Create a wildlife-friendly water garden

It doesn’t take a huge amount of effort to ensure wildlife can flourish in your garden, you just need to be aware of what creatures need to ensure you can enjoy the birds, butterflies and bees.

In addition to growing pollinator friendly plants, encouraging birds with feeders and tempting other wildlife through log and leaf piles (so don’t tidy up too much), at the heart of any wildlife garden sits a pond or water feature. All animals need water and a small wildlife-friendly pond can make a huge difference to your garden’s biodiversity.

Many people overestimate the effort and expertise required to create a garden pond. Preformed ponds – that come in a variety of shapes and sizes – simplify the process and are perfect for the less experienced gardener or landscaper.

Experts from Oase UK, specialists in water gardening, have come up with a simple nine-point plan for easy installation of a pond – an autumn project that the whole family can help with.

First, you need to think about location. Try and find somewhere as clear as possible from overhanging trees to avoid leaves dropping into the pond. If you want to keep fish, your pond will need four to six hours of sunshine a day.

You need the right tools for the job – a spade, a shovel, filling sand (play sand will do), a spirit level, a tape measure and a garden hose with a water connection and then you can get started..

• Position the preformed pond in the desired location and mark the outline with sand
• Then mark the different depth zones of the pond with sand
• Now you can dig out the individual zones of the garden pond
• Use the preformed pond to check you’ve dug enough out and touch up again if necessary
• Level out the unevenness in the excavated steps with filling sand to create flat surfaces
• Check the surfaces with a spirit level. If they are level the preformed pond can be inserted and then fill it one-third full with water so that the bowl settles
• Next, pour the filling sand under the edge of the preformed pond and fill this cavity with water. The water will slurry the sand to the edge of the pond shell. Repeat the process until the spaces under and next to the preformed bowl are filled
• Level the surrounding soil with topsoil, which provides the basis for the subsequent planting. Make sure no topsoil gets into the water as it will encourage algae growth.
• You can now carry out planting – important to maintain the biological balance of your pond and look beautiful. The surround bank zone can be filled with large stones and gravel after planting to cover the transition to the preformed pond. The pond can then be filled with water and plants.

When choosing plants make sure you have a good mix of oxygenators – underwater plants that are essential in keeping algae at bay and are the most beneficial plants in any water feature eco-system – and ornamental plants that cover the surface of the water with their floating leaves and root at the bottom of the water.