HERE'S SIX REASONS why installing a pond into a garden is a great idea!

Water in a garden immediately changes the ambience of an outdoor space. In fact, a pond or water feature has been shown to improve mood and make people feel healthier and happier. Ponds reflect light, add interest to outdoor space and provide a reason to explore the surroundings. Why are ponds good for us? Here's six reasons why you might want to include water in your garden.  ‍Water features can act as sculptural forms and they are easier to install than you might think.

The wildlife effect

• Water attracts wildlife and most people are fascinated by this natural influx of minibeasts. Even the tiniest of ponds can host frogs, newts, insects, dragonflies, water snails, water boatmen and many more. Not to mention garden visitors such as birds who visit in order to drink and feed, also snakes, toads and more. Looking into a pond and watching quietly is highly therapeutic and a far cry from the hustle and bustle of the daily grind.

‍Ponds attract all sorts of wildlife and some will appear almost instantly!

 

Keeping mind and body active

• Tending to a pond is life-enhancing. Ponds benefit from maintenance on a little and often basis. It's important not to micro-manage a pond as a balance of mud, plants, stones, twigs and leaves is vital for a healthy place in which creatures can survive. The gentle care that a pond needs is good for the soul!

‍Ponds help to keep people fit. They are great for mind and body.

Soothing sound

• The sound of moving water is soothing. These non-threatening background noises are relaxing, whereas abrupt sounds tend to create an evolutionary response which prepares the body for action.

‍

The sound of trickling water in a garden is beneficial as it acts as an antidote to the evolutionary response we tend to experience when there's an alarming sound.

Perfect Pets

• Looking after pets is good for you! Fish in a pond are probably some of the easiest livestock to look after. You can leave them alone or give them lots of care and attention, they don't mind either way. Caring for animals creates a 'feel-good' element that feeds the instinct to nurture.

‍Goldfish make easy pets! They are virtually maintenance-free.

Good gardening opportunities

• You can garden in and around a pond! One of the best things about introducing a pond is to be able to colonise it and the surrounding areas with suitable plants. There are plants which are ideally suited to pond margins and others that like their feet to be under the water. Water in the garden gives a great excuse to design planting specifically for the feature. There are many different types of pond plants available, just take a look!

‍

Water lilies are some of the most popular plants for ponds. There are many different varieties that are suited to many different situations: some like pond margins and others are happy in the bottom.

Introducing magic

• Your garden might not lend itself to magnificent fountains in tune with Renaissance Italian gardens but a bubbling pebble pool, a trickling artificial stream or even a sunken bowl can bring a magical element to any space.

‍

A touch of magic can be brought to a garden by introducing a water feature.

What do you need?

Just a courtyard; a patio; a small garden; rooftop garden or balcony will suffice. If you have a larger space, you can let your imagination run wild but ponds really don’t need to take up a lot of room. You might want a supply of electricity so you can provide lighting and install a pump so you can have running water. If this is out of the question there are now many solar-powered water features that will be able to give you some movement. ‍

You don't need to have a large garden in order to introduce a water feature. Even a courtyard or balcony can squeeze in a free-standing feature.

How do ponds work?

Most water features re-use water stored in a reservoir. They include a pump which raises water to the top level before it drops back down into the reservoir. You simply need to dig a hole to insert the reservoir into the ground, then fill it with water. One end of the hosing pipe is inserted into the pump which sits in the water and the other end is taken up through the lid of the reservoir and through whatever feature you wish to use. The pump needs to be connected to an electricity supply so it can pump water through the water feature.  Simple! ‍

A water feature or fountain recycles the water, usually powered by an electric pump.

Powered by sunshine

There are alternatives. Solar-powered water features can be free-standing and they don't need connecting to mains electricity. There are also indoor fountains and even outdoor types that sit above ground where they are connected to the mains. You can often manage to disguise the cable. ‍

This cascading bird water feature is solar powered and it is free standing. Is for sale from Perfectplants.co.uk at £37.99 (+p&p).  Enjoy introducing water to your garden this spring and summer. ‍

There's so much pleasure to be gained from introducing a water feature to a garden.