Some people want a formal and well-defined look for their pond edges, but most are going for a natural appearance that blends into the landscape. Skip the bricks and pavers for natural stone pieces that have irregular shapes and sizes. This mimics the natural accumulation of rocks along the edge of the water of a pond or stream. Don’t be afraid to let some rocks roll into the edges of the water since there’s no clean edges and straight lines around a natural pond. Mix plants into the rocks you stack along the edges of the pond to hide any visible liner and soften the look of stone alone.
If you don’t have the budget to cover the entire edge in a large number of natural stone pieces, consider covering some of the exposed liner with low cost natural materials like woven rush screen. These screens break down after a few years of exposure to the water and sun, but they won’t hurt the water as they break apart and they’re easy to replace. The material is flat and easy to shape like the liner, allowing to cover difficult curves and bumps where rocks don’t want to stay put. Combining rocks, natural screening, and plants will give you the best look.
