How to build a natural pond: tips for wildlife-friendly water in your garden

Integrating water into your garden brings life, because no life without water. That was the case millions of years ago in the so-called primordial soup, and so it is no different today. With water in the garden, you provide wildlife in the environment, and that is perhaps more important than ever.

I knew early on, when we recently moved into our house here, that I wanted a pond. Not too big, because I didn't necessarily want fish. But a place where salamanders, frogs, toads and other water creatures would come to. Because it's mainly those kinds of animals that help you fight against snails, for example. We also have a couple of hedgehogs that live in the garden, so it had to be a drinking place for them as well. And then there are the birds, of course. Indispensable for a garden in balance.

So about whether there would be a pond was not up for debate, but it took some thinking about the ideal spot. I didn't want the pond at the very front of the garden, because with possible mosquito infestations in mind and a south-facing garden, I didn't think it was smart to do that. After all, you don't want a pond to be in the baking sun all day either. At the back of the garden I found the ideal spot, at least as far as the position of the sun was concerned. But, there is a - very beautiful - tree in that spot. An ornamental cherry tree that blooms in spring with beautiful white flowers. Building a pond close to a tree is not ideal, and is often advised against, but I must say that I haven't regretted it for a minute. It provides some shade now and then, and the picture is beautiful as a whole. Yes, I need to shovel leaves more often in the fall, but I gladly take that in. The result is too beautiful. 

Since it had to be a pond for the animals, I thought it was important to have shallow spots where drinking is easy. This is because a lot of birds come to bathe or drink and also the hedgehogs have made it their regular drinking spot. So the pond is made so that the deepest part is 1.20 m deep, then you end up on a plateau of about 90 centimeters and then a sloping surface of 50, 40, 30, 20, 10 centimeters. That is where the animals come to the most. To be clear, I say natural pond, but we obviously made it with a rubber liner.

In our pond there is no pump, nor extra oxygen. I wanted it all to run very naturally. There are lots of plants and therefore oxygen plants in it, and the rest regulates itself. We never really suffer from algae, and the animals love it here, as frogs and toads arrive every year. The other day I also noticed that our family of salamanders had expanded again. And what I was afraid of at first: namely lots of mosquitoes, is fortunately not so bad. I think the frogs like to eat them, because they have never really bothered me.

The bottom line: I am still happy with our natural pond every day. It's a beautiful spot and it's brimming with life. I realize that this approach to constructing a pond is neither classic nor for everyone. But if you are open to this alternative form of adding water to the garden, you will be amazed at what it does to the biodiversity in your garden. By the way, you don't have to choose a large pond. It can be done very small and even with a barrel or tub that you put in the ground. So don't be put off by the large ponds you come across. It can also be done differently. Smaller, but with a very big effect for everything that crawls and flies around you.