Spring is a time of year when many of us want to get out into our gardens and tackle a list of jobs of which one maybe to construct a fish pond. But, this year many counties were faced with a hose-pipe ban putting a possible ‘dampener’ on that idea (fish ponds need to be filled with water free of impurities whereas a wildlife pond can be filled from a rain butt provided you include natural filtration by way of aquatic plants).After the wettest April in a millennia, the prospect of being able to indulge in the addition of a pond is looking brighter, so here are some steps to get you started on this exciting project:

Tips on Pond Construction

Once you have decided on the design of pond you want for your garden, you can start on the actual building work. Before you start digging, mark out your pond with either a hosepipe, rope, sand or paint.

You can then start digging your pond. During this process, remember where you have decided to put shelves and how deep you are going to dig. Once you have dug out your pond, make sure that the top of the pond is level all the way round. If the top of your pond is not level all the way around, the pond liner will be showing on the higher side.

When the digging is complete and the top and floor of your pond are level, check to make sure that there are no obvious sharp stones or boulders sticking out, which may damage your pond liner. You are then ready to lay a protective pond liner underlay.  This underlay will help protect the pond liner from small stones or sharp objects. As an additional protection, you can add a layer of sand to the bottom of your pond for extra protection before laying the underlay. This step is not essential but will provide an extra level of protection and also help level out the pond floor.

Filling a pond is fairly straight forward but be prepared to get a bit wet as the best way to make sure the pond liner is positioned correctly is to get in (without shoes) while adding the water. First of all get the liner into you hole roughly ensuring that enough liner is available all the way around the pond edge. Now start to add the water. As the water rises a few inches get in and make sure the pond liner is positioned correctly and that it is firmly pressed into all corners.

Add the edging of your choice to cover the pond liner overlap. You can then add a pond pump and filter to keep the water clear.

Pond plants can then be added. Remember, when selecting plants that different aquatic plants perform different functions. The first essential type to add if you are keeping fish, are oxygenating plants. Many other varieties of plants can be added to make your pond more attractive.

If you require assistance with buying materials for your garden pond, visit Liners Online website for information on pond liners, underlay and pond pumps as well the availability of a pond liner size calculator to get dimensions required and price comparisons.