How can I Introduce a water feature Into my garden?

A pond, fountain or waterfall creates a tranquil talking point outside your home. Water garden expert Andy Staves reveals how to make one

Natural pond

For a traditional garden pond, especially wildlife ones which tend to be unfiltered, it’s best to choose a shady spot – as a pond in direct sunlight will attract algae growth and turn the water green.

There’s no reason why you can’t dig out a small pond manually. It needs to be at least two-feet deep, or three-feet and deeper if it’s to be stocked with fish. Once it’s dug, remove sharp stones and put down a two-inch cushioning layer of sand, then add a good quality protective underlay as a puncture-resistant barrier (not bits of old carpet, this will just disintegrate).

The liner should also be good quality, and usually made of rubber. Three types tend to be used: PVC, EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer) rubber and branded rubbers like Firestone and Butyl. If your pond is small, doesn’t have fish and you want to save on cost, go for PVC. For anything of a reasonable size, use an EPDM rubber, and for a large body of water, choose a thicker, branded rubber.

A natural wildlife pond won’t necessarily need a filter system. You can use pond plants to absorb some of the nutrients that algae feed on, keeping the water somewhat in check.

Contemporary pond

The precise lines and formal shape of modern ponds can look very striking when set into a terrace or decking.

Once the hole is dug, you pour in a concrete base and form the sides out of blockwork. This is a rigid structure, so rather than using a single sheet of liner, you usually have a bespoke boxwelded liner to fit exactly. Coping stones around the top give a clean, neat finish.

The pond is filled with tap water, not rainwater which might contain debris. A filter system should be run for about a week until it purges the chlorine. A filter consists of three parts:

A pump on the pond floor.

A biological mechanical filter

– usually a bank of foams of different sizes in which friendly bacteria live and breed to trap debris.

An ultra-violet clarifier with a germicidal bulb emitting UV radiation which clumps microscopic algae together to be trapped in the foam.

A filter system tends to run 24hours a day to oxygenate the water, circulate it and process it through the filter. Most need a mains electrical connection. Technologically advanced systems can be controlled via an app.

After checking your water chemistry is fit for fish (test kits are available from aquatic stores), you can start putting a few in. Fish don’t mind cloudy water – it helps protect them from predators. However, if you have lots of lovely koi, you’ll want to see them.

Water features

Pondless fountains or water features are the perfect alternative if you enjoy the tranquil sound of running water, or watching the play of it as it flows from a fountain or down a fall, but don’t have space for a pond. These only need a small reservoir or plastic container filled with water below ground, which is covered with a steel grid and finished with decorative stones.

For a fountain, a pump mounted inside the reservoir with the head or nozzle protruding through the stones sucks in water and fires it up in the air before it arcs back down. Water features are structures or sculptures that water is pumped through and down. They don’t need a constant feed from anywhere other than the reservoir beneath it, with occasional top-ups. A popular style currently are water blades, which cascade sheets of water out of a wall, falling into the reservoir beneath, then up and out again. This can look stunning against split-slate mosaic tiles in different colours, particularly when illuminated.

Price

A lot depends on how elaborate your pond or feature is. A small dipping pond can be created for £100 or less. For a formal pond, particularly one with koi, costs can stack up. An automatic filter system can cost thousands.