• Create a pond in your backyard.pond image by mtooner from Fotolia.com
  
  Backyard ponds add beauty and serenity to any landscape. Gardeners striving for a very natural look may like them because they give yards a slightly wild look. Plants that need a lot of water tend to grow better near a water source, something a decorative pond definitely provides. One of the best things about these ponds is their endless variety. Almost any gardener of any skill level can add a pond to his yard or garden.
  
  

Above-Ground Ponds

• Above-ground ponds offer an alternative to the traditional in-ground ponds dug directly into the ground. These ponds begin with a prefabricated plastic shape that allows the gardener to build around it however he likes. Options include placing the pond on a deck and surrounding it with Japanese-style benches and potted flowers or setting it out in the yard and building a dry brick or stone wall around it. Moss in between the materials help the pond blend into the landscape. These forms come in many shapes and sizes, allowing homeowners to customize their ponds with little work. They also make it easier to care for any fish. A small fountain pump in the pond will help keep the water from becoming stagnant and offer another interesting visual element.
  
  

Water Garden

• Not all ponds are water gardens. However, combining the two could give a pond a more natural look and help it blend seamlessly into its surroundings. This is especially beneficial if the pond is going into a large yard or garden. The water garden uses space and helps balance out the size of the yard. Water lilies and lily pads come to mind first with water gardens, but gardeners should consider other plants, too. Cattails are hardy and attractive, as are yellow lilies and dwarf weeping cherries. All of these plants would thrive near a water garden, as would most moisture-loving plants. Stones edging the pond could help keep down weeds and add to a natural look.
  
  

Turtle Ponds

• While turtle ponds offer an alternative to koi ponds, they require lots of planning and care. They work best in warm climates without cold or snowy winters so the turtles can enjoy them year-round. Gardeners that already own or have turtles in their yard could benefit from these ponds by providing their turtles with a safe haven. The turtles will swim, sun themselves and even make baby turtles in a properly cared-for pond. A turtle pond must be quite large, about 7 feet long and at least 2 feet deep so the turtles can swim. Sand or gravel lining the bottom offers the turtles a place to root and rest while aquatic plants provide food. A rock waterfall or other moving water feature will keep the pond free of mildew and the turtles happy. They need rocks and logs for basking and areas of pond about 4 inches deep for resting in the water.