Need help with new pond!

OK so when I move at the first of the month, this is what I get..... Rolling Eyes

This is a pond that was dug about a year ago.Its backed by the deck.

The back peice that sits higher than the pond is where the fountain sat.

Now, they took the fish, pump and fountain a few months back because the ppl living there werent taking care of it.

And the god aweful center peice

The wonderful water Rolling Eyes

Now what you cant see or if you look at the top pic closely youll see that the gravel is covering plastic. This is suppose to be keeping the weeds out.

Now heres my plan and I will need your help to do it...cuz I got the image in my head but not the know how...LOL After I clean that nasty thing out.....

I want to build a waterfall on the back peice..I want to build it out of real river rock. Around it I would like to plant my elephant ears and Banana trees...tho I can keep those (banana trees) potted and keep them on the deck behind the waterfall.

Now around the pond itself, I want to put up a raw wood small fencing to match the decking.....maybe knee high...something to stop a kid from walking into the pond. Now as for around the pond I was thinking my cannas, fountain grass , bird of Paradise and odds and end flowers and plants....really build up that tropical, natural feel.

Now around the edges of the pond I was thinking of reshaping it with real river rock...to make it look more natural...and getting rid of the gravel.

And I really hate that centerpeice. To me, its god aweful! I was thinking maybe building something out of the same riverrock...like a rock tower or a river rock planter and plant something in the planter. But I want it to look natural..so I was thinking maybe start building it from under the water line.

I would LOVE to hear ideas on this! Everyone has such wonderful ideas!! This is going to be my winter project! So its ready by spring.

_________________
I do not have a green thumb
My plants just have the will to live.

Actually if it were me, I'd rip it out and start over and get rid of that island. See what they used as underlayment, you might be able to reuse it and build a nicer shape, but it would probably end up smaller.

Looks like it's full of string algae. Take something like a toilet brush and just start turning the thing and the stuff will come out in big heaps! That's the easiest removal. I'd take a shop vac and drain that puppy to see what you've got.

Here's some pond tour pics I've taken from previous years, maybe you can find some inspiration there.

http://www.bondpiano.com/centraliowapond.html
http://www.bondpiano.com/kcpondtour.html

I'd also take a trip to the library and check out some water gardening & pond construction books and read, a lot, before deciding what you want to do with this space.