Creating an Ideal Pond

A pond can be a lovely addition to any garden, you can make them as big or as small as you like, making them incredibly versatile. You can also decorate them to your taste, making them a wildlife haven if you love animals, or a pretty focal point if that is what you would prefer. If you are lacking inspiration when it comes to ponds, this article could provide you with some ideas on how to create the perfect pond for you and your garden.

Don’t Over-Preen Your Pond

Even if you love your garden to look perfectly tidy, the pond is an area in which you can relax a bit. Of course, you shouldn’t forget about trimming back dead and dry plants, but you don’t have to go crazy with preening and cutting them. Allowing plants around your ponds to remain in a more natural state will encourage wildlife to use it as their habitat. Remember, not all insects are bad, some are quite beautiful, and they will attract amazing birds to your pond area.

Adjust The Depth

Different pond wildlife will thrive in different depths of water, and varying the depth of your pond is a great way of accommodating a variety of species. Shallow water is ideal for birds to bathe in and drink from. Similarly, tadpoles and water snails will love warmer, shallow water, whereas you can choose fish that will thrive in deeper waters.

Keep It Clean

Just because we warn to not over-preen your pond area, doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t and can’t keep it clean. Regularly check the pond for debris and remove leaves and any litter from the surface. Too much debris on the surface could restrict the oxygen in the pond, making it more difficult for animals in the pond.

Stay Safe

If your garden is shared with small children playing or running around the pond area, you should ensure that they will be safe if they were to trip. Of course, if your pond is very shallow, your worry won’t be as great, but it is still better to have some form of safety protection in use, just in case. If falling in wouldn’t necessarily be dangerous, you might want to simply create a border of plants or a small fence to really make your pond obvious to people. However, if you would rather be completely safe, a sheet of netting will do the trick. Most of the time, this netting is practically invisible, so it won’t affect the appearance of your garden.

Light It Up

Enjoy your garden even after the sun has gone down with pond lighting. Pond lighting can be used to highlight the best part of your pond, turning it from a wildlife haven during the day, to a stunning focal point by night. It can also help with garden safety, as it makes your garden obvious to anyone walking around it in the dark.

Do you have any more tips on how to create an ideal pond? Share your ideas!

[Photo Credit: ell brown]