You have fewer options for hiding the edge of a preformed liner than for a flexible custom liner. This is because the edge of the rigid liner rises up on purpose to keep water from running off the nearby soil and into the pond. You’ll need plenty of smaller rocks piled up around this lip to disguise it, along with lots of potted water and land plants to get a natural look. If you’re considering a preformed pond to save time or money, you may be surprised at the cost and effort required to disguise the edge of one. A custom liner is much easier and quicker to hide because it can be buried underground at the very edges and then disguised with any materials you like.
The inner edges where the preformed liner curves down away from the lip is much harder to hide than with a flexible liner. Most pond designers create a shallow ledge along this inner lip to hold plants that disguise this area. Some preformed liners feature this design, but many don’t and leave the edges exposed instead. Your decorative options are greatly limited with any preformed liner compared to the flexibility of a custom liner.
