Why water makes such a difference
Water is often the missing ingredient in a garden. Birds need it for drinking and bathing, insects need it for drinking and, in many cases, for breeding, and mammals such as hedgehogs will drink from it when conditions are dry. A pond also adds a different habitat, with its own plants and small animals, which tends to increase the variety of life in a garden.
Dragonflies, damselflies, water beetles, pond snails, frogs, toads and newts are among the animals that may use a garden pond, depending on where you live and what is nearby. Species vary by region, and some will not appear however well the pond is built.
Start with safety
Any open water carries a risk, and that matters most for young children.
- Think carefully before installing a pond if small children visit or live at the property. Some people choose to wait until children are older, or to use a raised or fenced pond, or a feature with a rigid grille just beneath the surface. A shallow container or a bird bath is often a safer starting point.
- Make sure animals can get out. Gentle slopes, a stack of stones or a log ramp let hedgehogs, frogs and other animals climb out if they fall in. Steep, slippery liner edges are a common cause of drowning.
- Keep electrics away. If you add a pump or fountain, use equipment designed for outdoor use and have mains-powered fittings installed by someone qualified. Solar-powered pumps avoid the issue, though a pond with moving water is not always better for wildlife, because still water suits many amphibians.
- Check local rules. Rules about excavation, drainage and pond depth near boundaries or utilities can vary, so look into this before digging.
If you do not have your own outdoor space, school grounds and community gardens sometimes include a pond, and volunteering there can be a good way to learn how one is looked after.
Options at different scales
A shallow dish or tray. A saucer or plant tray kept topped up with fresh water, with a few stones for perching, helps birds, bees and other insects. Clean and refill it often, because stagnant water can harbour germs.
A pot pond. A watertight container, such as a half barrel or a large glazed pot, sunk into the ground or placed on a patio can hold a few water plants and attract small invertebrates. It will heat up and cool quickly, and may dry out in summer, so it needs more attention than a larger pond. A container with no drainage hole also needs a way to stop it filling with excess rainwater, and an exit ramp is needed.
A small in-ground pond. A hole lined with a flexible pond liner, or a preformed rigid pond, can be dug in a sunny or partly shaded spot. This is the option most associated with frogs and newts.
Shape, depth and position
For a wildlife pond, advice from conservation groups tends to repeat a few themes.
- Variable depth. A deeper area, often about 60 cm or more in the deepest part, helps animals survive frost and heat, while shallow edges and a sloping beach let animals enter and leave and give plants a place to grow.
- Gentle edges. At least one side should slope gradually rather than dropping steeply.
- Sun and shade. A position that gets sun for part of the day, with some shade from nearby planting, usually works better than full shade, where leaves fall in and little grows, or full sun, where water can warm excessively and algae can bloom.
- Away from large trees. Falling leaves rot in the water and can use up oxygen. If a tree is nearby, a net over the pond in autumn can help.
- Near cover. Long grass, shrubs or a log pile beside the pond give frogs and newts shelter on land, where they spend much of their lives.
Filling and planting
Rainwater is generally better than tap water for a pond, because tap water carries nutrients that tend to encourage algae. A water butt connected to a downpipe is an easy source, and rainwater harvesting is a good habit for the garden anyway. Where you have to use tap water, some people let it stand for a few days and accept that the pond may go green at first before settling.
Plant a mix of types: oxygenating plants that live below the surface, marginal plants at the edge, and perhaps a floating-leaved plant to give some shade. Choose plants that are suitable for ponds in your region, and choose native plants where you can, because several non-native pond species are invasive and can spread into local waterways. Never release pond plants or animals into the wild, and be careful when you dispose of surplus plant material, for example by composting it somewhere it cannot reach a ditch or stream.
Avoid adding fish to a wildlife pond. Fish eat tadpoles and many invertebrates, and goldfish can also stir up mud. Avoid moving frogspawn or tadpoles from other ponds, since it can spread disease and is not usually needed. Amphibians tend to find a suitable pond on their own if there is one within reach.
Looking after the pond
A healthy wildlife pond needs less work than many people expect.
- Let it settle. It is normal for new ponds to turn green or cloudy during the first year. Resist the urge to empty and refill it.
- Top up with rainwater in dry spells rather than tap water if you can.
- Thin plants in autumn if they begin to crowd the surface, and leave cuttings at the edge for a day or two so that small creatures can return to the water.
- Avoid chemical treatments. Algaecides and similar products can harm the animals you are trying to attract.
- Do not skim every bit of weed. Some algae and duckweed are part of a working pond. Remove only as much as you need.
- Clear ice carefully. Do not smash ice, since the shock can harm animals. Thaw a small hole by resting a pan of warm water on the surface.
What to expect
New ponds often attract flying insects within weeks or months. Frogs and newts may arrive in the first season or later, or never, depending on how many are in the neighbourhood. A pond is not a quick fix, and in dry summers it may need extra care. But once established, it is among the most rewarding wildlife features a garden can offer, and even a small shallow dish provides real value on a hot day.