How to make a wildlife pond in your garden | What do I need for a wildlife pond?

What is a wildlife pond?

A wildlife pond is designed and built especially for wildlife. Birds and other animals will be attracted to any water, but it is possible to create a pond that will include features that make life easier and more pleasing for them. Security from predators is important, so a wildlife pond will have plenty of cover around the banks and in the water. If the pond is large enough nesting places can be included. Plants in and around the pond will be a source of food for a range of birds, as will insects and other small animals attracted to the pond. A wildlife pond will almost certainly be informal in shape and design, and will often contain native plants, rather than hybridized cultivars. Garden plants will play a part in the scheme, but will be those that are rich in nectar and pollen, which excludes many of the brightly coloured, modern hybrids. Although it is rewarding to watch everything that is going on in a wildlife pond, the purpose of creating the pond is to help wildlife, and so there should be some areas that are not open to view.

Requirements for a wildlife pond

If you are serious about creating a pond specifically for wildlife, you must provide:
• A secure site
• Plenty of nearby cover
• Easy access in and out of the pond
• Areas of open water
• Oxygenating plants in the water
• Food plants in and by the water

Can l keep fish in a wildlife pond?

Although a wildlife pond may seem to be the obvious place for fish, remember that most fish are omnivorous, which will eat plants and other animals. If there are a lot of fish in your pond they can virtually eliminate other small creatures, such as dragonfly larvae, and frog- or toadspawn, and populations of tadpoles can be reduced or completely wiped out by greedy fish. In many ways it is best not to introduce ornamental fish into a natural pond if you want to have a wide diversity of wildlife A large pond, or one with plenty of different habitats and hiding places, will support a small population of fish without too many problems. Native fish are more suitable than introduced species, such as goldfish or koi.

Plants for a wildlife pond

These plants are among those appropriate for planting in and around a wildlife pond. The dimension given is the depth of water above the crown of the plant.

• Carex pendula (pendulous sedge):2.5cm (1 in)
• Iris pseudacorus (yellow flag, flag iris): to 30cm (1ft)
• Lemna trisulca (ivy-leaved duckweed): floating
• Ludwigia palustris (water purslane): 15-30cm (6-12in)
• Menyanthes trifoliata (bog bean, marsh trefoil): to 5cm (2in)
• Phragmites australis (syn. p. communis; common reed): 8cm (3in)
• Rumex hydrolapathum (great water dock): to 15cm (6in)
• Typha angustifolia (narrow-leaved reedmace): to 40cm (16in)

What type of plants can I grow in my wildlife garden?

If you wanted to be a purist you would limit your choice to native plants that grow in your locality. However, this approach is unrealistic and restrictive. First, by introducing a wider range of plants you will be offering a diversity of foodstuffs and cover. Second, although some native pond plants are beautiful, many are little more than weeds. Compromise and draw up a list of plants that will satisfy both you and the wildlife. Bear in mind that some garden plants are inappropriate for any pond: only water plants should be planted in the water. The banks of a pond are usually more like conventional beds, but in a wildlife garden many bedding plants would be inappropriate as they have nothing to offer wildlife. They are often sterile, producing no seed for birds and mammals to eat, and many of them do not provide nectar or pollen for insects. Try to use plants that provide cover or food or that will provide a natural, attractive background against which the wildlife can be seen.

Is any particular shape best for a wildlife pond?

A wildlife pond can be any shape you like, and the animals that will frequent it will be unaffected by aesthetic considerations. On the whole, however, a formal pond is usually too bleak for much wildlife, apart from ornamental fish, because there is little planting in it. An informal shape, with gently curving sides, will seem more fitting. More important than the horizontal shape of the surface is the vertical shape or profile of the pond. If possible, it should vary in depth from shallow areas to some comparatively deep places so that there is a wider range of habitats than is possible in a flat bottomed pool. Some animals prefer to spawn in shallow water, which is not only warmer than deeper water but is often free from predating fish. Some bottom-feeding fish, on the other hand, prefer to hide in deep water, safely away from the prying eyes of herons and other predators. A wildlife pond is, therefore, more likely to be made with a flexible liner or from puddled clay than from concrete or a preformed unit.