Creating a stunning outdoor garden pond - David Domoney

If you’ve ever considered adding a garden pond to your garden, it doesn’t have to be daunting with all the different styles, shapes, and sizes to choose from. You can create a unique pond the perfectly suits your garden design. Whether you are looking to add fish to your garden or welcome a whole host of wildlife, garden ponds have so much to offer.

Suit the space

The beauty of ponds is that with advancements in technology you can have an incredibly low maintenance, high tech pond that mainly takes care of itself. Therefore, you have more time to sit and enjoy the tranquillity that having a garden pond presents. Contemporary ponds and water walls are becoming increasingly popular, especially when it comes to saving space but still wanting the calming, magical effects of water in the garden. However, high tech doesn’t mean the feature needs to look contemporary and clean-cut. Instead, you can still achieve that classic, cottage charm with a pond, but with a modern spin to make the pond more efficient.

When it comes to choosing the shape of the pond, there are many considerations. Generally, you want to make the pond as big as possible, but of course you must think about the practicalities. Rounded ponds look great and natural, with a soft effect, whereas square ponds tend to be more suited to architectural and modern gardens. Oase’s range of preformed ponds take the hard-work out of installation, with shapes to suit any style.

Look the part

Decorate the perimeter of the pond with large stones, arranged at angles to give a natural, charming look rather than a primed and proper one. Fill in gaps with light coloured pebbles that will bring brightness to the pond when the sun reflects off them and the water.

One of my favourite things about designing a pond is seeing all the natural elements come together. To do this, choose a range of plants that work well together to help the pond come alive.

Among the plants surrounding the pond, add height and form by combining plants of different heights, habits, and textures. For height, there are Acer palmatum (Japanese maples) that can grow up to 8m tall, preferring a sunny spot with moist but well-drained soil. Not only do they provide form but also a spectacular show with the foliage that changes to fiery reds and oranges through autumn.

These are complemented by the classic blooms of roses, of which there are a plethora to choose from. With patio, shrub, Hybrid tea, climbing, and rambling roses to choose from, there will be one to suit the style and location of the pond.

Of course, ponds also provide the opportunity to incorporate a variety of different plants that thrive in those conditions. Pond loving plants like Iris ensata (Japanese water iris) and Myosotis scorpiodes (water forget-me-not) are well-suited to this environment and come spring the pond will be bursting with colour. However, to keep the pond looking spectacular all year round it’s ideal to incorporate evergreens into the planting scheme. For this reason, rhododendrons are a fantastic option as a medium or large shrub where the often-variegated foliage is joined by showy flowers. Bear in mind that they require acidic soil to grow, so dig in plenty of ericaceous compost to prepare the soil.

One thing to bear in mind when planting around a pond is to keep on top of deadheading spent flowers, removing diseased or damaged foliage, and clearing away any fallen leaves. This is to stop a build up of debris in the pond which can lead to algae and potentially harm fish or wildlife.

Looking up

For a cohesive design in the garden, create a journey to the space that matches the atmosphere of the pond itself. For this informal, cottage style pond, a wooden pergola adorned with classic climbers is the perfect walkway to travel through to be greeted by the stunning pond. Not only will this bring height to the space, as well as bringing fragrance to the area if aromatic plants like Lonicera japonica (Hall’s Japanese honeysuckle) are chosen, but also a sheltered and shaded spot for seating. This means you can position a bistro set or outdoor sofa underneath to sit comfortably to watch your pond perform. With the movement of water and the sounds of pollinators visiting the nearby plants, your garden will be satisfying all the senses.

Achieve the perfect pond by picking the right spot that gives you the most space to bring the soothing sound of water in. Utilise technology to make maintaining a pond easier, whilst embellishing the space with plants and props that emphasise your design and the personality of your garden.

One year on.

This beautiful pond has matured and grown exceptionally well! The planting around the outside has established itself brilliantly and the water itself is looking bright and clear!

Click here to see a video update from David: https://youtu.be/obkbCMivJ1E