Ponds are incredibly valuable for wildlife as areas to feed, breed, and provide drinking water. Ponds can support a diverse array of plants and animals, but many freshwater habitats in the countryside have been lost to make space for more farming and housing.
Creating a pond in your Naturespace is a great way to attract and support wildlife:
Ponds do not need to be big to attract wildlife and can be as small as even a container sunk into the ground. When filled with water and native aquatic plants, it will soon become a wildlife haven.
You can either create a pond in your Naturespace, or maintain an existing pond if you have one already. If your space is limited, it’s easy to install a mini pond instead, using a container of water. Check out our guides below for step-by-step instructions.
These general instructions are suitable for making a pond in an existing area of lawn or soft ground, but don’t be afraid to adapt these to your own circumstances. Please just make sure you have permission from the landowner.
Equipment needed:
Source of rainwater (such as water butt)
Aquatic plants
Pond liner (including protective underlay)
Sand or washed gravel
Spade
Spirit level
Even small water sources can be beneficial for wildlife, so consider a mini pond if you don’t have a lot of outdoor space.
Equipment needed:
A large, water-tight container
Sand or washed gravel
Source of rainwater (such as a water butt)
Aquatic plants
Pebbles/stones
Wildlife will come to your pond naturally. Depending on the time of year, aquatic invertebrates will often appear within the first few weeks and amphibians within the first year. Plants will establish in time.
There are lots of options as to what plants you may want to add to your pond in the spring or early summer. A mixture of native emergent, submerged and floating plants are best for wildlife.
For more information, check out these useful guides:
Managing invasive plant species - ‘Be Plant Wise’ campaign
Growing at the pond edge, these plants encourage invertebrates and provide shelter for amphibians.
Suggestions:
Lesser spearwort, water mint, brooklime, purple loosestrife, marsh marigold, water forget-me-not and sedges. In larger ponds, yellow flag iris is popular, but be aware that it can spread easily so will require controlling.
In shallow areas, these plants will be used by dragonflies and damselflies to lay their eggs on. Emergent plants send their leaves and flower stems up above the water’s surface.
Suggestions:
Bog bean, flowering rush, branched bur-reed and soft rush.
These plants help oxygenate the water and provide a place for pond snails, dragonflies and newts to lay eggs.
Suggestions:
Frogbit, broad-leaved pondweed, amphibious bistort, fringed water lily, white water lily.
Submerged plants float in deep water and provide protective cover for many pond creatures.
Suggestions:
Water-starwort, spiked water milfoil and water crowfoot.