Having a Flexible liner is generally by far the most satisfactory way of creating a pond that is large enough to deal with numerous aquatic plants and a variety of fish. You aren’t limited to your range of shapes and sizes of Rigid liners offered inside catalogues and in the garden centres. The transportation and handling can also be a lot easier. Price should not be a stumbling block because on an equal area basis, a top quality Flexible liner isn't more expensive than a fibreglass Rigid liner.
The one drawback using a Flexible liner is that you cannot achieve the perfectly smooth surface and angles that you will find from a pre-formed kind of liner. There will also be several wrinkles, but this should not pose any serious problems.
Plan on starting the task in the spring and during a reasonably dry spell of weather if you happen to be lucky enough to receive one. If the pond is to be permanent try to purchase butyl sheeting if you possibly can. It is the most expensive, but it will easily outlast other types and any tears will be easily repaired. Where money is an issue choose the best quality PVC liner.
If you are building a temporary pond for breeding fish or holding the stock when you might be cleaning out a permanent pond then a cheap polythene sheeting is perfectly satisfactory.
A problem which occasionally arises when buying a Flexible liner is that some suppliers use trade names without stating in the catalogue just which construction material has been used. Just be sure you ask before you buy and make sure you check the length of the guarantee.
Rigid Liners:
Using a Rigid liner is perhaps the simple way of creating a small pond . It’s worth considering if you just need a pond for rearing fish, a little wildlife pond or a mini-pond for some aquatic plants and a few Goldfish. It’s also a good way of lining a raised pond.
Most experts over the years have warned against the use of a Rigid liner when you want a well balanced pond for a variety of aquatic plants and several other varieties of fish in water which will not be green with algae. Until quite recently they were generally correct as it has a good list of drawbacks. The cheaper liners had an unacceptably short lifetime and were often tastelessly coloured. The depths were also generally lower than the critical 18 inches and the usual shape was too small and too fussy.
Things have changed quite a lot these days. There are tough black plastic ponds that has a long term guarantee not to mention sizes well over 40 sq. ft surface area and depths of a lot more than 18 inches all available and straight forward geometrical shapes are offered alongside the convoluted ones. Along with that they have shelving for Marginals which is a great improvement. There is certainly even a variety of Rigid liners that have a planting area for Bog plants already built in to them.
When buying your liner make sure that the guarantee runs for a minimum 10 years and choose a dark colour if the construction material is plastic. Check that the depth is deep enough and keep in mind that a simple shape will give you more surface area for your money than a fussy one.
Concrete Pond:
The traditional kind of pond which is still regarded by some as being the best is concrete. Concrete continues to be used where a large square or oblong pond is being built, but it is a job for the professional. But it is possible to make a simple round or oval pond if you have got some experience of working with concrete. Do not forget that if you do do this yourself you do need to complete the job in a single day. When the concrete has dried, paint the surface using a proprietary sealant something like silglaze before filling the pond with water and stocking it. Raw concrete is harmful for the fish.
Author Resource:
I spend a great deal of my spare time in my garden but I must admit that most of it is spent either improving my pond or just sitting by it watching the world in water. A lot of my fascination with ponds was created with the help of a gardener london company. They gave me all the help and advice that I needed as and when I asked them for it.
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