Adding a garden pond to your garden can transform it into a classy and attractive space for you to enjoy.
Within days your pond will attract many different types of birds and other creatures for you to enjoy watching.
With a little thought and preparation, you can create a pond that is both a haven for wildlife and a wonderful centerpiece.
Is your garden suitable?
Most reasonably sized gardens are suitable for a pond. Ideally, the area should be flat, slightly elevated, and well-drained.
The size of the garden should dictate the size of the pond, a large pond in a small garden will take over the space while a small pond in a large garden can be quite underwhelming.
Where In My Garden Should I Put It?
There are a few things to consider when you are deciding where to install your pond. A great way to give yourself an idea of a location is to lay down a flexible pipe roughly in the shape of your pond will be.
This will allow you to consider access and allow you to view the area from all areas in the garden.
Here are some other points to consider:
- Try and choose the area of your garden that receives the most sun as plants and wildlife will thrive in warmer conditions.
- Take care to avoid any underground pipes or wires when digging!
- If there are trees in your garden try and build the pond away from them. Come Autumn and Winter this will help to avoid a build-up of fallen leaves over the water.
- Ideally, the area should be slightly elevated, flat, and well-drained. Ponds installed in low-lying areas are prone to flooding so avoid these areas.
- Do you want to view your pond from a certain area of your house?
- The filter and pump will require electricity so make sure that the area can be reached by your power source.
- Ponds that are out of sight are often neglected.
- Do you want a seating area around the pool? Make sure there is enough space for it.
- Remember that you may want to include some border plants or stones. Leave an appropriate amount of space to facilitate planting and allow for growth.
What Will I Need?
We have everything (bar the elbow grease) that you need available online or in-store at Petworld.
Here is a list of what you will need to get started:
- A plan – Taking into account all the information provided so far, outline the steps that you need to take and work out how long it will take you. Any garden work is weather dependent so plan well in advance. A few quick sketches and a visual representation of the outline, as suggested above, will save you time in the long run.
- You will need the necessary tools to dig a suitable hole in the shape of your pond. Digging a large hole can be strenuous so extra help may be needed at this time.
- Flexible pool liner – A flexible pool liner made of high-quality PVC will allow shaping your pond to fit the hole you have dug. Remember to be careful when installing it to avoid any holes. A pond underlay will protect your liner from sharp rocks or stones preventing tears and leakages. A pond underlay can also reduce excessive localized stretching of the liner when ground settlement occurs over time.
- Skimmer net – A quality skimmer net is used to remove any debris such as leaves or branches from your pond.
- A pond pump and filter – These are necessary to ensure that the water quality is suitable. We will discuss them in-depth in the next section.
- Water quality and maintenance products – are important for maintaining the quality of water in your pond. The next section will cover these in more detail.
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Filtration, Water Quality, and Pond Maintenance
To preserve the quality of the water in your pond the first thing you will need is a pond filtration system. The filter you choose is dependent on the size of the pond. Why do you need a pond filter? A pond filter we recommend is the Blagdon Pond Filter 6000 9W. It creates a clean and healthy environment for your fish to thrive very little pond maintenance is required due to the unique five-stage filter design.
If you have more questions, reach out to our nearest petworld store or call us now