Garden Ponds

How to make a garden pond

You should start by deciding where in your garden you'd like to create your pond and mark out the size and area. Is it going to be misshapen or a perfect circle? You can get creative here and decide what exactly you want it to look like. 

Firstly, you'll need some pond liner to stop water from escaping from your pond and into your garden soil. By a general rule of thumb, you should measure the length of your desired pond and multiply it by how deep it is going to be – then repeat for width.

Add around 50cm for overlap to secure the liner. Dig out the area, but not too deep, removing the turf. Keep the pieces of turf as these can be used to round the pond and help secure the liner.

Shallow water is key to attracting wildlife to your water. Remove any stones, add the liner, then add water. You can use rainwater or water from a garden hose to fill this up.

Does a garden pond need a pump?

You should install a garden pond pump if you're planning on having fish in it to help remove dirt and excrement from the water and keeping it oxygenated. Even if you don’t choose to have fish in your water, a pump will help remove algae and prevent the water from becoming smelly. Because the pond is artificial, it doesn’t have a natural ecosystem to keep it clean and healthy like in the wild. It is encased in a pond liner, so will need the assistance of a pond pump.

How do I stop my pond from overflowing when it rains?

The UK is prone to bouts of heavy rainfall which can be pretty unpredictable. Avoid ruining all your hard work and plan ahead for overflowing by installing a drainage system with an overflow pipe. Place your pipe on the natural water line to avoid it cascading over the side and into your garden. To prevent losing any valuable plants or fish, place a mesh screening over the pipe.

Where is the best place to put a pond in a garden?

The ideal spot for your garden pond is somewhere that will have sun earlier in the day and shade in the afternoon. If it is built in direct sunlight all day with no chance to cool down, the water temperature can rise, reduce levels of oxygen, and allow algae to grow much quicker.