In search of pond life

Versatility

Water in the garden is such a versatile element: it can be turbulent, serene or both. It can be on a vertical or a horizontal plane. You can have it ascending as a fountain, or descending as a waterfall.

A world apart

Water is such a dominant feature and it's the first thing a child and adult alike will explore. It defines and legitimises a backyard space like no other element. "Let's have lunch by the rose bush" sounds odd, compared with "let's have a drink by the pond." A garden pond, with its flora and fauna, is a complete world in itself.

Get the spec

Garden ponds are mainly made from flexible rubber liners. The ground is dug out to about 450mm (18") or 600mm (2ft) deep and the base and sides are smoothed off and given a "blinding" of sand or a layer of synthetic material such as Terram to protect the liner. The liner (1mm EPDM rubber - often called butyl rubber as it contains the butyl polymer), is then laid in the excavated area and secured around the top with grass sods or paving slabs. Ponds can also be made with pre-formed glass fibre basins or reinforced concrete. The advantage of flexible liners is the ease with which they can be installed and that they can't crack the way concrete can - although rubber or PVC can be punctured, so sometimes ) coating of concrete.

Habitats

Add underwater plants, such as hornwort or spiked water milfoil, to help keep the water clear. These will also provide shelter for both the fish and myriad invertebrates, and other animal life. Suitable pond fish include goldfish, shubunkins (similar to goldfish but with transparent scales); golden orfe, which is a species different from goldfish - having elongated bodies which enable them to be very swift swimmers; and the most colourful and largest pond fish, the Koi carp. Koi carp specialists often build dedicated ponds, usually several feet deep, which have mechanical and biological filter systems.

Lilies and pinks

If you want to grow water lilies, there are scores of hybrids in cultivation ranging from darkest red to pure white, yellow and a wide range of pinks. Nearly all the water lilies in garden nurseries were originally bred by a Monsieur Latour Marliac who worked at Temple-sur-Lot in the south of France during the second half of the 19th century and the first of the 20th. He produced an unrivalled collection of colour water lilies. Among his best are Nymphaea "Escarboucle" (deep red); N. marliacea "Chromatella" (yellow); N. Gonnere, a gorgeous double white, and N. carnea, a prolific pink variety.

Buckets of manure

Grow your water lilies in large baskets or tubs placed at the bottom of the pond (around 2-3ft deep) in rich loam, preferably fortified with well-rotted cow manure. When planting, make sure the top couple of inches of the soil are free of the manure so the water is not polluted. Water lilies like plenty of sun, so the pond should be in a sheltered but sunny spot.

Reservoir kids

If you have children, who need to be protected from falling into water, you can have a hidden reservoir covered with pebbles and strong mesh. A stream with only a trickle of water running down it can run into the reservoir through the pebbles. Millstones can be laid on the mesh, and a fountain can come out of the middle.

Waterfalls

If you have undulating ground you can combine a pond with a stream and waterfalls. Dig a shallow trench the length of the stream and line it with rubber. Add rocks and stones to provide a natural effect. A submersible pump is installed in the pond with a pipe leading up to the top of the stream or waterfall, then the water can circulate continuously from the pond. As a rule of thumb, when making waterfalls, you need 1,000 gph (gallons per hour) for every 12 inches of sill width of your waterfall. A pump specialist, such as NJ Power (01-456 4099), will work this out for you.

A fountain, spouting

Fountains have become increasingly popular partly because of the large range now available, the fact that they are quite easy to assemble (with a submersible pump) and because prices have dropped. White or foaming fountain jets work on what is known as the Venturi principle - as the water rises out of the fountain nozzle it is mixed with air, giving the fountain its characteristic bubbly and white water effect.

Pumps are available even for tiny water displays; until the 1930s and the fountains in Rome still are. They're not easy to make and they require a high head of water.

Shady characters

A good place to have a water feature is on a shady wall. A fountain mask, with water descending into a half-moon pond, creates an excellent focal point.

Low maintenance

A garden pond matures very quickly, usually in a single season. Maintenance can be erratic without dire consequences and a pond usually requires less effort than a similar space in grass, and much less than herbaceous plants, alpines or a rose bed.

Gordon T. Ledbetter runs Design F & L Ltd, is a director of Calumet Nurseries (the National Garden Exhibition Centre) and has written books on water gardening.