If there is one thing you can do to help nature in your garden, it's build a pond or create a body of water. It can be a full size pond if your garden is big enough, a small pond in a corner or even a pond made from a container like a sunken bucket or old plastic paddling pool. No matter what size, water is one of the most important things on earth and is just as important for wildlife. It provides nesting sites for frogs, newts, toads, dragonflies, mayflies and other water insects. It provides drinking sites for mammals, birds and insects, and feeding sites for birds and mammals. You'd be amazed at how quickly nature will come to water so don't be surprised if you pond quickly becomes inhabited! We run through the basics to get you started on how to create a wildlife pond in your garden.
Dig or place your pond
If you are digging your pond, the general suggested depth is 50cm. This allows enough deep water for amphibians to hide. If you are using a container then try to choose one that's fairly deep. If you want to create a sunken container pond, then dig your hole to the size of the container.
Ensure that the hole contains no stones or sharp objects that could pierce your liner or container. If your site is particularly dry it would be a good idea to wet it so that the soil holds its shape whilst you put your liner or container in. Compact the sides and bottom as much as possible to expel any air. This will help create a firm base for the pond. If you are digging your pond, create several levels as shown in the picture. This allows for different creatures to find homes at different depths, and means you can plant a wider variety of plants.
Make your pond wildlife friendly
Wildlife ponds need to be accessible to all sorts of wildlife, from frogs to hedgehogs.
In order to make it as nature friendly to the widest variety of species you should ensure that your pond is shaped to accommodate this. Hedgehogs and other mammals will need a shallow area where they can reach water in safety. This also allows for a dry zone for amphibians to hop in and out of the pond safely. When creating the sides of your pond you can create a gentle slope to the top of the pond. This can then be lined with gravel and stones, or even turf. The pond on the left has a sloping pebbled area leading to the water.
Line your pond
Your pond now needs lining. Lay wet sand on your soil in a layer about 2.5-5cm thick. Alternatively you can buy pond liner which is a thick fleece. This helps to create a barrier between the soil and liner and protect it from any potential sharp objects or stones you may have missed. It also helps to keep some warmth between the liner and the soil which can get cold. Once you have lined the hole you can place your liner in the pond. When you buy your liner, most websites or shops will help you calculate how much liner you need. Bradshaws has a great calculator for things pond related. Lay the liner carefully so as not to rip it. Start from the middle and deepest part of the pond. Lay the liner gently up the sides and over the edge of the pond.
Gently ease your liner into place ensuring that it sits well on all the shelves. Once you are happy that all the liner is in place well, you can put washed, clean gravel in the bottom if you want, although this isn't essential. At this stage you can also put any other stones in that you might want to on ledges. It's best not to put anything around the top of the pond edges yet as water will pull the liner into shape and move it slightly.
Fill your pond
Now comes the exciting part!! Fill your pond with water. Rainwater is best but if you don't have enough you can fill it with tap water. If you do that, then leave it for a few days before putting any plants in. This allows any chemicals to dissipate.
Depending on the size of your pond it could take some time, so now's a good time to put the kettle on and sit by your new pond admiring your hard work! Fill your pond to about 1 inch from the top. This will allow space for the water to rise once you start putting plants in. If you want your pond to be accessible for hedgehogs and mammals to drink from then the water needs to be almost at the top of the pond. If you have created a slope then the water needs to cover this too. If you have used tap water to fill your pond then you should now wait at least 5 days before planting. If you have used rainwater then you can plant up straight away
Plant your pond
Planting your pond should be a fun experience.
Choosing what you want the pond to look like and what colours you want is a great way to be creative and get involved with your garden. There are lots of choices when it comes to plants but you have to choose the right ones for the size and depth of your pond. In general they are split into categories:
Deep water - these sit right at the bottom of the pond and are only suitable for larger ponds - these includes lilies
Marginals & emergent plants - these sit on the ledges of ponds or in the shallower areas. In container ponds they would usually sit on bricks or on the base of the pond depending on the depth of the container. Most marginals will sit between 2cm and 20cm deep
Oxygenators - these either float in the water or sit on the bottom. They provide oxygen to pond and are essential in a wildlife pond
It will take a while for your pond to find its natural balance between water and plants which means that you may well find that you get a lot of algae in the first year. Don't worry about this though. Keep removing it throughout the summer to ensure the pond doesn't get clogged or depleted of oxygen, keep your oxygenators topped up as some tend to fizzle out in their first year, and by next season you should notice a difference.
In the autumn and early winter you should start cutting back the dying foliage and flowers just like you would for ground plants. Keep on removing an algae that is still forming and your pond will be ready for winter. Then sit back and wait for new emerging plant growth in spring and hopefully the arrival of lots of new wildlife.