The start of a new year brings new life into your routine, relationships, and living space. At this time of year most of us will find ourselves resolving to improve our habits, or committing ourselves to a new project.
Having passed the heart of winter, spring and the beginning of the gardening season are beckoning. There are only so many hanging basket combinations, raised beds and different types of vegetables you can try before you are cycling through tried and tested ideas. Why not try transforming your garden with a pond?
The amazing thing about ponds is they can completely reorient your garden. Ponds attract wildlife such as birds, frogs and insects by creating new breeding grounds and offering bathing spots. Of course, they are also beautiful. Imagine looking out to your garden now to see the sun reflecting off of rippling water, as frogs dance from lily pad to lily pad – pretty good, right?
The difficult thing is making this happen, which is why we have made this handy guide for creating a great pond in your backyard.
Where to put it?
Choose a warm, sunny section of your garden for your pond, as those conditions will help plants and wildlife to thrive. Try to avoid overhanging trees as leaves can fill up the pond, but surrounding foliage and bushes are good habitat and cover for wildlife. Remember to avoid underground obstacles such as cables and drainpipes.
Designing your pond
There are a few basic rules you need to follow when designing a pond. Ensure there are shallow, sloping slides to allow any animals that might fall in a way to get out. Deep-water areas are important, too, to stop dramatic water temperature changes that put fish and pond life under stress.
While there are no hard and fast rules about size and shape, it is best to design the shape with a natural border to the rest of your garden. The water will need plenty of pondweed.
Constructing your pond
This is the most complicated aspect of putting a pond in your backyard, but many firms like Ace Construction Texas offer pond construction services. So, if you aren’t so confident with this bit, be sure to check out a local company.
- Start digging the area you’ve marked out and remove any stones as you go.
- Once you’ve dug the planned area, put down a layer of sand.
- Dig a trench around the outside for overhanging pond liner.
- Carefully place the liner in the trench and then weigh it down with sand.
Filling it with water
It is best to avoid tap water because it contains nutrients like nitrates, which can cause algae. Instead, fill your pond up with rainwater. Either collect water in buckets and use this to fill up your pond or allow the rains to fill up the pond naturally (this can take a few weeks). Once the pond is full, allow it to settle for a week or so. Install solar aerators as well for proper circulation of water.
Choosing your plants
The fun bit! In general, plants will grow pretty easily around the pond, but it is still important to choose a good variety; your plants should be attractive and remember they have a function to fulfill, too. You will need four types of plants, which are known as:
- Totally submerged
- Submerged with floating leaves
- Emergent
- Marginal
Your plants should give cover to wildlife, allow pond life to lay eggs, and provide shade to creatures under the water.
Bottom Line
Once you’re all done, you can kick back every morning and enjoy a view of your stunning new water feature. You’ll be happy you committed to this new years resolution!
