Building wildlife pond

Benefits of a Wildlife Pond

Creating a wildlife pond is a fantastic way to support local biodiversity, provide a habitat for various species, and a peaceful and beautiful addition to your garden.

Unfortunately as landscaper and garden designer I see many ponds that are build the wrong way from unsightly exposed liners, wrong positions and depths. Some are even death traps with no safe escape for likes of hedgehogs that can fall into pond.

Any water is better than no water at all in the garden but taking the time to plan and properly build wildlife pond will help you create natural looking and safe pond that support widest range of wildlife possible.

Wildlife pond

Here’s a simple guide to get you started:

Step 1: Planning and Location

• Choose a Spot: Pick a sunny location that gets about six hours of sunlight a day. Avoid places in full shade as tadpoles needs warm water to develop and directly under trees to prevent excessive leaf fall into the pond.

• Size and Shape: Decide the size and shape based on your garden space. A larger pond supports more wildlife and will take more water volumes making it longer to dry out, but even a small one can make a big difference. Go as big as you can afford, many people build small pond and wish they made it bigger.

Step 2: Digging the Pond

• Outline the Shape: Mark the outline of your pond using a rope or garden hose.

• Digging: Depending on pond size and your ability dig the pond by hand or mini digger if you can drive one. Dig the pond to a depth of about 50-90cm at the deepest point, with shallow edges around 15cm to create a gradient. Include a few shelves at different depths for various plants and creatures. Dispose sod and topsoil or reuse then for some other garden projects and leave the poor subsoil on side to reuse in the pond.

• Levels: Always make sure you check the levels around the pond edges and shallows, the water table will be only as high as your lowest point.

Step 3: Lining the Pond

• Underlay: Check the hole for any sharp objects such broken glass, sharp stones or sticking out roots. Lay a protective underlay

• Liner: Place a flexible pond liner over the underlay. Ensure it extends beyond the edges of the pond, and secure it with rocks. There are 2 main types of liners- PVC plastic which is cheaper and EPDM rubber liner which is more expensive but last much longer. When I design and create wildlife pond I always use better quality rubber liners.

• Second Underlay: place more underlay over the liner to protect it from stones you put on top.

• Note: some people are strongly against liners but the benefit of creating a pond far outweigh the cons of using liner. Especially for landscaper using clay to create pond is often not only impractical if not impossible where the soil is sandy but does not provide any guarantees and often fails even on clay soil. But you can always give it a try.
  

Wildlife pond build

Step 4: Building the Pond

• Well: Build a well from the deep end using rocks or bricks and subsoil, this will prevent soil and gravel in shallow margins from sliding down. Try to

• Edges: Conceal the pond liner edges with subsoil, stones and gravel to create beach area. Birds will drink and bath only in shallow area which will also provide safe escape for any mammal or amphibian.
  

Step 5: Filling the Pond

• Water: Fill the pond slowly with water. Rainwater is best, but tap water is okay if left to stand for a few days to allow chlorine to dissipate. The water will be cloudy at first but the sediments will quickly settle and water will be clear in day or two.

• Trimming: leave the pond to fill with water which will pull the liner slightly and only after start trimming the edges. This will prevent liner to become short and water leak in the low point.
  

Step 6: Planting

• Aquatic Plants: Add a mix of oxygenating, floating, and marginal plants. Planting into subsoil will help establish strong and healthy plants. Plants like water lilies, marsh marigolds, and water mint provide shelter and food for wildlife. Aim to have at least 50 % of surface area covered with plants.

• Native Species: Choose mix of native plants to support local wildlife. They’re better adapted to your environment and beneficial for local insects and animals. Avoid invasive pond species such as water fern or American skunk cabbage especially if you are near river or stream.

• Area around pond: pond enclosed in vegetation always look more natural and provide more habitat for wildlife. Create bog garden, sow wildflower meadow, plant perennials or combination of these depending on pond size.

Step 7: Introducing Wildlife

• Patience: Allow wildlife to discover the pond naturally. Frogs, newts, dragonflies, and birds will soon find and make use of your pond.

• Avoid Fish: Avoid adding fish as they will disrupt the ecosystem, boost nutrients in water leading to cloudy water and algae blooms and eat other wildlife.

Tips

• Perch: Adding logs and pieces of branches that stick out over the pond will serve as perch for birds and dragonflies

• Monitor Water Levels: Keep an eye on water levels, especially in hot weather the water level can drop.

• Remove Debris: Once a year in spring or autumn remove fallen leaves and dead vegetation to maintain water quality.

• Check Plants: Ensure plants do not overgrow and cover the entire pond surface.

By following these steps, you’ll create a thriving wildlife pond that benefits both the environment and your garden’s beauty.

If it is still overwhelming Gardens for Wildlife can provide tailored consultation and build the wildlife pond for you. Simply contact us on social media or email info@gardensforwildlife.ie

Happy pond building!