You would like to have a garden pond, okay,

it's not hard to do!

It’s not hard to create a simple and inexpensive natural pond or water feature in your home garden. In this page will not delve into the realm of formal ponds and manicured surrounds. By nature, Mother Nature is an untidy person, but that is how we like her!

We always suggest using native plants throughout, but of course that's not always possible. Often established gardens and house blocks have non-native trees and plants. In many cases, it would be foolish to remove them for no reason. However, we do urge gardeners to use native plants wherever possible.

With water plants it is especially important. Some of the world’s worst introduced invasive weeds have escaped from garden ponds into local waterways. Native provenance water plants are not normally invasive, and if they do escape into a local creek do no harm.

It is not difficult to have a water feature, and sometimes topographic features in the garden can be utilised to save much labour. One very attractive pond, complete with waterfall and fountain, has utilised a pile of earth left behind by the builder when the house was built.

In another instance, two ponds and a waterfall have been slotted into a small unused area at the entrance to the house, and provides a delightful sight for visitors when they arrive.

We know of one gardener who has incorporated a black plastic pond in the centre of his vegetable garden, and grows chinese water spinach and watercress amongst his tomatoes and beans! Of course, there are other benefits having a water feature in or near a vegetable garden. Water attracts both bees and birds, the pollinators, and the insect predators.

During daylight hours, a pond or water feature does wonders in attracting native birds into your garden. At night, softly lit with fairy lights, perhaps, a native water garden can transform your patio, barbecue area, or back yard into a place of quiet magic.

*The photo below shows how a concrete waterfall attracts birds to the garden!*

A simple pond made with heavy duty plastic sheeting, or purpose built liner, can easily be set up as a living, functioning, aquatic environment, in a couple of hours.

Pick a spot in the garden that has more than 50% shade. Too much sun encourages algae. Try to have a small tree or shrub leaning over the pond to provide shelter for bird visitors

To build an above ground pond, purchase a roll of CCA treated wooden garden edging. Join both ends together, and place in a circle, or in any other shape that appeals. Tie the bottom in with wire, or drive 6 or 8 short stakes into the ground outside the pond, so it will hold its shape.

Place your pond liner in the hole formed by the garden edging, fill with water and overlap and trim the edges of the plastic. Then fasten to the wooden edging with staples, liquid nails, or a similar product.

To build a below ground pond, dig out a hole of a size to suit your liner. Oval or kidney-shaped is fine, about a foot or less deep. Try to leave a shallow portion on one side. Frogs like to sit in shallow water, but need to have access to deeper water if danger threatens.

Click here for more info and tips to transform your home and garden!

Line the hole with sand, old feed bags, old lino, carpet, or thick newspaper. This is to ensure that no sticks or stones in the ground puncture the black plastic. Take the pond liner, and place in the hole. If you are using black plastic, and you do accidentally put a hole in the black plastic, it can be mended with almost any waterproof sealer.

Anchor the edges down with stones or soil. It is helpful if you do this on calm day. A strong wind can make the job difficult!

Fill with water, and try to ensure that any creases are flattened out, as the pond fills. When nearly full, place flat stones, bush logs, wood chips, or mulch, around the edge. Try to leave some stones overhanging the edge.

************************************************************

Commercial Awnings & Patio Awnings Retractableawnings.com provides high quality commercial awnings, patio awnings, window awnings with a 25-Year Warranty on our awning products.

************************************************************ Plant some ferns or sedges close to the edge. Make sure that you leave a stick or a rock leading out of the water. Some of the small brown frogs cannot climb very well, and will drown if they can’t get out.

Fill the pond to the top. If using tap water, leave for a day to let the chlorine dissipate before adding plants, or a week before adding fish or tadpoles.

We strongly recommend that you buy your aquatic plants from a reputable supplier. Don't just dig some out of your nearest creek. They could be invasive, or even illegal, noxious weeds!

************************************************************ One thing that every pond or water feature needs, is a nice path leading to it. Have look at the natural Flagstones below!

Click here for beautiful natural flagstones! ************************************************************

Place the pot on the bottom of the pond. It's a good idea to have two or three species of aquatic plants in the one pond, and you can plant them in one pot if you wish.

If your pond is big enough, with enough plants to provide shelter, add a few native fish, to control mosquitoes. Natives are usually better at mosquito control than goldfish.

For wildlife houses, including frog houses, see Abundant Earth below.

Finally, pull up a comfortable garden chair, open a cold drink, and sit back and enjoy your Instant Garden Pond.

If you are building an Aussie garden pond, you can jump to our native waterplants page (link below) to find out which Aussie native plants are suitable for your pond.

Happy relaxing, Patrick!

Click here for suitable native waterplants!