Guest post: Creating a cheap & simple eco pond – No matter what size your garden

Ponds are a fantastic addition to any garden, whether you’re looking to add a beautiful and relaxing focal point or to attract pond dwelling wildlife such as amphibians or insects, or a combination of both. While I have only a little knowledge of garden water features, thankfully the lovely experts at Swell know all about it. All those years of experience makes them extremely knowledgeable on the subject and they have very kindly offered to share this guest post to show us all how to make the most of our gardens with an eco pond. Enjoy!

One of the most common stumbling blocks for those wishing to own a pond is a lack of adequate outside space. It’s no secret that housing even a small, traditional pond requires a reasonably large plot. For example, typical dimensions of a small pond are likely to be something in the region of L120 x W90 x H40cm which is no good at all if you’ve only got a small back yard. Of course, they also require a fair amount of time and/or money to set-up and maintain.

But never fear, although a traditional garden pond may be off the cards, a small outside space and limited budget does not mean that you have to do away with the idea of having a pond all together. By creating a mini eco pond you can have your very own pond, no matter what size your outside space, on a shoe string budget. Even better, you will be helping numerous species of amphibians and insects to flourish!

So where to begin? To start you will need to choose your container. One of the many great things about eco ponds is that the choice of what to use as your pond container is entirely up to you. It could be anything from a washing up bowl to an old Belfast sink. Feel free to be as creative as you like!

Container

Your container will need to be buried in the ground (ideally about a third of the way) to ensure that it isn’t knocked over and also that it is not too high for wildlife to crawl into. Alternatively, say if you have no grass area at all and consequently cannot bury your container, you will need to secure it perhaps by placing heavy rocks in the bottom of it. Then you will need to build a pathway leading into for wildlife. Pebbles, bark or wood logs are ideal for this. Regardless of whether or not your container is buried in the ground, it’s a good idea to add bark and pebbles inside it so as to provide a platform for wildlife to climb on.

Dechlorinator

It’s more than likely that you will use tap water to fill your pond. If this is the case then be sure to use pond dechlorinator, which is something that you will find in the pond products section of any leading pond and aquatics supplier and is very good value for money. Dechlorinator helps to remove harmful chlorine and chloramines found in tap water and thus makes it safe for aquatic life.

Plants

Live plants such as Elodea (or pond weed) help to ensure that your pond is well oxygenated through the process of photosynthesis. This is vital for ensuring the breakdown of decaying waste as well as the survival of plants and pond dwelling wildlife. Additional ideas for plants that flourish in ponds or wet soil and will also enhance the aesthetics of your pond include; Waterlilies, Marsh Marigold,  Common Skullcap, Common Valerian, Willow herb, Creeping Jenny, Water Mint and Watercress.

Food

Adding a little food to your eco pond such as pond tadpole and frog food will help to encourage wildlife into it.

When it comes to your eco pond, you really can create a pond that is as individual as you are. You can hand-pick every component of it from a container, which can essentially be anything that holds water, right through to the type of pebbles that you use. So why not let your creativity run wild! Also know that you will be helping to provide a home for many of Britain’s pond-dwelling creatures that sadly are constantly under threat from a reduction in their natural habitat.

For more information about pond keeping as well as a wide variety of pond products and equipment please visit Swell UK. And if you have any ideas of your own to share please do leave me a comment below or tweet me a photo of your own water feature to @Cassiefairy.

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