Water Gardens

Water gardens are a very attractive feature. Adding a simple pond or creating a series of pools can give your garden it's own unique character. There are many options available, and even a small shallow bird bath type water feature will still be a great way to attract wildlife into your garden.

The following small guides should provide some useful advice.

Installing a Pond Above the Ground

A garden pond does not have to stick to the traditional design plan. The usual hole dug in the garden, and a pond dropped into the hole, is an attractive feature once completed, but you can try a more unique design by opting for a raise water feature.

A pond with a raised edge, using bricks or concrete facing blocks means that outdoor seating can be created around the pond. Raised ponds are also a safer option if there are small children around. Constructing the edging about 1ft-2ft high will mean that it will not be easy for them to fall into, equally you should ensure that they can easily get out if they ever did !

The best method for creating this type of pond design is to use a low, double-skin construction for strength and to make sure it is watertight in case of leaks in the liner. The inner skin can be constructed of plain concrete blocks, and the outer walls should use more decorative bricks or blocks. Build the walls with a space between that matches the width of the coping stones used to finish the top of the walls.

Ensure you lay good solid foundations to support the walls, so footings of around 4-6inches will be required.

Raised ponds can be lined using a made-to-measure prefabricated rigid liner. This method helps to reduce the number of creases at the corners that a flexible plastic liner would cause. Rigid liners may not have an obvious overflow or outlet facilities though, so you should consider the design plans carefully.

The top edge of the liner is trapped under coping stones, careful placement, and planting will help to make it less invisible.