A guide to setting up your first pond, whether it be a Fish or Nature Pond!
A pond makes a wonderful addition to any garden. They are great attractors of a diverse selection of wildlife; they make a beautiful feature and can be a great hobby! Ponds are incredibly customisable making them perfect for all gardens and larger green spaces.
It is essential that before going ahead with anything you carefully plan your pond. In this article we will talk you through everything you need to be thinking about before you start digging your pond. It will also feature links to other articles which detail further things such as pond plant choices and filter suggestions.
What you need to get started:
Pond Liner or a Preformed Fiberglass Pond
Appropriate digging equipment - dependant on size
Stone Edging ( or another appropriate edging design )
Plants - Some for the Margins and other Oxygenating Varieties
Pond Filter ( optional )
How to Start Planning:
Location:
The first, and most important, thing to think about is location. If you want a pond that will survive the test of time you must think carefully about where it will be in the garden. Ideally the location should be exposed to sunlight for around 5/6 hours per day; try, if possible, to avoid over hanging trees and areas where lots of leaves fall. If these make it in to the pond they will rot down, forming a layer of sludge / silt on the bottom. It is also worth choosing a location that you frequent in summer. Nothing is more enjoyable than being able to sit next to the pond on a summers evening and watch natures beauty.
Size:
When you are thinking about setting up a pond size is very important. This is very much determined by your intentions with the pond and also environmental factors, such as how much space you have available. If you want it solely as a wildlife pond, try to create a pond that is at least 250 litres in total volume. If you are thinking about goldfish you will need a pond of at least 500 litres - remember though, larger is always better. We recommend ponds around 1000-2000 litres if you want a large group of goldfish. Finally, if you are thinking about Koi carp, or natural carp, 4500 litres is the minimum volume. This will happily house 3 fully grown koi. Aim to make it at least 3ft deep so they will survive winter period, deeper is better if you can!
Pond Style:
You have a choice between a flexible butyl or PVC liner or a pre moulded pond! Both are good options depending on your desires for the pond! Pre formed ponds make great wildlife ponds, as often this is what they are made for, and are incredibly easy to install. They do the hard work for you and you simply need to dig a hole for it, line with some kind of fleece / carpet underlay and fill the gaps with sand!
We hope this article has been helpful and we wish you the best of luck in setting up your new pond! We have other articles on topics such as Pond Filters, Pond Plants and much more!
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