Transform Your Backyard Pond into a Relaxing Retreat with These 5 Simple Tips

Published on May 29, 2025

Some prospective home buyers are wooed by a move-in-ready kitchen or expansive picture windows. For Mark Vander Linden, the selling point for the Des Moines house he wound up buying was a small koi pond in the backyard. “I just loved the serenity of it,” he remembers. Here's how Mark and his partner, Jarret Einck (art director at Better Homes & Gardens) have taken that serenity and expanded upon it over the past 20 years, creating an idyllic retreat for themselves and their little family of fish.

1. Create a Serene Seating Area

A comfortable seating area encourages pondside lounging. The warmth of the rattan and cool blue palette of this space sets a calming tone that doesn't distract from the pond or the greenery.

2. Bring in Fish

Koi swim happily in the pond, adding to the sense of tranquility. For happy koi as well as a clean pond, the general rule of thumb is to keep four koi or fewer per 1,000 gallons of water. The homeowners have three large koi in their pond, which measures 13 by 5 feet. "We definitely think of them as pets," says Vander Linden. A bonus: The water feature attracts birds and frogs, too.

3. Build Your Own Waterfall

The homeowners created enticing movement and sound by adding a simple pump-powered waterfall, which cascades down pieces of flagstone. Not only does it add a relaxing natural soundtrack to the yard, but the fish seem happier when the waterfall is turned on too.

4. Add Aquatic Plants

Aquatic plants not only look serene, but help clean the water and provide shade for fish. Plants like water hyacinth, water lettuce, and water lilies float on the surface. Marginal plants such as purple pickerel rush, sweet flag, and variegated water celery (Oenanthe javanica) grow in shallow water along the pond’s edges. A potted elephant’s ear sunken into the water adds a dramatic touch. The plants survive from spring to fall but are removed before the winter freeze sets in.

5. Plant a Lush Landscape

To soften the edges of the rectilinear pond, the homeowners planted a mass of hostas along the top of the retaining wall. Behind them, the pink leaves of a tricolor beech tree bring just a touch of soft color. In other parts of the yard, they've replaced the lawn with native plants like blazing star, butterfly weed, and Culver’s root to support pollinators and beneficial insects.