I recently moved into a house with a garden with a pond which I do not want to keep and am keen to convert it into a border as it has been built in that style.

My guess would be to empty it by hand as much as possible and then drill a couple of holes through the bottom to let the remaining water drain out.

Any better ideas out there...?

If it's a raised pond try a siphon using a hose, that'd be a lot easier. If
it's not a raised pond, drilling holes in the bottom to let the water out is
like drilling holes in the bottom of a boat to let the water out, LOL!

This group - rec.ponds - is much more interested in building and maintaining
ponds than filling them in, sorry...

"highe5" wrote in message
s.com...
I recently moved into a house with a garden with a pond which I do not
want to keep and am keen to convert it into a border as it has been
built in that style.

My guess would be to empty it by hand as much as possible and then
drill a couple of holes through the bottom to let the remaining water
drain out.

Any better ideas out there...?
--
highe5
------------------------------------------------------------------------
posted via www.GardenBanter.co.uk

On Sun, 07 Mar 2004 12:36:23 GMT, highe5
wrote:

I recently moved into a house with a garden with a pond which I do not
want to keep and am keen to convert it into a border as it has been
built in that style.

My guess would be to empty it by hand as much as possible and then
drill a couple of holes through the bottom to let the remaining water
drain out.

Any better ideas out there...?

What are the dimensions and contruction of your unwanted pond?

Drilling holes is rather permanent, possibly it would be better in the
long run to drain it by siphoning then put a layer of soil in the
bottom. Voila, a garden flower bed!


Mike Patterson
Please remove the spamtrap to email me.

If it's a raised pond try a siphon using a hose, that'd be a lot easier. If
it's not a raised pond, drilling holes in the bottom to let the water out is
like drilling holes in the bottom of a boat to let the water out, LOL!

This group - rec.ponds - is much more interested in building and maintaining
ponds than filling them in, sorry...

"highe5" wrote in message
s.com...
I recently moved into a house with a garden with a pond which I do not
want to keep and am keen to convert it into a border as it has been
built in that style.

My guess would be to empty it by hand as much as possible and then
drill a couple of holes through the bottom to let the remaining water
drain out.

Any better ideas out there...?
--
highe5
------------------------------------------------------------------------
posted via www.GardenBanter.co.uk

On Sun, 07 Mar 2004 12:36:23 GMT, highe5
wrote:

I recently moved into a house with a garden with a pond which I do not
want to keep and am keen to convert it into a border as it has been
built in that style.

My guess would be to empty it by hand as much as possible and then
drill a couple of holes through the bottom to let the remaining water
drain out.

Any better ideas out there...?

What are the dimensions and contruction of your unwanted pond?

Drilling holes is rather permanent, possibly it would be better in the
long run to drain it by siphoning then put a layer of soil in the
bottom. Voila, a garden flower bed!


Mike Patterson
Please remove the spamtrap to email me.

I'd think that you'd want drain holes in your border bed unless you were
shooting for a bog bed. JMO

--
"Mike Patterson" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 07 Mar 2004 12:36:23 GMT, highe5
wrote:

I recently moved into a house with a garden with a pond which I do not
want to keep and am keen to convert it into a border as it has been
built in that style.

My guess would be to empty it by hand as much as possible and then
drill a couple of holes through the bottom to let the remaining water
drain out.

Any better ideas out there...?

What are the dimensions and contruction of your unwanted pond?

Drilling holes is rather permanent, possibly it would be better in the
long run to drain it by siphoning then put a layer of soil in the
bottom. Voila, a garden flower bed!


Mike Patterson
Please remove the spamtrap to email me.

Thanks everyone - I guess the general concensus is to syphon then drill holes, as the newly converted plant border would need the drain holes in any case.

You can rent a sump pump to empty the pond. If you have a high water
table in your area the liner may rise up and float on the ground
water. If you put holes in the liner before you empty it you may end
up pumping ground water for 40 days and 40 nights. ;-}
Many areas of the country are getting very serious about what can
be left in the ground. Check local codes to see if you can leave the
liner in the ground.
Since you asked our advice. I would like to make a suggestion on
behalf of this newsgroup. Keep the pond for one year and then decide.
I think you will find it will grow on you and you will end up a
regular here. Just my opinion, Good luck

--
some photos of my little puddle
http://community.webshots.com/user/hankpage1
"highe5" wrote in message
s.com...
I recently moved into a house with a garden with a pond which I do
not
want to keep and am keen to convert it into a border as it has been
built in that style.

My guess would be to empty it by hand as much as possible and then
drill a couple of holes through the bottom to let the remaining
water
drain out.

Any better ideas out there...?
--
highe5
--------------------------------------------------------------------
----
posted via www.GardenBanter.co.uk

You can rent a sump pump to empty the pond. If you have a high water
table in your area the liner may rise up and float on the ground
water. If you put holes in the liner before you empty it you may end
up pumping ground water for 40 days and 40 nights. ;-}
Many areas of the country are getting very serious about what can
be left in the ground. Check local codes to see if you can leave the
liner in the ground.
Since you asked our advice. I would like to make a suggestion on
behalf of this newsgroup. Keep the pond for one year and then decide.
I think you will find it will grow on you and you will end up a
regular here. Just my opinion, Good luck

--
some photos of my little puddle
http://community.webshots.com/user/hankpage1
"highe5" wrote in message
s.com...
I recently moved into a house with a garden with a pond which I do
not
want to keep and am keen to convert it into a border as it has been
built in that style.

My guess would be to empty it by hand as much as possible and then
drill a couple of holes through the bottom to let the remaining
water
drain out.

Any better ideas out there...?
--
highe5
--------------------------------------------------------------------
----
posted via www.GardenBanter.co.uk

On Sun, 07 Mar 2004 17:47:59 GMT, "JB" wrote:

I'd think that you'd want drain holes in your border bed unless you were
shooting for a bog bed. JMO

Might be so, I don't know the local climate and conditions of the
original poster, other than I suspect they're in the UK due to their
ISP.

If they have a high water table (as did a house I lived in for 11
years), drilling holes would let more water in than out!

I had to spend about US$11,000 in drainage and septic system specialty
work to get that house to the point that I could sell it without
worrying about getting a call from a lawyer 6 months later.

Makes me very cautious about ground water issues...


Mike Patterson
Please remove the spamtrap to email me.

On Sun, 07 Mar 2004 12:36:23 GMT, highe5
wrote:

My guess would be to empty it by hand as much as possible and then
drill a couple of holes through the bottom to let the remaining water
drain out.

Sounds like your idea should work unless the area is such that ground
water may be present, like in a valley or below a hill that seeps
water. I think I'd try to remove the pond liner unless it is
concrete. You should be able to remove a EPDM liner with a bit of
effort, or a preformed liner by clamping across it to the opposite
side and pulling over a sawhorse or higher leverage support, with a
truck, and raise the liner from the hole. That would end your
problems with the liner. That would require a bit of clearing around
the top of the liner to free it from whatever hides and supports it
above ground.

Regards,

Hal

On Sun, 07 Mar 2004 12:36:23 GMT, highe5
wrote:

My guess would be to empty it by hand as much as possible and then
drill a couple of holes through the bottom to let the remaining water
drain out.

Sounds like your idea should work unless the area is such that ground
water may be present, like in a valley or below a hill that seeps
water. I think I'd try to remove the pond liner unless it is
concrete. You should be able to remove a EPDM liner with a bit of
effort, or a preformed liner by clamping across it to the opposite
side and pulling over a sawhorse or higher leverage support, with a
truck, and raise the liner from the hole. That would end your
problems with the liner. That would require a bit of clearing around
the top of the liner to free it from whatever hides and supports it
above ground.

Regards,

Hal