Pond tips?

[MrsTartanTeacosy]

Hello everyone,

I’m thinking about putting a pond in my back garden - unnecessarily really, I suppose, for nature as there is a burn 150 yards away. I think I’d enjoy the serenity of one though. Does anyone have any tips/hints/plant recommendations? Just liner or a hard shell? The area I’m thinking of is approximately 2.5m x 1m.

Thanks

I have two ponds both natural ponds. I’d make it as large as possible, 1m is not very wide. Depth is important, I’d go for at least 1m. Personally I would use a liner, you have more control over the shape. A shallow end with rocks so that creatures can climb out. Don’t place it under a tree canopy.
Planting around the edge gives shelter to frogs and newts.

I think it may depend on the style of your garden, if it is more formal then perhaps a preformed fibre glass pond would suit, whilst a more 'cottage garden' style may suit an irregular shape which can be achieved with a flexible liner.
A flexible liner is probably more work to install but either will create a large amount of spoil. (The heap seems to bigger than the hole you get it out off!)
So you need to consider how to get rid of it, spread it around the garden or put it into bags sewn into some trousers and spread it about park and road verges!

Is your garden secure? You do need to make sure stray toddlers can't wander in and fall in. Seems unlikely but it has happened and could be disastrous. I would also think about how you want to edge it so you can safely access it for maintaining it. You don't want slide in to it yourself, it will swiftly develop a very muddy bottom!

Mine is a very rustic cottage garden style 😆. I’m lucky enough to be able to deal with the spoil easily, so think I’ll give another think about size and get digging. I have no idea about pond side planting, but water irises grow prolifically in the village so will definitely use those.

Please put a ramp or a rock border in to help any wildlife that goes for an unexpected dip. The bees and birds will appreciate it too

Yes, my garden is fully secure, luckily. Also - my neighbours are my relatives so all will be aware before they have visitors that the pond is there!
Edging will be rocks…DP used to work at the quarry so there’s an abundance available. 😊

Sounds good!

I have Siberian Lilies, Crainsbill geraniums, hostas and Astilbes growing round mine. The Hostas grow well because the frogs eat the slugs.

Put yourself in the mind of a hedgehog or a baby bird that's fallen in, and make sure that there is an accessible way out of the pond.

Not Lilies, Irises!

Don't put any pondside plants near thar are too big. The roots take over and kill everything in the pond.

If you are looking to put fish in there, make sure you have a filter and know a thing or two about nitrifying bacteria.

I've got a burn too, flowing through a gorge with waterfalls. I have a pond but it's formal, on the grounds that nature's already doing something wild and lovely and I couldn't possible compete with that. Actually we spent more time faffing around with the pond than just about any other area. Either it's the colour pea soup or there's a dodgy algae or the water lilies need splitting - there always seems to be something. It's full of newts and damsel flies even though it is formal. And it does attract the midges, I'm sorry to say.
Liner is easy but it's quite hard to get a good looking margin. I hate, loathe and detest ponds where you can see liner at the edge.

Do a Google for "wildlife ponds" and you'll get lots of reputable advice.

You only need a deep pond if you want fish. Otherwise 30cm is plenty and a width of 1m is fine. If you want a pond lily you'll have to go to 45cm deep.

A flexible liner is easier to fit. If you're able to fill it with rainwater it'll settle in much quicker than with tap water. Also worth getting a bucket of water from a local pond to add in once it's settled for bugs etc.

There have been several recent threads on here about ponds, worth using the search function

Thanks everyone.
@Bideshi I’m the same about seeing liner, loathe it. The stone-faced liner looks good for this issue!
I measured the two possible areas today - one is 4m x 1.5m and at the back of the garden, I quite like the idea of a stepping stone path to it, and the second is tucked away behind the shed and could be a rounder shape of over 2m diameter. But not viewable from the house or one seating area at all.
I won’t be adding fish, think the burn is the best option for them! I would quite like to add a solar pump for movement of water of some kind but unsure if my area of Scotland would actually ever get enough sunlight for it to function 😆.