indoor and outdoor activity areas. If a pond can be viewed from the kitchen, living room, patio or deck, it will be enjoyed more than if it is hidden way out in the landscape.

If the pond is on the south side of the house, then it may reflect too much sunlight up into the house, making it hard to look at. Putting a little thought into sun angles and the possible placement of shade trees or trellises will help make the pond more viewable.

Ponds should be as close to patios or decks as possible for easy fish viewing and fish feeding, but they must also be installed with safety in mind. Shallow areas near the patio will allow someone to accidentally step into the pond up to ankle deep without plunging in. Most people will react to a wet foot by stepping back out of the pond before they fall in. On the other hand, when you feed the fish, they should stay in a deeper area so they don't get used to coming to the shallow areas when there is activity near the shoreline. That way, they will stay in the deeper areas when animals such as raccoons show up on the shoreline at night.

Ponds next to patios can be built with the water level higher than the patio. A retaining wall holds the liner in place and doubles as a seat wall. It acts as a barrier to prevent people walking into the pond.

Beach areas are great for attracting birds and for safety, but it is best if they are installed with stones blocking fish from the beach. The beach shape can also allow raccoons access to the fish, so if the fish can't swim into that area, they will be safer.

Use benches, large boulders, hammocks and other seating arrangements so you can sit and watch the pond for hours at a time. The more comfortable you make it, the longer you will stay. The longer you watch your fish, the more knowledge you will gain about their normal behavior. This knowledge will help you spot fish health and water quality problems as they begin to develop. In turn, healthy fish and clean water will help you enjoy your fish more.

What happens at night? How can you enjoy your fish if you can't see them? Underwater lighting will help you see your fish and make the whole landscape more enjoyable from inside the house. Underwater pond lighting is especially helpful for people in northern climates who work late and get home after dark. Without lights, they would only be able to see the fish on weekends.

The impact of a pond on a landscape will depend on how much enjoyment there is for viewing the fish and listening to the water flow. A pond is not an island unto itself. It must be incorporated into how the landscape is going to be used. It should be visible from inside the house and provide active and passive routes of access. Providing these views will increase a person's enjoyment of their pond.

The water garden chapter in my book "Greener View Gardening" and the water garden playlist on the Greener View YouTube channel will help you understand the different water garden styles, how to build the pond and how to maintain it. The book is available on Amazon, and the whole playlist about water gardens is less than two hours long.

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Email questions to Jeff Rugg at info@greenerview.com. To find out more about Jeff Rugg and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.