Pondering becoming a ponder

Hi all!
I'm a newbie to DG and I am deciding whether to start a water garden next year. I've been an avid gardener for 20 years, but recently moved to a farm which enables me to try new things. We took down our leaning silo this summer and now I have a concrete circular foundation sitting there. Of course everyone thinks we should put in a hot tub, but not me! I like the idea of water lilies!!!! I think the foundation has cracks because I remember making a decision to use a plastic form. And I just had an outside outlet installed. I don't have easy access to water though, I'd hafta haul it or set up a looooooong hose. Do they evaporate a lot in full sun? I am growing some lilacs back there for some shade.

Also, I have a Sunset book on pond construction, but after that I know nothing. WHAT WOULD YOU SUGGEST FOR A BABY NEWBIE LIKE ME????? What do I do in Zone 5 for the winter? Where and what plants for a small pond? Books? I'd like to spend the winter on decision making based on research and dreams. By the way, I think fish are way in the future, if at all. We have many wild animals here. And this garden is facing the woods and streams where they live.

Ponds are great. You should definitly put in a pond, but do it next spring, and spend the winter researching. Have you kept aquariums? A lot of the knowledge transfers outside. If you have never kept inside fish, it might be a good idea to start with a tank this winter. That way you can get used to the habits and maintenence of water. I have some books to recommend, but they are at home and I am at work, so I will post them here for you later.
Fairly easy access to water is important. You do not want to carry buckets for a pond. I am also zone 5, and I would suggest a minimum of three feet deep into the ground if you expect fish to stay out for the winter. Mine is only 28 inches deep, and the fish come in every year. It's a pain.
Decide how big you want your pond, and then build at least 50% bigger than that. You will want to look into filters. I have one with a UV sterilizer built in, which is great for keeping water clear in lots of sun. A waterfall is always nice. Don't use a plastic form (too small), use a pond liner, you can build bigger. Let me know what some of your ideas are. I would love to help you plan!

Looking at your site it looks promising. Use a rubber liner in it. Can you dig out the bottom of it or is it concrete. It looks to be about 2 ft deep. That is fine for a water garden. But if you ever want to have some fish it needs to be three to four foot deep.
The walls you have will make an excellent plant shelf if you pile dirt around the edge back about 12 inches and 12 inched high. Have all kinds of ideas now that I have already finished mine. That I would do different. Keep us posted.

Also keep in mind that water lilies don't like moving water, so if you are thinking of a water feature make your pond big enough for both. Fountains and water lilies don't co-exist well.

Okay, I have some book titles for you. These are pretty good ones, but check the gardening and pet sections in the 600's of your library. They may have some just as good. Also check the 700's in landscape and architechture. The more books you look at, the more ideas you will get. Make sure to photo copy things you really like-I can never find those pages again, personally.

Ortho-several books in their All About series
Swindells-The Master Book of the Water Garden
Robinson-The American Horticultural Society's Complete Guide to Water Gardens
Nash-The Complete Pond Builder
Nash-Aquatic Plants and Their Cultivation
Levine-The Complete Fish Keeper (aquarium only but great info)
Waddington-Koi Kichi (wonderful book about koi, some mention of ponds)

Hope these help. Let me know what you think!
Sylvia

Thanks so much! This should keep me happy for the snowy winter.