A garden pond, even a small one, is not only the easiest way of enriching wildlife and the biodiversity (diversity of species) in a garden but also requires much less initial work and maintenance than most other garden features such as flower beds, lawns, etc.
Not only will the inhabitants of the pond enrich the garden's wildlife, but many creatures will be attracted to drink and bathe in the water. The pond creatures are also friends of the gardener with, for example, frogs feeding on slugs and dragon flies on midges.
Although a pond may take about four or five years to become established, it is remarkeable how quickly even an urban pond in a city centre will be colonised. Dragon flies, water boatmen and diving beetles frequently appear within a day or two of filling the pond.
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If you have toddlers or young children or they are likely to visit your garden, ensure that the pond is covered with a mesh with large holes -
young children can drown in only a few inches of water!
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If you are constructing a pond for wildlife, do not put fish in it because they will simply eat everything else in the pond. You may want to build a second pond for fish.
Plant you pond with native species; exotic species have no natural enemies in this country and will take over the pond.
Do not add any chemicals - any well planted pond will provide all the necessary nutrients and oxygen. Also avoid nutrient-rich material when planting your pond as the nutrients will become dissolved in the water and ecourage excessive algae growth.
Do as much maintenance as possible during the dormant winter months to enable the pond creatures to establish their territories while active.
Leaving an area of grass by the pond unmown until October will provide shelter for live amphibians. Use this area for sowing wild flowers (packets of mixed seeds are availabe in most garden centers and the large DIY stores) - these will attract many other creatures such as butterflies.
Keep the water level topped up, particularly in hot weather, but top up little and often otherwise the sudden temperature change may kill some creatures.
Remove autumn leaves to avoid nutrient imbalance but do check beneath them for invertebrates which might be hidden underneath.
A plastic football left floating in the pond in winter will be blown about by the wind breaking up ice as it forms and leaving an opening for animals to enter or leave.
Do not move frogspawn other other wildlife into or out of the pond as you may be moving diseases with them.
Do not release non-native species into your pond or creatures from your pond into the wild.
Visiting your pond after dark you may encounter many creatures which hide during the daytime.
All or most of these native species should be available in any large garden centre, especially one which has a specialist pond section.
| Shallow Areas |
| Amphibious Bistort | Polygonum amphibium |
| Arrowhead | Sagittaria latifolia |
| Brooklime | Veronica beccabunga |
| Frogbit | Hydrocharis morsus-ranae |
| Marsh Cinquefoil | Ranunculus aquatilis |
| Marsh Marigold | Caltha palustris |
| Purple Loosestrife | Lythrum salicaria |
| Water Forget-me-not | Myosotis scorpioides
synonym: Myosotis palustris |
| Water Mint | Mentha aquatica |
| Yellow Iris | Iris pseudacorus |
| Deeper Areas |
| Common Hornwort | Ceratophyllum demersum |
| Common Water Starwort | Callitriche stagnalis |
| Curled Pondweed | Potamogeton crispus |
| Water Soldier | Stratiotes aloides |
| White Waterlilly | Nymphaea odorata |
| Willow Moss | Lepitodictyum riparium |
These should be avoided as, having no natural enemies, they tend to take over the pond and become pests.
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