"Susan H. Simko" wrote in message
...
Little Scooby wrote:

If it works and looks good under the right conditions in such a tiny
pond,
it will definately make me want to upgrade the size of the pond sooner
than
later but after digging 100 gallons of hard clay and dirt all last
weekend
with a Garden Claw and a shovel by myself when it was 90 degrees
outside, I
don't want to touch another shovel for a while (didn't seem right to
rent a
small Bobcat or excavator device for what at the time seemed like a puny
100
gallons) and I haven't looked into how much it would cost to hire
someone to
dig out another 100 to 200 gallons of earth (if anyone knows the cost,
please tell me), plus, I want to see if I can defy the odds by getting
it
not only to fit in the tiny pond I have selected, but to have it look
really
nice as well. Plus, this particular pond has the perfect shape for the
area
I have selected in the yard (considering there aren't very many good
designs
for preformed ponds - in my opinion).

I live in a clay area. Try wetting the ground really well and then
letting it sit and soak in for a while before digging. It's heavier
this way but a lot easier to dig.

The ground I live on is a form of clay known in the scientific community as
"Groundis as hardis cementis". I found the best way to dig for me, was to
use a pick axe or hand pick, and just hack a trench as wide as the tool. Let
the tool do the work. Then I would use a shovel to chip off the sides of the
trench, letting it fall into the trench. I'd then scoop out the loose pieces
of concrete...I mean clay. Lather, rinse repeat. Just keep expanding the
trench. Work in layers, getting wider each time.

Damn...ya know...I was going to take pictures of this when I discovered how
well the technique worked, but figured I would get laughed at.

BV.