Spring is coming, the sun is out and its time to start thinking about those big garden projects again. If you haven’t already got one, a pond should be one of those projects as it transforms a garden, bringing life and movement, encouraging wildlife and bringing us closer to nature. They don’t have to be big or expensive either, and a small pond can be dug, lined and filled within a day.
Plan it out
First, decide if you want an ornamental fish pond or a wildlife pond, and then where you’re going to place it in the garden. Wildlife ponds look most natural at the lowest point in the garden where water would naturally collect, with the ideal being some logs, stones and vegetation near to it to give cover to small animals visiting the pond.
If its a fish pond its better nearer to the house where you can view the fish, you don’t have to trudge through the snow in winter to go and check them and its easier to run garden-safe electricals to it to power a pump and filter.
If you’re going to dig down into the ground stay a couple of metres away from any foundations and from any large trees. Hacking through roots is hard work and if the tree is alive, it may send roots through a flexible liner in the future. The same with Bamboo.
Sketch out an aerial plan of the garden and try the pond in a few different places. Identify where North and South are, as South facing ponds will receive more sun – good for water lilies – but bad for nuisance algae like Blanketweed. And overhanging trees can foul the water with their leaves, fruits and berries.
