Flexible Liners:
Having a Flexible liner is usually the most satisfactory way of creating a pond that is large enough to accommodate numerous aquatic plants and various fish. You aren’t limited to the range of styles and sizes of Rigid liners offered inside the catalogues and in the garden centres. The transportation and handling can also be a lot easier. Price really should not be a stumbling block because on an equal area basis, a high quality Flexible liner isn't costlier than a fibreglass Rigid liner.
The only real drawback using a Flexible liner is that you can't achieve the superbly smooth surface and angles that you'd find from a pre-formed type of liner. There will be also a few wrinkles, but this should not pose any serious problems.
Plan to begin the work during the spring and during a reasonably dry spell of weather if you are lucky enough to have one. If the pond is to be permanent try to buy butyl sheeting if you can. It will be the most costly, but it's going to easily outlast other types and any tears will be easily repaired. Where money is a problem choose a very good quality PVC liner.
If you are building a short lived pond for breeding fish or holding the stock when you are cleaning out a permanent pond then an inexpensive polythene sheeting is perfectly satisfactory.
A problem which occasionally arises when buying a Flexible liner is that some suppliers use trade names without stating inside the catalogue just which construction material has been used. Make sure that you ask before buying and ensure you check the length of the guarantee.
Rigid Liners:
Using a Rigid liner is perhaps the simplest way of making a small pond . It’s worth considering if you just want a pond for rearing fish, a little wildlife pond or even a mini-pond for some aquatic plants and a few Goldfish. It’s also a good way of lining a raised pond.
Most experts through the years have warned against using a Rigid liner when you want a well balanced pond for a variety of aquatic plants and a number of other kinds of fish in water which will not be green with algae. Until quite recently they were generally correct as there is a long list of drawbacks. The cheaper liners had an unacceptably short lifetime and were often garishly coloured. The depths were also generally lower than the critical 18 inches and the same old shape was too small and too fussy.
Things have changed quite a bit these days. You will find tough black plastic ponds with a long term guarantee along with sizes well over 40 sq. ft surface area and depths of a lot more than 18 inches all available and simple geometrical shapes are offered alongside the convoluted ones. In addition to that they have shelving for Marginals which is a good improvement. There is certainly even a range of Rigid liners that have a planting area for Bog plants already built in to them.
When buying your liner be sure that the guarantee runs for a minimum of 10 years and choose a dark colour if the construction material is plastic. Make sure 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 type of pond which is still regarded by some as being the best is concrete. Concrete continues to be used where a sizable square or oblong pond is to be built, but it is a job for a professional. But it will be possible to make a simple round or oval pond if you have some experience of working with concrete. Remember that if you do try this yourself you do need to finish the job in one day. When the concrete has dried, paint the surface with a proprietary sealant like silglaze before filling the pond with water and stocking it. Raw concrete is harmful to 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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