Can you not get more water into the pond? Also where does your stream come from / go to is the pond going to obstruct the stream if there is a heavy rainfall for several days.

No can't put more water in as the stream would fill with water it's a dry stream that fills with water when we have the pump on. It starts at the top right of the garden and goes down to the pond on the left depending on which way around your looking at the garden I will add another photo so you can see.

The gravel bit is where the water comes down and meets the pond.

I hope the new photos give you a better idea of what it's like.

Ponds are always lower than the surrounding soil. If they weren't, they would overflow. All you need to do is plant around the edges. Or am I missing something...?

The soil is a lot higher than the pond. Just not sure how to finish it off without the soil collapsing into the pond, I don't just want to put huge rocks around the edge as it wouldn't look very natural. So I was hoping someone had some ideas of how to finish the edge :)

Sorry the pictures don't really show how high the soil around it is.

Okay so this isn't a natural stream but one you have created. By the time you've covered up the edge of the pond liner I think you'll find it is less noticeable as you can then grow plants that trail down towards the water, but not into it. I'm still not sure why you can put the hose pipe in the pond and top it up though, that shouldn't have any effect on your stream as you don't need the pump for.

Sorry moon Growe I have not been very clear sorry, it has been a very long day! my problem is the beds that will be around the pond is a lot higher than the pond. I was just looking for ideas on how to finish the edge of the pond so that the soil around the pond which is a lot higher than the pond doesn't fall into it. I don't want to edge it with just big rocks I would like it to look a bit more natural. I hope I am a bit clearer :) and thanks to you both for replying I really appreciate it.

Trying paving slabs...

I think that you might have to accept rocks around the edge to stop soil being washed over the plastic and into the water. My suggestion would be to scrape soil out from under the plastic curtain around the edge so that it slopes more gently back into the garden rather than being the sharp right-angled edge that you have now. Then stones round the edge and fill behind them with the soil that you have scraped out. The stones can be masked by having ground-cover plants over them.

Thank you for your suggestions I will give it ago and put pictures up when complete. :)

Good luck and know that no 'artificial' pond ever looks perfect!

Here is my idea which involves a bit of a makeover. I will describe this in a series of steps:
1- I hope you have enough of the origional pond liner for
this step. At the stream inlet to the pond raise the
pond edge so that it is level with the rest of the pond
margin. This way you can raise the water level.
2- You have a nice patio looking over the pond so why
not a waterfall at the place where the stream entered
the pond.
3- Purchase a waterfall feature from a pond supply store.
Set it in front of your little footbridge. It can be easily
adjusted to accommodate the higher water level of
your pond. The hose running from your pond pump
can either be fed into the top of the waterfall tank or
the bottom should the tank have a bottom inlet feature.
4- The waterfall tank can be blended in nicely into a
natural setting with some imagination.
Well you will have to give up the stream under the bridge but a waterfall is nice too. You might like to check out my recent blog, "A Drones Eye View" which is a similar situation or some of my pond images in my photo section. Good Luck!

What about gravel covered liner?? I have that over the edges of my pond to cover over the black pond liner!! It works and looks great too!! I've tonnes of photos of it on and my pond on my profile!

More radically you could remove the path edging and all the soil in the bank and build a retaining wall instead. I can't see anything else solving it permanently. Soil would wash down between rocks until dense planting prevented it. The only other thing I can think of is to raise the edge of the pond all the way round using a small wall, but its a bit late for that.

Yes, Dan has a great looking pond liner cover and also has placed a very natural looking cascade which feeds into the pond which can also give you great design ideas.

Steragram has described well what I was aiming at. Whatever you do, I would suggest that you drain your pond first so as to get that weight off the liner so you can manipulate it easily. Also do you have a foam sheet under the liner to prevent punctures or tears?

Thankyou!! For saying nice things about my pond! I also agree with loosestrife2 and steragram about the wall idea!!

Thank you all for your suggestions, I have looked at your pictures, can I just say your gardens look wonderful, I will certainly take on board everything you have all said and fingers crossed we can work something out. Thanks again all I do appreciate it. I will put pictures on my blog when it is done.

Thankyou! Fingers are crossed for you that it goes well!

Thank you Dan

It's more than fine :) let us all know how it goes :)

Took on board your advise and this is how it turned out :) not sure about the planting may have to change a few things. Thanks again for all your help :)

AWESOME!!! Your plantings leave nothing else to be desired, wait till they mature, you will see.

Thank you that means a lot :)

It looks absolutely lovely! You've definitely done it justice!!

Thank you Dan

Looks great Jan!

Thank you, I'm really happy with the way the pond turned out ;)