Home               Building a Pond However big or small your garden may be, a water feature will provide pleasure and relaxation for years to come
	Water adds a precious extra dimension, reflecting light, widening planting opportunities and encouraging wildlife. Still pools are restful, tinkling fountains bring a pond to life and waterfalls or cascades can look as beautiful as genuine streams. You can select the size and design to suit your site - and your pocket - choose from a large, natural-looking pond, perhaps incorporating a bog garden, to a simple wall-mounted fountain. You could even create a tiny water garden in a half barrel and stand it on your patio.

	Site preparation
	A water feature can be installed at any time of year but spring is the optimum season since the plants will be starting to grow and give the quickest results. Step 1: Think about where to site your pond, then choose the style and size that will suit you. Bold features look best, so go for the biggest affordable and the biggest that will fit your chosen spot.
	Level sites are easier to prepare than sloping ones.
	Hose marking out kidney shaped pond Step 2: Measure and mark out the area with string or, for a natural pond, create the desired shape with a hose-pipe.
	Position the pond away from large trees if possible - autumn leaves could collect in the water and spoil it - and choose an open or semi-shaded spot.

	Installing a rigid pond
	Rigid, prefabricated ponds are quick and easy to install. They come in a wide choice of shapes and sizes, complete with moulded planting shelves to suit most water plants. To install: Step 1: Dig a hole that will accommodate the mould. Step 2: Ensure that the mould is perfectly level. Step 3: Back-fill around the mould, constantly checking that the ground is level.
	If your subsoil consists of heavy clay, you can develop a natural pond simply by digging a hole to the desired shape, puddling the clay with your feet to compact it, smoothing over the sides and then filling with water.

	Installing a liner pond - Liner size
	Flexible plastic liners enable you to select whatever shape or size you want, from formal ponds with symmetrical shapes - rectangles, circles, ovals, half-moons, etc - to natural features with variable margins.
	Reasonably durable and inexpensive, PVC or polyethylene sheeting is easily repaired and ideal for small or medium-sized ponds.
	To calculate the size of pond liner needed you should double the depth measurement and add that figure to the pond's intended width and to its length. Then, add a further 45cm (18in) to both length and breadth as a safety margin. Here's how it goes, step by step:
	Step 1: Decide on the final maximum dimensions of the pond, e.g. 300cm x 150cm (10ft x 5ft). If the pond is irregular in shape, you'll need to calculate a rectangle into which it will fit. Step 2: Decide on the maximum depth - 45cm (18in) is the most likely. Double that and add it to both length and breadth of the pond. Step 3: Now add the extra margin - for shelves and folds - of 45cm (18in) to both length and breadth.
	If you want to incorporate a bog area, extend the size of your flexible liner.
	Example: A pond which is 300cm and 150cm by 45cm deep needs a liner 300cm + 90cm + 45cm (= 435cm) by 150cm + 90cm + 45cm (= 285cm). Imperially, that is 10ft + 3ft + 18in (= 14ft 6in) by 5ft + 3ft + 18in (= 9ft 6in).
	If your subsoil consists of heavy clay, you can develop a natural pond simply by digging a hole to the desired shape, puddling the clay with your feet to compact it, smoothing over the sides and then filling with water.

	Installing a liner pond - Hole preparation
	Section of a pond Step 1: Excavate the hole in the desired shape, developing a shelf for marginals which is at least 23cm (9in) wide and roughly 23cm below the intended water surface. Allow the sides to slope slightly outwards - up to 20 degrees from the vertical.
	At the start of excavation, carefully remove the topsoil and store it, either for use elsewhere or to enrich the planting site around the pond. Subsoil is less valuable and can be distributed around the garden.
	Step 2: Once the hole is dug, remove all sharp objects such as stones, twigs or roots. Make a thorough check, running your hands gently over the whole area, smoothing the soil as you go. Constantly check and re-check levels, while you prepare the site. The edges of the pond must be plumb on all sides if the water is to sit, natural and level, in its hole with none of the liner showing. Step 3: To protect the liner further, add a 5cm (2in) layer of sand over the entire area, continuing the smoothing action. Moist sand is easier to work with than dry sand and more likely to stay put on the sloping sides. An inter-liner, made of old carpet or several layers of garden fleece, hugely reduces the chance of the liner being punctured and is strongly recommended.
	If you want to incorporate a bog area, extend the size of your flexible liner and create a shallow depression at one end of the pond site. Ensure the liner's edges are level with those of the intended pond. This can be backfilled with soil.

	Installing a liner pond - Fitting the liner & filling
	It is far easier for two people to fit the liner, than trying it on your own. Pick a warm, windless day and lay the liner out in the sun for a while before you start. When warm, the liner will be more flexible and easier to handle.
	Section of a pond Step 1: Lay the liner across the hole, gently stretching or folding the fabric so that it lies in the correct position, with plenty of spare on all sides. Smooth it over, starting at the bottom, tucking in the corners as neatly as possible - like tucking a bedsheet with hospital corners. Lay a few stones or bricks round the edges, to prevent the liner from slipping into the hole. Step 2: If you are planning a bog section, place the soil in position now, checking that it contains nothing sharp. See the previous section, 'Hole preparation' for instructions on how to prepare your bog area.   •  Alternatively, lay turfs, grass side down, in the bog site. Step 3: Place the hose in the bottom of the pond, anchor it with something heavy (but not sharp) and begin to fill. As the water level rises continue to smooth the sides and tuck in the corners, allowing the weight of the water to hold the liner in its final position. Step 4: When the pond is full to the desired level, trim off any surplus liner, being sure to leave at least 30cm (1ft) of spare all around.

	Edging
	The final task is to decide on what edging the pond is to have. Paving Paving is one of the simplest and most effective ways of edging a pond. Step 1: Lay a surround of paving slabs - remembering to set these a touch lower than grass level if setting them in a lawn to facilitate grass mowing.   Overhanging slabs     Step 2: The water level should come right to the folded top of the liner, and the slabs laid, preferably with a little cement, to hold down the backward fold. Set your slabs with a slight overhang. As well as looking better, this will help to hide the liner, and to protect it from direct sunlight which could degrade it.   Rounded pebble edge Natural edging A more natural pond can be edged with shallow, sloping sides where the liner is held down by soil, by turf or by large, rounded pebbles. This will make it easier for marginal plants to be established, and for animals such as frogs to move in and out of the water.
	Final turfed edges Where turf is used up to the pond edge, consider allowing a narrow band of the waterside grasses to grow tall, to create a more natural effect. Marginal plants can then be encouraged to merge with that part of the lawn.

	Water features - Waterfalls
	A waterfall can be incorporated into any kind of pond, adding drama by bringing sound and movement. Providing running water also improves the habitat by helping to aerate the water. You will need an electric pump and a pre-constructed waterfall. Alternatively, you can design a fall for yourself, using either concrete or flexible lining material. Make sure your construction is fully waterproof. A pond can soon empty itself through leaks in a waterfall! Falls can be natural cascades set at various angles, or more formal curtains of water created to give a dramatic visual and sound effect. Water running over rocks or pebbles will create purling ripples that tinkle and chatter; water moving over flat stones creates a quieter flow.
	Experiment with different water effects by trying alternative stone arrangements until you hit on the design that suits you best.

	Water features - Fountains
	The choice of styles and types of fountain is almost infinite, from simple vertical jet patterns to a whole range of complicated waterworks, either on their own or incorporated into sculptures. Most of these water features will operate on a low volume submersible pump, fitted with a volume regulator and by-pass valve. All but the smallest pumps carry sufficient volume to operate a small waterfall and a modest fountain at the same time. Pumps normally have built-in foam filters but if you are keeping fish in your pond you should install a plastic tank containing foam filters that remove debris, and a layer of biological filter medium to extract pollutants. The filter tank can be concealed behind rocks and plants, if desired.   Bubble fountain Bubble fountains Bubble fountains bring all the interest, movement and delight of a bigger water feature without the need to install a pond. Step 1: Sink a large waterproof container, such as a half-barrel or round plastic trough, into the round so that its rim is at ground level. Step 2: Install the submersible pump and mount a layer of rigid small-meshed galvanised netting or polythene box-section mesh just below the rim of the container. Give added support beneath, if necessary, with bricks or sturdy upturned plastic flowerpots. Step 3: Cover the mesh with large round pebbles and fill with water. Adjust the pump output to create a gentle flow, wetting the pebbles or use a geyser effect to produce a gushing, eye-catching feature. Make sure no water spills over the edge of the container and top up regularly.
	The same design can be used for a 'Millstone' fountain installing a flat round millstone whose central hole is used for the water jet.
	Ornamental fountains Ornamental fountains A jet or multiple jets of water can be set to splash into an open container. These are especially effective when used as wall-mounted fittings, using such features as a lion's head or a spouting gargoyle. A small pump is needed and can be submersible, within the container, or concealed nearby.
	To create a special effect, why not light up your water feature? You could even consider underwater lighting, but do take special care with such installations and always consult a professional electrician.