CH & I loves… LILY PONDS

According to the RHS, over the last century nearly 70 per cent of ponds have disappeared from the British countryside, so if you can accommodate one in your garden, it will provide a much-needed habitat for a wide variety of wildlife

• Be prepared to carry out regular maintenance, particularly in the first few years. Sarah had to don waders and scoop blanket weed on a weekly basis for the first two summers, until the oxygenating plants had established.

• Ensure at least one side of the pond has a long, shallow slope. This allows easy access for wildlife and can be planted up.

• Include floating aquatic plants, such as water lilies (which help shade the surface) and submerged plants to act as oxygenators.

• Some shade is good to reduce problems with algae, but not lots.

• Ask anyone with an existing pond for a barrel of their water and oxygenators to turbo-charge your pond in achieving balance.

• Adding extract of barley straw to the water each week from April onwards can help suppress algae.

• It will need thoroughly cleaning every 5-10 years.