Adding water is one of the quickest ways to bring more wildlife into a garden. A wildlife pond does not need fish, pumps or chemicals, just a sunny spot, rainwater and gently sloping sides. This guide shows you how to build one in a weekend and keep it safe.
Step by step
Choose a safe, sunny spot
Pick a place with sun for part of the day and away from overhanging trees, which drop leaves. Think about safety: if young children live with you or visit, consider a raised container pond with a secure mesh cover, or wait until they are older.
Check for cables and pipes
Make sure there are no buried cables, pipes or drains where you plan to dig. If unsure, check your property plans or ask a professional.
Dig with shelves and a beach
Dig a hole with at least one gently sloping side, a shallow shelf for marginal plants and a deeper area in the middle. Remove sharp stones and add a layer of sand or old carpet to protect the liner.
Fit the liner and fill with rainwater
Lay a flexible pond liner or a preformed pond, smoothing out folds. Fill it with rainwater from a water butt if possible, as tap water often contains nutrients that encourage algae. Trim and bury the liner edges under stones or turf.
Plant native pond plants
Add a few native oxygenating, marginal and floating plants from a reputable supplier, in aquatic baskets with low-nutrient soil. Avoid invasive non-native pond plants and never take plants or animals from the wild.
Let wildlife arrive naturally
Do not add frogspawn or fish; wildlife will find the pond on its own. Put a log or stones on the edge as a ramp and leave some longer plants nearby for cover.
Ready-to-use checklist
- Spade and spirit level
- Pond liner or preformed pond
- Sand, underlay or old carpet
- Rainwater from water butts
- Native aquatic plants and baskets
- Stones and logs for edges
- Mesh cover if children may be around
Practical tips
- Even an old sink or half barrel sunk into the ground makes a useful mini pond.
- Top up with rainwater rather than tap water in dry spells.
- Remove some fallen leaves in autumn so the pond does not fill with sludge.
Common problems
The water has turned green. Is something wrong?
Green water is common in new ponds and usually clears as plants establish. Add more oxygenating plants, shade part of the surface and use rainwater for top-ups.
The water level keeps dropping. Is it leaking?
Some loss is evaporation in warm weather. If the level drops quickly and stops at the same point, look for a tear in the liner at that level and repair it with a liner patch kit.
No frogs have appeared. Should I add some?
No, moving frogspawn between ponds can spread disease. Be patient, as amphibians often find new ponds within a season or two.