What style of pond?

If you have never had a pond before it pays to spend some time deciding what type of pond you want. Do you want an ornamental pond with a fountain? Or do you want a pond that attracts wildlife? If you are going to keep fish, will it be a specialised pond for keeping koi?
Depending on the answer to the above questions you then need to decide on the size and shape of pond. The other consideration will be maintenance in and around the pond that needs to take place once a week otherwise your hobby could turn into a chore. Don’t rush into a decision, as it could be a costly mistake.

A Pond for fish

There are lots of different fish that will live happily in a pond in your garden. There are goldfish, shubunkins, orfe and tench not to mention the famous koi. The pond will need to hold about 900 litres of water and should be at least 24 inches deep (this allows the fish to survive a cold winter). Koi need a great deal of space to thrive so make the pond as big as you can. Experience has shown that most people who start a pond will want to enlarge it sometimes twice more before they are happy with the size of pond. Large ponds are usually easier to maintain and the fish will thrive.

A Wildlife pond

In this more enlightened age, we are all encouraged to feed the birds and look after the wildlife we share our gardens with and creating a wildlife pond is a great way to do this. If you have a garden that gets lots of sun the majority of plants will prefer this situation, however, full shade is not a good position for a pond as the plants will not thrive. Some shade is needed and can be created by planting a deciduous tree in the correct place.

Types of pond

Liner ponds are probably the most widely used as you can create the size and shape you want (within the constrictions of the chosen site). The pond is dug out and an underlay is put down first to protect the pond liner from sharp objects that could puncture it and cause a leak. A concrete ‘collar’ needs to be constructed around the shape of the pond to give rigidity to the area if people are likely to stand on the edge of the pond. The paving or other material you chose to put around the edge of the pond will camouflage the concrete and the pond liner.
Rigid pond shells offer a convenient and trouble-free method of creating a pond. There are several different shapes to choose from and are light enough to enable you to move it around until you find a suitable position to place it. Make sure there are no tree roots or drains nearby that can interfere with the pond. Check for any damage i.e. holes or cracks before putting it in the ground.
A patio pond can be created using any form of rigid shape and a wall can be created around it. There are new shaped materials on the market that can be used to create the walls making job this much easier. The materials can be dry laid and this means you can move the pond in the winter. As you lay the walling ensure that it is level and upright as it would be unstable and could be dangerous and even fall over. If you want to add lighting or a fountain it’s a good idea to site it close to power points.