For your pond to remain healthy you will need a few plants from each type except free-floaters.

Marginals: These plants grow in shallow water round the edge of the pond. They not only look good their roots use up lots of minerals which would otherwise feed algae.

Examples of marginal plants include Japanese water iris (iris laevigata), the cardinal flower (lobelia cardinalis) and flowering rush (butomus umbellatus).

Deep-water: These plants grow in much deeper water and should be placed at the bottom of the pond. Waterlilies are a deep-water aquatic but they like still water, don't plant near a fountain or waterfall.

Examples of deep-water aquatics include water hawthorn (aponogeton distachyos), arum lily (zantedeschia aethiopica) and waterlilies (nymphaea)

Oxygenators: These plants live under the water and the provide oxygen used by fish and other pond-life. Be careful which oxygenators you choose as many are invasive.

A good one is Lagarosiphon major which is evergreen and can just be dropped into the pond to root at the bottom. It will need to weeded out every so often. Another good example is the water crowfoot (ranunculus aquatilis).

Floating Plants: Free-floating plants provide shade to a pond. Some are not hardy and will die in winter, some duck down into the water for winter and reappear each spring.

An example of a tender floating plant is water hyacinth (eichhornia crassipes) and frogbit (hydrocharis morsus-ranae) will come back in the spring.

Buy your pond plants from:

For more about aquatic gardening visit these articles: Aquatic Gardening and Build a Garden Pond

• 13 Steps to Building a Garden Pond - There are several points you need to consider before building your pond: Should it be formal or informal, natural or modern? Do you want to keep fish, grow plants or attract wildlife? Are there children to keep safe?Tweet ...
• Aquatic Gardening - There are several points you need to consider before building your pond or water feature. Should it be formal or informal, natural or modern? Do you want to keep fish, grow plants or attract wildlife? Are there children to keep safe?Tweet ...

Once you have answered these questions you need to decide where you want to site the pond or water feature bearing in mind the following:  A pond should be kept away from big trees and shrubs so ensure their roots don't puncture the lining and to avoid leaves falling into the water. If you want to keep fish you need to have a pretty deep pond to stop it freezing over the winter. The smallest you should build a pond is 60cm (2ft) deep and 1 x 1.5m (3 x 5ft) across; however, the bigger the better.

Now you can begin building:

1. The easiest way to build a pond is to use a butyl rubber or plastic sheet. To work out how much to buy:
   • • • • Dig your pond to the size and shape required then measure the length, width and the deepest point
         • Multiply the depth by two and add to the length then again to the width
         • Add 50cm (20in) for overlap on both the length and the width
         • This is the size of sheet you need
2. When digging the pond ensure that the bottom is firm and flat and free from stones. At least part of it needs to be 60cm (2ft) deep for fish and deep-water plants the rest can be 45cm (18ins) deep
3. Build in some shelves around the sides 15cm (6ins) wide and 20cm (8ins) below the surface
4. Slope one side to allow wildlife to escape
5. Ensure that all pond sides are level by using a spirit level, don't use your eye
6. Spread 2.cm (1in) of soft sand over the base, shelves and slopes then cover with pond underlay followed by the liner
7. Add a layer of poor garden or aquatic soil to the bottom of the hole for planing deep aquatics
8. Start filling the pond from a hose or water butt
9. Once full, trim the liner to 30cm (1ft) overlap
10. Cover the overlap with paving stones or turf ensuring that the liner is not exposed to the sun as it will rot
11. If possible add a bucket of water from a healthy, established pond to help speed up the colonization process
12. Leave for about a week before planting and six weeks before introducing fish
13. If you wish to attract wildlife to your garden then don't add fish as they tend to eat the insect larvae

Looking after your Pond

Spring: most ponds will turn green in spring but it will clear itself in a few weeks. However, new ponds could remain green for up to twelve months. Pull out blanketweed and leave on the side for a day or so to allow creatures to escape back into the pond. Remove duckweed with a small fishing net.

Summer: Feed fish between May and September. Pull out oxygenators if they threaten to take over the entire pond.

Autumn: Remove excess silt from the bottom of the pond leaving about 1 inch to allow plants to root. Remove floating plants once the die, cut down marginals and pull out dead lily leaves. Keep autumn leaves out of the pond by covering with a net.

Winter: If you keep fish place a plastic ball on the surface to avoid the pond freezing over totally. If you don't keep fish there is no winter maintenance required.

For more information on Aquatic Gardening visit the following articles: Aquatic Gardening and Pond Plants

• Aquatic Gardening - There are several points you need to consider before building your pond or water feature. Should it be formal or informal, natural or modern? Do you want to keep fish, grow plants or attract wildlife? Are there children to keep safe?Tweet ...
• Pond Plants - There are four types of pond plants: deep-water aquatics, marginals, submerged oxygenators and free-floaters. For your pond to remain healthy you will need a few plants from each type except free-floaters.Tweet ...
• Gardening in Raised Beds - One of the best ways to reduce wear and tear on your back is to plant in containers or to install a series of Raised Beds. Indeed if you like to grow vegetables or have an allotment then growing in Raised Beds is often the best way to succeed.Tweet ...

Once you have answered these questions you need to decide where you want to site the pond or water feature. A pond should be kept away from big trees and shrubs so ensure their roots don't puncture the lining. If you want to keep fish you need to have a pretty deep pond to stop it freezing over the winter. The smallest you should build a pond is 60cm (2ft) deep and 1 x 1.5m (3 x 5ft) across. However, the bigger the better.

If childrens' safety is and issue or you prefer not to have to maintain a pond then a water feature is an excellent compromise. You could build a wall fountain or a pebble pool which can be sited in sun or shade near to a power supply. If you do not have external power then a wide plant container or half a barrel, without drainage holes, is ideal. You can still grow small aquatic plants or use floating oxygenators such as water hyacinth. You will need to protect them during winter or empty the container and start again in the spring.

For more about aquatic gardening visit these articles: Build a Garden Pond and Pond Plants

• 13 Steps to Building a Garden Pond - There are several points you need to consider before building your pond: Should it be formal or informal, natural or modern? Do you want to keep fish, grow plants or attract wildlife? Are there children to keep safe?Tweet ...
• Pond Plants - There are four types of pond plants: deep-water aquatics, marginals, submerged oxygenators and free-floaters. For your pond to remain healthy you will need a few plants from each type except free-floaters.Tweet ...