Fill in pond then sow lawn?

We have a fairly large pond ( about 2 ft deep) and rockery we want to get rid of. I'm thinking of draining it, removing lining then filling it with the surrounding rocks, and filling any remaining space with gravel then topsoil, then sowing with lawn seed to match the rest of the lawn.

I have no experience in gardening so any advice is much appreciated!

 

Hi @tomhumf to GC and nice to have you with us

I've not got a pond so unable to help but we have many members who do and are also adding them to their gardens and it won't be long before you'll be hearing good feed back on your discussion.

Such a shame to remove it as it looks totally stunning

 

to the GC forum, @tomhumf lots of friendly members and advice on here
I have to agree with what @Gail_68 says it looks a very nice established pond so it does seem a shame to fill it in as they are so good for wildlife as well as being an attractive feature in the garden ...but im sure you have your reasons so i respect that

 

Yes it does seem a shame.
What struck me was the fact that it had been built,"the wrong way round."
In that the rockery would appear to hide the pond from the house.
From what you've said, I presume you didn't build it.
The "rockery" looks more like a pile of rocks than a rockery.

These should be built up like strata, for a more pleasing effect.

If it were mine, I'd rebuild the rockery this side of the pond and possibly add a waterfall.

Anyway, to remove it, you've more than enough rocks, with those surrounding it to fill the pond after removing the liner.

What you've said you intend to do is fine, but on completion the area will need a lot of tamping down, before laying turf, as it's likely to sink and leave a depression if you don't. Best to get a long length of 3" X 2" to check that it's all level on completion, it's hard to do that by eye.

 

Hello tomhumf.....nice to have you here

Agree, its the collection of rocks that is a bit of an eyesore so I would remove them.

Firstly, its fine if you want to turn the pool into a lawn......you have your own reasons for it. If you have young children for example or you want a bigger play area. I did a similar thing a few years back elsewhere except I turned it into a flower bed. I used the stone edging as a base then used soil and compost to top it up.

It is very important that you level and firm the lawn surface......using your heels is the best way to firm a lawn surface. Rake, firm, rake and firm again......I do it several times until I am happy with it. Take your time over this but April is a good time to sow grass seed.

Making a lawn is hard work but very enjoyable so have fun with it

 

Thanks everyone. I agree it's a bit of a shame, it obviously took previous owners a lot of work. We do have 2 small children and want safer / more play room garden. Building in background is actually a potting shed so therock pile doesn't hide it from house.

My friend said that it would probably sink over time and leave an uneven lawn, I guess I'll just have to ramp it well. Is there a standard depth of topsoil a lawn would need to keep healthy? I'm guessing at least a foot or so before rocks and gravel layer?

I may build a smaller rocky pond wildlife area, to the front left of current one in this photo, it would kind of be dead space for playing in I guess.

 

If you've the room save the rocks, if you might use them again, they're expensive to buy as most of the cost is in the weight.
Mine were "as cheap as chips" as I went to a quarry to pick them up.

I can see a reason now for getting rid of the pond as it dominates the whole garden.

 

Safety of small children is the most important consideration. Ponds can be made safe by placing weld mesh over the surface, cut to fit. It is strong enough to stand on without falling in and plants grow up through it. When they get older the mesh can be removed. Ponds are an immense source of interest to children, full of creatures for them to watch and of course pond dipping is fun when they are older. I would think again before filling it in.

 

Looks like a nice plot tomhumf. I would aim for 30 cm or so of top soil....more would be better if you can.
Yes it prob will sink a little by the end of summer but I would bring in more top soil to bring the level up and re seed. September would be a good time for this.
As you said, a smaller rocky pond/wildlife area can be added later
As I said, I converted a pond into a flower bed but also built a much bigger one elsewhere in a more suitable spot

 

I did think of trying to sell them, or keep for future but then I'd have to buy a load of soil or gravel or something to fill the big hole...I guess it would be cheaper but more hassle really. I will probably save the flat ones round the pond and a few from pile to build a mini pond area.

 

I agree with all that, I think a smaller pond next to this one would be ok though for us, and I will cover it like you said. Good tip on the weld mesh, I was thinking of chicken wire but I guess weld mesh would be stronger

 

I guess I can deal with a bit of sinkage. One thing I've been thinking since starting this thread... The existing pond liner is broken around 30cm from the top - another reason I wanted to remove it. I was initially going to just stab a load of holes in the base of liner to drain it, but... If I can drain it without damaging the bottom part I could reuse the liner for a smaller pond. So, if I put a hose in the bottom and the other end at a lower point elsewhere and sucked through it, it should drain out?

 

yes tomhumf.....its how I drain ponds.
I would remove the liner.......from the start, dont cut any corners cos you will regret it.
If it is a good quality liner, check it is totally waterproof before reusing it, you could use it again.
Get one job done and dusted before thinking about another pond.

 

This is how i made mine safe. Nothing on top to affect the plants and birds etc. As soon as both kids are old enough to know better the mesh and posts will be removed. 5-6 years old should be fine for mine.

 

I read that up to 80-90% of natural ponds have either been filled in or become unsustainable through pollution, which makes the garden pond all the more important for wildlife. Excellent idea to put in wildlife pond . Several forum members have wildlife ponds, so if you have any questions you will get lots of answers