Impactful Garden Pond Concepts for Both Spacious and Compact Areas
Creating a Tranquil Urban Oasis: A Guide to Building a Small Garden Pond
Transform your patio into a serene haven with a compact garden pond that won't break the bank. Here's a step-by-step guide to creating a colorful and low-maintenance pond in a compact urban garden.
Step 1: Planning and Outlining the Shape
Begin by sketching a naturalistic shape for your pond using a garden hose or rope. A kidney, bean, or pear shape can add visual interest and break the geometric monotony. Mark the outline on the ground using spray paint or flour.
Step 2: Excavating the Pond Area
Dig within the marked shape, creating shelves at different depths to accommodate both marginal and aquatic plants. A gentle sloping edge will help animals access the pond easily. Remember to store or reuse the soil removed during excavation.
Step 3: Installing Underlayment and Pond Liner
Remove sharp stones or roots, then lay an underlayment to protect the liner. Place a flexible pond liner sized to cover the pond with ample overlap to allow for settling. Smooth the liner into contours and shelves, and allow it to settle to avoid folds.
Step 4: Adding Water and Filling the Pond
Gradually fill the pond with water while monitoring liner adjustments. Position the pond in a way that it receives sunlight but also some shade to balance water temperature, which benefits plants and wildlife.
Step 5: Integrating Filtration/Water Movement (Optional)
For a self-sustaining ecosystem, consider adding a small pump or skimmer to circulate and filter water, but this is optional for very small urban ponds.
Step 6: Planting Colorful Aquatic and Marginal Plants
Choose a variety of plants with different bloom times and colors to maintain interest throughout the seasons. Suitable colorful aquatic plants include water lilies, lotus, pickerel weed, iris species, and canna lilies. Use drought-tolerant, sustainable planting schemes if water conservation is a concern.
Step 7: Decorating the Edges
Use natural stones or pebbles to border the pond, which enhances appearance and stabilizes the liner. Consider adding sculpture, lanterns, or mirrors nearby to expand visual space and amplify light.
Step 8: Enhancing Ambience with Lighting and Water Features
Small trickling water features or underwater lighting add ambiance and tranquility. Submersible LED lights provide a soft glow, while spotlights around the edges of a pond can highlight key features.
By following these steps, you can create a compact, low-maintenance garden pond that provides a colorful and peaceful focal point suitable for urban spaces.
Additional Design Inspiration
- Landscape designer Jo Thompson's design features a narrow trickling rill that winds its way through the garden, connecting different areas and adding a combination of sound and movement.
- Susan Young worked with skilled stone waller Tim Mason to build the pond surrounds that complement the drystone walls in the garden.
- Kitti Kovacs Garden Design offers a peaceful space with eco-friendly garden design featuring drought-tolerant planting and sustainable landscaping in stone and gravel.
- Solar lights can be a good option for garden pond ideas if you want something low-maintenance and easy to install, but they're usually less powerful compared to low-voltage mains-powered systems.
- Garden designer Susan Young designed a dual pond system using two tanks, one a recycled water tank and the other an off-the-shelf tank.
- The soothing pond by Aquascapes Water Gardens features trickling water around the edges and doesn't use any chemicals in the system, reusing the same water.
- Chris Bawden suggests using submersible LED lights for garden pond lighting, providing a soft glow. He also recommends spotlights around the edges of a pond to highlight key features.
