'Willpower & sheer idiocy combine in harmony'
Above, June 2013, with Rodgersia, hostas, Lysimachia, lady's mantle, water iris and heucheras. The only plant to survive the pond makeover is the Rodgersia.
Top, water iris; rotting stems in January; the old pond in June 2015.
Ponds: dig a new one, reline an old one
A TINY pond can make all the difference to the biodiversity of your garden.
Here's one you can make with a tub - for a balcony or back yard. You'll need a tub about 40cm deep (with no water holes, obviously). Fill it with water in situ, as it will be very heavy.
Use aquatic plants like Nymphaea pygmaea (pygmy water lily) and Callitriche verna (water starwort), planted in aquatic compost in baskets.
Always have safety in mind, so place secure fencing around it or metal caging on top if there are children around (or if the dog drinks out of it). Put logs and pebbles around the water's edge to provide easy access for wildlife.
Pond in a (bath) tub?
Even the smallest patch of water makes a difference to wildlife
THE vilest job of the year is clearing out the pond.
My pond is a bit pathetic, built by the previous owner, out of solid concrete. It's far too shallow - barely a foot deep. No water lilies or fish then, but there are water iris, marginals and tiny creatures the birds like to eat.
If you're digging your own pond, or buying a ready-made liner, make sure it's 2ft deep.
Some ponds are never cleaned and manage well, but mine suffers from leaf fall twice a year - like the rest in autumn, then from the beech hedge in spring.
Cleaning out the pond
General advice is to clean it out in autumn - I usually end up doing it in winter and late spring.
I use a net for removing duckweed, tiny aquatic plants which float on the surface. They cling around the water iris rhizomes, so if you can't get the net in, blast it with a hose on the jet setting. When they're in the main body of the pond, you can scoop them up.
Elodea, or waterweed, is vital for oxygenating the water, but it runs rampant.
Oxygenators are needed for the health of the water and to prevent algal growth (the green slimy stuff).
Don't clear all the Elodea out - leave some in. Once you've cleared out what you don't need, leave it in a pile by the side of the pond, so any wildlife can get back into the water.
With a sudden change in the natural balance of the pond, the water clarity may turn green, especially in spring.
If this happens, barley straw tied in a net bag and suspended in the pool will cure the problem (you can get it at garden centres).
If you want to plant new aquatics, spring's the time to do so.
The horrible job of cleaning the pond
Relining a pond (or digging a new one from scratch)
IF you're building a pond from scratch, feel free to follow these instructions - but dig your hole first obviously, with slanting sides and planting shelves for marginals. It needs to be about 60cm (2ft) deep for plants and fish, otherwise it will freeze in winter and evaporate in warm weather.
For your pond underlay and liner, use this formula: measure the length, width and maximum depth of your pond. Twice depth plus width; twice depth plus length = the minimum size to buy. Liner and underlay often comes in packs (my underlay was 2mx8m when I only needed 2mx3m).
Now the practical stuff:
1) Drain the pond and keep any plants in buckets of old pond water. Once you get to the mud at the bottom, I found an old stiff whitewashing brush handy to remove gravel and silt. ALL stones must be removed before new underlay/liner goes in, as you'll void any guarantee.
2) Make alterations to the size. I filled in a totally pointless 'arm' and in doing so, made it slope gently so creatures can climb back out. Pack this down securely.
3) Next, the underlay (have someone help you with this). I doubled mine up as there was so much left over. Make sure it roughly fits and hold the edges down with rocks/bricks.
4) Finally, the liner. With your 'willing' helper, position it so it's in about the right place but DON'T stand in the pond, as you could puncture it. I found a soft long-handled brush was useful in pushing the liner into awkward corners. Don't worry if it's all over the place - you can adapt it as you fill it. Hold excess liner down with bricks.
5) If you live in an area of heavy rainfall and you don't mind your garden looking like a building site, the best thing is to let nature fill it up. However, I live in a dry-ish part of the country, so tap water it had to be. While the water's running in, pull and fold the liner so you get a neater finish. Fill to the top and make sure it's level.
6) Leave for 24-48 hours to settle.
7) Finishing off: cut away excess liner and underlay, leaving about 30cm (1ft) of spare. You need to hide the liner in some way, as UV light can weaken some. I decided to use stones and fossils I'd collected with the kids over the years from Seaham and Saltburn beaches. Try to have your edging overlapping the water so you can't see the liner. I stuck my key stones with Gorilla Superglue, which worked a treat.
8) The nutrients from the tap water will mean too much algal growth and it will go like pea soup, but a bale of barley straw usually sorts these things out - oh, and use this opportunity to replant saved plants in fresh aquatic compost in pond baskets.
I INHERITED a small pond when I bought the house and while I like the idea, it's been a source of irritation. Cast in concrete in the 1960s, it has straight sides so wildlife can't get out and it's not deep enough to grow the plants I want.
As the liner developed a leak last summer, I decided to fix some of the faults. Autumn and winter's the best time to do it but beware - it's a cold, smelly and wet job, if you fall in like me.
Low water, clogged with leaves & oxygenators.
Almost empty - apart from mud.
Construction over - now to replant.
Low water, clogged with leaves & oxygenators.