When talking about ponds, your imagination may take you to those duck ponds that you have seen in the public gardens, or perhaps those wonderful cold water fish ponds (also huge) that you have seen in the courtyard of a palace Andalusian.
The truth is that a pond can be reduced to a space as humble as a large pot or a barrel cut in half.
I agree that they are not the same. Space is only a limitation to size, but not to imagination .
You can have a small space, and create a wonderful pond with plants, fish, rocks … and why not ??? Even a small waterfall with a pump.
Pond styles
Historically there are two types of pond styles:
- Formal
ponds They are ponds with defined geometric shapes, in which the decoration is usually very sober. They are usually crowned by a fountain or a statue. - Informal
ponds Informal ponds do not follow predefined rules. In creating an informal pond, the biggest challenge is to integrate it into the garden decoration, looking for a look that is as natural as possible.
Planning a pond
Once we have decided the style we want the pond to have, we have to begin to clarify details, such as the location or the materials to be used, if it will have plants , fish … all these details are important, and then provide the necessary materials to get down to business to work.
Location of the pond within the garden
The place chosen for the pond is very important, it must have the maximum possible hours of light, since aquatic plants are not able to survive in the shade.
A pond with plants should not be placed near trees, which can cast their shadows on it or, if they are deciduous trees, their leaves end up in the pond, decomposing and causing disturbances in the water.
Pond size
The size of the pond will depend on the space available in the garden.
Ponds of all kinds can be created, it is even possible to have a small pond on a terrace, using a flowerpot for its construction… everything is a matter of space and imagination.
For a typical garden pond, it is important to know that there is a strong relationship between the size of the pond and its depth, being easier to maintain the biological balance in a good size pond than in a small one.
If our intention is to create a pond up to 2 meters in diameter, the ideal depth is 60-70 centimeters.
A good idea is to have different depths inside the pond, with the edge being the shallowest part, to increase towards the center, so that we can have different types of pond plants, with different needs.
A certain fact is that during the winter the temperature of the bottom of the pond remains stable, while the surface can freeze.
Many fish and plants, in a pond deep enough, use this area to survive.
Prefabricated pond or home pond
There are a good number of materials on the market that allow us to be creative in the construction of the pond, making the design totally personal.
If we have the whim that our pond is entirely our design, we will have to cover the bottom with a PVC membrane.
There are also prefabricated or pre-molded PVC ponds, which are very easy to install. We just have to make the hole in the ground adapted to the design.
The advantage of pre-made ponds is that water leakage is almost impossible.
Pond decoration and final finish
Once we have attached the pond in the garden, the final auctions remain.
The most important is to hide the synthetic material of the pond , for which we will need non-vegetable finishes, such as stones, logs, bricks or if we go to the most modern, a wooden deck, which can be used to install sun loungers or a table near the pond
Pond fish
One of the best decisions we can make is to add fish to the pond.
There are many reasons, such as keeping insects at bay or helping fish to maintain the fragile ecosystem, which is a pond.
In any case, if you decide to put fish in your pond, you should know that the ideal are the so-called cold-water fish , especially suitable to withstand cold temperatures outside, even when the surface of the pond can freeze during winter. they will be in torpor under the water.
These are the best pond fish:
