A Garden Pond with
Water Lilies and Goldfish

A garden pond can add an extra dimension to your yard or garden. An area of calm where you can watch the brightly colored fish lazily swimming in the cool water while you enjoy the sight and smell of the lilies and other aquatic plants. It may involve a little effort to install your garden pond, but once it is finished, you will have something that you can enjoy for many years to come.

Once you have decided that you would like to have a pond in your garden, you will need to consider what type of pond you want. Do you want to keep fish or do you just want an attractive water feature? Do you want a pond with both fish and plants or just plants? The answers to these questions will determine both the size and shape of your pond. For instance koi require a water depth of at least four feet whereas goldfish can manage with less.

A pool for plants will need a shelf round the edge for marginal plants and a deeper section for water lilies. If you plan for both fish and plants there will be additional requirements.

The next question is what do you want your pond to look like? If you have a formal garden layout then a square or circular shape will be appropriate. For the more usual informal style an irregular outline will be more suitable. Although most ponds will be dug down below the ground level, an alternative is to have the sides built up so that you have a raised pond.

 Your final decision is the type of construction to be adopted. The three alternatives are a liner, a ready shaped polythene unit or concrete. One merchant that supplies pond kits for both preformed units and liners is MacArthur Water Gardens. When you are ready for some water plants take a look at DirectGardening.com who offer a selection of water lilies as well as a complete collection to start you off.

We have included our Guide to building a liner pond and information on waterfalls, fountains and other water features. Just click the links.