Incorporating A Garden Pond And Fountain Into Your Garden

 

I have always had a fascination with ponds and, like many schoolboys, I collected frog spawn but I had the distinct advantage of having my own pond in the garden and I could watch them grow to adulthood and return to spawn. However there was an unfortunate problem that developed in that many locals, upon discovering a frog or toad in their garden, would kindly deliver them back to me so I ended up being almost a local sanctuary. The addition of a pond to any garden is a major investment and, if you choose to have a garden pond fountain, it can be rather more complicated than one might first consider it to be. Below is a very brief introduction to the topic of ponds which, I am sure, we will return to on many occasions in the future.

Planning A Pond

Planning is vital when installing any garden feature but with ponds there are a few considerations that are exclusive to water features. The very first issue is where to site your pond. Even this question is influenced by such matters of whether you will also be including a garden pond fountain as this, or rather the pump, will require a power source. You have two basic options here in that you can choose to locate your pond and fountain near to an external power supply or near an outbuilding, such as a shed, workshop or garage, which may already have a supply. Otherwise you will, most certainly, need to employ a professional to install a suitably shielded cable at the correct depths etc.

You will also need to consider where in your backyard will cause least problems for your pond. You need to avoid placing it near deciduous trees whose leaves will foul the water but you will want some shade as placing any water feature in direct sun is asking for uncontrollable algae growth. If you get the balance correct you can be sure that your pond plants will flourish and any fish will thrive.

With regards to pond plants and your garden pond fountain you need to understand that a water lily much prefers still water than flowing. If you wish to incorporate both into your garden design remember to place the lily well away from the fountain if you want it to do well and flower often.

One final tip before I close this introductory article is to make sure that the area you are to have your pond is perfectly level. This may sound obvious but many people make the mistake of just checking by eye and as soon as it is filled with water the higher side exposes the problem with the sides of the pond being exposed. As remedies are difficult please remember to use a spirit level, and a plank, as often as possible.

As you should consider a pond a permanent structure it is vital that you avoid all problems and for this reason we will be returning to this topic sooner rather than later. I have about 30 years experience of garden ponds and garden pond fountains and I have many useful tips to share. In the next article in our series takes a look at how to add a fountain to a rock garden and because rock gardens can look superb backing a garden pond you might want to consider this as an alternative to having one in the actual pond itself.

 

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