A pond in Wargrave gets a make-over in time for summer

04/06/2020 ALDA in Action

Our clients’ pond had once been a main feature in their garden, situated as it is just below their patio and close to the house. But over the years it had become neglected, with overgrown shrubs hiding it from view and a pump that no longer worked.

The new design

This is where Katie stepped in to create a new design which would involve giving the pond a defined outline, a new rockery, a shallow pebble beach to encourage wildlife and new planting.

The first step to achieving the pond’s transformation involved a visit from Katie to discuss ideas for the design and planting. Katie then went away and drew up a sketch plan and a design proposal for the following actions:

The pond was to be reshaped with shallow areas for marginal planting.
Where possible, the existing rocks surrounding the patio were to be recycled, creating a rockery and a natural edge to the pond to encourage wildlife to return. This would also allow for rockery style planting.
Some of the large shrubs were to be removed and replaced with lower growing species.

Once our client was happy to proceed with the proposal for the new design, John was able to provide a quotation for the landscaping and with our clients’ go ahead the team could start work.

The stages of landscaping involved

First, the guys have great fun catching some of the existing wildlife such as frogs and goldfish, placing them in a temporary pond base we just happen to have! They are transported along with some of the old pond water to help them acclimatise to their new home.
Next it’s on to cutting back the overgrown shrubs no longer required and removing them from the garden.
A wider base is dug out and a new butyl lining installed.
The existing pump is then given a good clean and re-installed.
A new rockery is built using some of the existing rocks as well as adding new Cotswold stone with its beautiful creamy tones.
One end of the pond is finished with a pebble edge to give a natural look. We used ‘Moray’ pebbles 14-20mm which we sourced through our supplier Stoneworld.

The finishing touches

The pond is filled up with fresh water and the frogs and gold fish are carefully re-instated along with some of the water taken originally when they were moved.
New planting around the edge of the pond transforms this area. The selection of plants includes Iris germanica ‘Braithwaite’, Azalea japonica ‘Amoena’, Acer palmatum ‘Shaina’, Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Miss Saori’, and Thymus coccineus ‘Purple beauty’.

And of course, the pond would not be complete without the installation of aquatic plants. We sourced the ‘Blooming Marvellous Pond Collection’ for small ponds from World of Water, with a beautiful pink water lily as the centrepiece.

Like what you see?

From planning a new border to a complete garden remodel, we pride ourselves on transforming ideas into beautiful reality, with minimum disruption. If you’re based in or around the Reading and Newbury area, we’d love to meet and discuss your project in detail – book your free no-obligation garden consultation today. We do get pretty booked up, particularly during the Spring, so plan ahead if possible!