How could I make a roof over My outside pond?

Diana Price
by Diana Price
  4 answers
  • Hillela G. Hillela G. on Apr 23, 2017

    You can build a small pergola

  • John Grimley John Grimley on Apr 23, 2017

    Pergola is the way to go. My garden is south facing so gets the sun all day long - and the green pea soup to go with it!

    I erected a simple pergola and used split bamboo (privacy screen) as a way of providing shade and deterring the local heron. The split bamboo comes as a 'sheet' 4' x 8' (4'high) so the ideal size for my pond. There are other privacy screens such as reed but of all the options in the shop, the split bamboo seemed the only one that didn't 'shed'. Held together by wire, it also seemed the sturdiest. After about 4 years, I'm still happy with it.

    My pergola is simply 4 uprights (4x4) placed into small metpost spikes to secure them and keep the wood out of the soil. There's a crossbeam front & back measuring 4x3 providing sideways stability and 6 4x2s providing stability front to back. The 4x3s are bolted to the uprights using coach bolts and serrated washers (once the wood is tightened onto these, the teeth prevent movement). The 4x2s are held to the crossbeams using deck screws. I could've cut joints etc but wanted something fast & simple & this has stood the test of time.

    I bought 4x8' bamboo canes which lay across the 4x2s, onto which, I unrolled the split bamboo screen (without the 8' canes, the screen would simply sag between each 4x2!). This is all held to the 4x2s using small cable ties.

    I also have a few lillies to provide shade - covering the surface of the pond, the water still turned green! With my current setup, running the water through a decent UV, I can now clearly see what needs to be cleaned off the bottom of my 4' deep pond!

  • John Grimley John Grimley on Apr 23, 2017

    Just thought, the pergola can be as simple (like mine) or as ornate as you wish. A neighbour a few doors down has a huge koi pond, his pergola wouldn't look out of place in a Japanese garden magazine & it cost him a fair packet as well.

  • Mary Serafine Mary Serafine on Apr 25, 2017

    Shade sails. There are several sights you can check out.