Autumn gardening - Construction tasks: Ponds and Paths

Autumn is the optimum time for cleaning up, preparing and undertaking new construction of ponds. If you want to create a new pond, begin by selecting a position where there is space to plant a border along at least one side of the water feature - this gives a transition into the rest of the garden, and provides some shade to the water. Work out what you're going to do with the excavated soil now, not once you've got a mini minor sized heap of it in the middle of the lawn! You also need to give some thought to the access to the pond - small children need to be supervised near water! Once you've got some ideas, try them out before you begin construction, by laying out canes or a piece of hosepipe in the shape of the proposed pond and check how it looks from all the places where you are most likely to view the pond, such as your patio, your kitchen window, any bedrooms that overlook the garden etc. Then decide on your liner. If you go for a flexible liner you'll find polythene is the cheapest option, but it only lasts a few years and is easy to puncture. Other forms of flexible liner are stronger and will survive normal use for a decade to fifteen years, butyl rubber is the best, lasting up to two decades but - of course - also the most expensive. On the other hand, with hard liners, you have the choice between plastic and fibreglass rigid liners, both of which are very strong and will last about fifteen years.

To build a path clear the site of all vegetation. To shed rainwater, paths and patios should have a built in slope, which is imperceptible to the eye. The ideal gradient is about 1 in 60 - a fall of 1 mm for every 60 mm of distance - water won't drain away from a smaller slope and you, and all your visitors, will see any larger a slope which just makes it look as if you've messed up the path! Excavate your path to the right depth (pavers, plus hardcore, plus concrete) by removing the topsoil along its length. Spread out a layer of hardcore 50 - 75 mm deep and settle it down with a roller. Start at one end of the path and lay the blocks in tight rows in the pattern you have chosen, bedding each row of paving blocks in a layer of 75 - 100 mm of thick concrete and leaving to dry. Continue until you have finished the whole length of the path. Brush fine kiln-dried sand into the joints of the pavers.

Laying a path photograph by Rhian vK, used under a creative commons attribution licence.