No matter whether you have a small and limited garden, or plenty of spare space, water can make it more interesting and attractive. Wildlife such as toads, newts and dragonflies, which wouldn’t otherwise be interested in your dry terrain, will miraculously find your little aquatic haven and before long they’ll be calling it home and raising their families. Amphibious creatures will come and go through the seasons and many of them make good pest controllers. Bird life will value the shallow edges for drinking and bathing, as will small mammals.
But we are getting a little ahead of ourselves. First you must decide on a suitable location for your pond – some shade is beneficial, but not where too many leaves fall. It’s also advisable to pick a spot where you can have easy access so it’s less likely to become neglected. For small scale ponds there’s a choice between flexible liners and rigid, pre-formed shapes. In either case, line your hole with sharp sand so it can be moulded as you want it and eliminates the risk of sharp stones puncturing the liner. For large scale ponds clay can be formed to provide a more natural type of look, but this can be quite a project. Whatever size or form you end up with, you won’t be disappointed with the new array of life coming to your garden.
As well as the little visitors mentioned earlier, humans rather like the presence of natural, or semi-natural, water too. Ponds, waterfalls and fountains offer a place for contemplation providing a mirror to the sky and surrounding landscape. If you also add in moving water, by means of a pump or, if you’re fortunate, a natural stream, then you’ll enjoy the pleasing sound of water trickling its way along. Take safety precautions, children in particular will be intrigued by water in the garden (especially if it’s accompanied by waterfalls, fountains or streams). Once that is sorted they may like temporarily capturing ‘mini-beasts’ and observing their behaviour before releasing them back again. For children and adults alike, somehow, water can stir the imagination and have a calming influence too.
A pond is not just about the water, though. There are the accompanying plants which thrive in the shallow areas around the edges of your water feature. Known as ‘marginals’ they root down into the banks of natural ponds. However, in something man-made, gardeners need to provide ‘baskets’ of suitable growing medium, which sit on integral ‘shelves’ incorporated into the structure of the pond. The marginal plants often have long strap-like leaves and attractive flowers. It’s this sort of growth which attracts dragonflies and damselflies in particular.
For those with expansive budgets and space – and a desire to be really at one with the aquatic world – there are ‘swimming ponds’. They offer the chance to swim in clear water without a trace of chemicals, as well as sustaining a wide array of wildlife. There’s also the advantage of increasing the biodiversity of a garden and they can merge into the landscape beautifully.
For advice and more information we recommend homeandgardenaquatics.co.uk and theswimmingpondcompany.co.uk
