Since a concrete wading puddle is quite a permanent affair, real thought and planning should go into it before a stroke of work is done. It should be located so that later on it may become an important part of the garden for growing shallow water plants. At the same time, since its main use is for small children it should be placed so that it will receive a good part of the day's sun. Discuss its location with the owner and get a definite decision before beginning work.

The shape of the puddle is a matter of choice. All a small child wants is a place to get wet in. The shape of that place is unimportant to him. For your own sake make the puddle as simple as you can. One having an outline that is gently and irregularly curved is best. With this type of outline, any irregularities in finishing the edge will not be so noticeable.

Use a garden hose to guide the laying out of an irregularly curved puddle. Lay the hose on the ground and push it into the desired curves and size. Use a sharp pointed stick to draw its outlines on the ground or grass. That makes the boundary line for digging. If a perfectly circular puddle is wanted, use two pointed sticks and a piece of string. One stick is driven into the ground at the center of the desired circle. The string is tied to it and its other end is fastened to the second stick. The length of the string must equal the radius of the circle. Pulling the string out to its entire length, draw a circle on the ground with the second stick.

WADING PUDDLE. Size, 4' x 7', depth, 12" Informal shape laid out with hose. Flat stones,laid irregularly, make attractive edge.

Begin digging at edges. Gradually deepen towards the center. Be sure to allow for necessary thickness of concrete.

Use a 1-2-3 concrete mix. Dump mixture in center then trowel it up the sides (1.)to the lip (2.) of the puddle. The lip or rim is finished slightly below the level of the ground so that rocks or bricks may be set flush with ground.

Do not make these puddles too large or too deep. An irregularly shaped one might be four feet wide and six or seven feet long. A circular one about five feet in diameter is a good size. For very small children, puddles should not be more than a foot in depth. Older children can use deeper puddles safely but in every instance have the depth decided upon by the parents.

The saucer-shaped puddle or pool is the easiest to dig and build. See working sketch on page 7. When digging, allowances must be made for the thickness of the concrete. If the pool is to be five feet in diameter With three inch walls, the part dug must measure five and one-half feet. When its finished depth is to be twelve inches, its dug depth must be fifteen inches.

Great care must be taken that all points of the edge of the pool are level with each other. To make sure of this take a 2 x 4 plank and lay it across the pool from side to side. Test with a carpenter's level set on top of the plank. Do not be content with just one test at one spot. Swing the plank around to different points and test each one. Make any necessary adjustments either by filling in or cutting off those spots wherein the level is disturbed.

The digging is begun from the outside and worked in towards the center. Have a wheelbarrow beside you into which the excavated dirt may be thrown. This will save lots of time and will keep the surrounding areas clean. Once the digging has been completed — and it won't take long for a fairly shallow puddle — the concrete can be mixed and the work finished.

Bring the mixed concrete to the excavation. Dump it into the center and then trowel it out towards the edges. Keep the thickness of the concrete as even as possible. In locations where the ground freezes, a reinforcement should be used to prevent the concrete from cracking. This can be pieces of chicken wire laid on the concrete when it is two inches thick. Then the wire is covered with an additional inch of concrete. In southern climates this reinforcement is not necessary.

Formal Pool is edged with bricks laid in concrete.Top of bricks is kept level with ground. Basin is saucer-shaped. Additional bricks added to outside rim increase effect and apparent size.

Informal Pool may be edged with flagstones set in sand or soil or concrete. Generous sand area at one end makes play area for children.

Naturalistic Pool edged with sod uses good sized round-top rocks to give contrast and texture interest.

While a fairly smooth job is desirable, don't waste time trying to make it look like pavement. It won't because of the gravel content. If a really slick finish is wanted, a rich final coating of 1-2 mix can be used. But why bother?

There are various ways of finishing the rim of the puddle or pool as shown in sketches on page 9. No matter which style is selected, it should be completed the same day the work is started, so have the necessary bricks or stones right at hand.

Before the puddle is used, the concrete work must be cured. Its durability and strength depend largely upon this curing or ripening process. After the concrete has been laid, its surface must be covered with damp burlap, straw or newspapers which have been sprinkled with water. These must be left on and kept moist for several days or even a week if the location of the pool is such that it gets the full sun all day long. The reason for this is that concrete that dries out too rapidly is apt to crack later on. The coverings are certainly not handsome but they are part of the job.

Incidentally, if plants and/or goldfish are to inhabit the pond, the water must be changed at least twice before they are put into it. If they are put into the first water, they will probably die.

All small pools may be emptied for cleaning purposes by siphoning off the water. This requires nothing more than a piece of hose and a spot some distance from the pool which is lower than the bottom of the pool. The hose is filled with water, one end is put into the pool and the other end taken to that deep spot and laid in the bottom of it. Cover each end of the hose with your thumbs to prevent the water from running out before the hose is set into position. It is amazing how quickly the water is drawn off by this method.

A small wading puddle may be cleaned by placing the nozzle of a hose on the bottom and turning on the water. The old water will be washed out gently and will be absorbed by the surrounding ground or lawn.