Size of Your Pond:
Miniponds something like half-barrels, deep sinks and small rigid liners can be utilized to house aquatic plants and some Glodfish, but for a proper pond that may be likely to stay clear i suggest you aim for a water surface of no less than 40 sq. ft. The minimum depth of water should be 18 inches at some point. If the surface area is 50 sq. ft or more and if you intend to get various different types of fish, then a depth of 24 inches is better. For your bigger ponds of several hundred sq. ft a depth of 30 inches is required.
Do not forget that a shelf is critical for housing the Marginal plants which need their crowns to become covered by the water - this shelf can run round part or the entire of the pond. It is required to be no less than 10 inches wide and it must be 9 inches below the water surface.
Shape of The Pond:
Square and rectagle shapes are often made with cocrete or building blocks, and are also available as rigid liners. A large variety of other shapes can be purchased as rigid liners like circles, ovals, oblongs as well as triangles and irregular forms.
With a Flexible liner it will be best to stick with a shape with gentle curves. At all costs avoid fussy shapes and sharp corners as they are usually not easy to produce with polythene, PVC or butyl sheeting. Both vertical and gentle sloping sides can also pose problems so the very best advice is aim to get a 20 degree slope.
The best position for your pond:
Where you select to make your pond is incredibly crucial. To get a worthwhile display form your Water Lillies and other aquatic plants the site is required to be shade free for not less than 5 - 6 hours throughout the day. Having said that, the location of the pond should must be sheltered from the prevailing wind avoiding scorching of young foliage along with the toppling of tall marginal plants. Hanging trees are a significant problem. They cast shade obviously, however the hidden danger is that thier leaves fall into the pond and decompose which in turn produces salts and gases that are damaging to the fish along with encouraging that appalling green algae to flourish.
Trees that are the most most dangerous to pond owners include Willow, Horse Chestnut, Poplar, Laburnum, Holly, Laurel and Rhododendron. Along with these there is the Cherry and Plum trees, these two trees are hosts to the Water Lily Aphid coupled with the tree roots which themselves can damage some pond linings.
Now, apart from avoiding danger spots there's also a necessity for convenience and eye-appeal. Ideally the pond sould be as close as posssible to some supply of electricity and water and also close enough to the home for the fountain or waterfall to be seen and heard. The refletion in the water ought to be attractive to the eye and where possible an informal pond needs to be sited at the lowest part of the garden.
Author Resource:
In my next article, which again will follow very soon, I will be writing about the different sorts of materials you can use to produce your pond. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the 'gardener london ' company who've given me help and advise through the countless years that I’ve been gardening.