LOL Vanessa.........I was just standing outside today, looking at the chimney stone, thinking how perfect it would have been! And it would have been so meaningful to use it on the pond, instead of "imported" rocks. oh well. Maybe by the time it comes down, we'll have a bigger pond to put it around! One question for you........are you sure its okay to put all that weight on the rim of your stocktank? I'm going to support all the stone around mine on other rocks, so it barely rests on the lip. I can't remember for sure, but I'm thinking someone brought up the issue of not putting too much weight on the lips of the stocktanks. Maybe it would be good to put 2 more PVC pipes right behind the stocktank, under the plywood shelf?? Back to my questions: Should I build up the soil where I'm going to put the waterfall, and put the liner over that........and then start adding the rocks? Do I pull up the sides of the liner, and and lay them over rocks, to make that "U"? Or could I sculpt the soil in a horseshoe-type shape, and lay the liner over that? Would that raise the sides enough to prevent leaks? hahaha I guess I need to go out there and start figuring it out. I have major problems leaning over and I guess I'm not looking forward to it, and want to have a real viable plan before I even start it. The last thing I want is to have it all done, and really like it, then look out at the end of the day and have the pond empty. hahaha So I want to make it perfect to start with. So is your built-up waterfall done already? I want pics!!

I try to keep very aggressive maple tree roots out of my veggie beds & just used metal flashing on the inside of the rocks, top edge under the soil. It was pretty cheap & it's certainly durable. The annoying tree roots work hard to go over & under it, but I don't think grass would do that. Honestly, any non-rotting barrier should work for you, you just want to be able to hide the thing.

I would pick a couple of grasses or plants I was interested in and search their names along with wholesalers that are near to you. For example... If I wanted Mondo Grass I would type in Ophiopogon jaburan wholesalers If I wanted to limit the area to try to fine a firm close to be I would add in my state.. As with many things ... sometimes the cost of shipping has to be considered. also if the firm is close by you could go over and see their operation.

Trailrunner, I live in Pewaukee, WI which is about 20 miles west of Milwaukee. This past winter was very long but I think I can safely say spring has sprung. I swim laps like crazy all summer. I thought I was doing good with 50 or 60 round trips but now you make me feel like a slug with your 80. We only use a pool service to open and close the pool. I do maintenance throughout the summer. We replaced the old sand filter with a cartridge system 2 years ago and the pool stays cleaner than ever. No more back washing and way less vacuuming. People are always surprised when I tell them how little work it is to keep the pool up. I would love to have pavers or stained, stamped concrete around the pool but can't justify the expense either. Found a photo of the damage that a September hailstorm did to the liner. We were actually lucky because we were planning on replacing the liner the next spring and this way our homeowners insurance covered the cost. So here is what it looked like. This photo ( with my son acting a little bit goofy) shows that the previous liner was a bit lighter than the current one. Our pool gets full sun until late in the day. Maybe I should have picked an even darker liner. I didn't think they would make the water that much warmer. Oh well, I hope this liner is good for the next ten years.