Outdoor cold water ponds - design, installation, maintenance and stocking the pond with fish and aquatic plants, koi carp

A cold water pond creates an extremely attractive focal point for any garden. There are a variety of ways to construct a pond but perhaps one of the easiest is to use a pre-moulded glass fibre pond liner.

These are available in numerous shapes and sizes and can be dark green in colour with stepped levels for planting. There are also many designs available that effectively imitate the appearance of rock, slate or cobbles and are shaped specifically to accommodate water features - emulating the motion of streams and waterfalls.

Running water is desirable when creating a pond to house fish stock. When planning to install a fish pond, care must be taken to address the issue of cleansing and oxygenation of the pond water and it is advisable to seek professional advice.

In addition to the traditional outdoor pond, many people are installing ‘natural, wildlife style’ ponds which can be set into even the smallest of gardens. These ponds are designed to create natural ‘marshland’ environments to attract various forms of water life usually found in marshy habitats. They are an excellent way to create an interesting yet low maintenance garden pond.