Thanks everyone, you certainly don't jump into a project like this without doing a little research.
Looking at pictures of different ponds certainly helps... you just take bit's and pieces of what you like and put it all together! "Pondering" what to do with that area to the left of the pond/patio, and my poor little boxwoods (amongst other plants) have felt the wrath of our adopted Border Collier/Cocker mix we rescued as a pup. We've had her literaly a year but she has no sence of boundaries or the plants she's laying on.
