Easy Backyard Pond Styles That You Can Add to Your Garden

Backyard ponds weren’t very common a few decades ago, but they’re all the rage these days. Many people like having ponds simply because of their visual appeal, while others want to build ponds for their fish.

You may also want to add a backyard pond for the monetary value it adds to your property. In addition, ponds can become massive selling points during home sales, thanks to their aesthetic value and rising popularity.

But you don’t have to go overboard with it; here are some simple backyard pond styles you can consider for your property.

A Tractor-Tire Pond

This is easily the most budget-friendly pond idea on this list. All you need is a gigantic truck tire, some pool liners, and some small rocks for aesthetics.

You can probably find an old tractor tire in a junkyard, or if you can’t find any, consider checking out Craigslist; there’s a good chance somebody near you has a spare tire they don’t need—grab it!

All you need to do is choose the perfect spot in your backyard and dig a big hole. The whole should be big and deep enough to accommodate the entire tire. Once the tire is in place, place your pond liner insider the tire to create a base. Next, secure the tire and liner by packing soil around the tire.

Next, place rocks around the tire to create a higher boundary. Finally, fill your DIY pond with water and let your fish enjoy their new home!

A Simple Pond with Rock Water Fall Features

If you want a pond in your backyard for aesthetics, you can build a simple one. It doesn’t have to be precisely round; use whatever space you have, even if that means making an irregularly shaped pond.

Line the pond with any common rocks you can find. Ensure they’re big enough to create a heightened boundary to keep the water in. To make it slightly fancier, you can use a waterfall fountain spray—the kind that’s used in pools. Placing between the rocks will create a beautiful effect for your backyard pond.

A Simple Blue Pond

This is another pond style you can consider for your backyard if you’re building one for aesthetics.

The pond can be built using a pond kit or a truck tire like the one we mentioned earlier. But it can be made prettier by surrounding it with creatively selected rocks, hand painted and polished for a more vibrant look. You can also dye the water with blue pond dye for a better pop of color. Aquatic dyes don’t harm fish or plants and help make the pond look stunning with little effort!

Put in some water lilies for some more color!

A Modern Rectangular Pond

Ponds don’t always have to be round; they can also be rectangular. A rectangular pond is perfect for a modern backyard, and we have an easy hack to build.

You only need an old, rectangular bathtub or a large water tank. You might be able to find these on Craigslist too. First, dig up space for the tub or tank in the ground, and place it in. Next, out in a pond liner and secure the edges with gravel and flat rocks.

Once your tank and the liner are in place, use pebbles to completely cover the inside to create an aesthetic base for the pond. Then, fill the pond up with water and add your fish!

A Shallow Gravel-Lined Pond

If you don’t have the energy or the resources to build a deeper pond, you can create a shallow one. It doesn’t have to be too big; make sure it’s not on sloping ground.

All you need to do is dig the ground—as deep as you can easily manage but not too large in diameter. Once you’ve done the digging, line it carefully with a pond liner, topping it with gravel extending toward the outer edges, creating a slightly sloped boundary.

Add some plants around your little pond and a few small fish. Make sure not to choose any fish that prefer staying at the bottom of the pond, but just those that like to float near the surface.

A Small Pond with A Pretty Bridge

You may need help, but it’s not the most challenging pond idea. You can consider a bridge if you’re planning on building a larger pond for an enormous backyard.

Of course, a bridge on your backyard pond is purely for aesthetics—something you can use for your sun-kissed pictures for Instagram! So we suggest building a sturdy wooden bridge to keep the look simple, earthy, and beautiful!

A pond with a bridge is also a great idea if you want to build an outdoor seating area in a corner beyond the pond. Again, the bridge can serve as a fun way to get there!

Create A Simple Pond with a Koi Pond Kit

Koi pond kits are very popular, and they’re readily available. You can get one at your hardware store and assemble it by following the simple instructions provided with the kit.

Most koi pond kits come with pond liners, biofilters, skimmers, plumbing components and pump fittings, pipes, underlayment, and silicone sealants. You can build these ponds on your own over the weekend, and if you install them in a good quality kit, they’ll surely last you a few years with little maintenance effort.

If you’d like to learn more about the best koi pond kits, explore more backyard pond styles, or need help with ponds, check out our other articles on BackYard Alpha.

We have some of the best backyard pond ideas, excellent gardening tips, and other ideas for your backyard.

Check it all out!