Support your local wildlife - build a pond with pond liners
<p>Bringing wildlife and insects to your domestic garden benefits the environment enormously. It has been well recorded that the numbers of many species of indigenous UK wildlife are in decline and that one of the most obvious reasons for this is the destruction of the natural habitats these creatures used to enjoy. An increasing population size has seen more green belt land taken up for housing and industry. There have been changes in farming methods that have led to decreases in hedgerows and habitat. This has put a squeeze on the poor wildlife – but this is a situation that can be slowed down or reversed if we all do our bit. Our gardens our own personal environmental space and we have no one else to blame but ourselves if we don’t make it as welcoming as possible to our wildlife friends.</p>
<p>Water is a big part of the natural environment – after all it is the fundamental lifesource for all creatures and life itself. Therefore if we want our garden to mimic natural habitats as much as possible then its important that open water plays a part in this design. A well tendered lawn with terracotta pots might look nice but it isn’t providing the local wildlife with much assistance. A balanced environmentally friendly space doesn’t have to mean a difficult space to look after. Get the balance right and many pests will be killed by their own predators because the natural food-chain and order of things.</p>
<p>Building a pond doesn’t have to be difficult. Indeed, rather than trying for perfection just have a go! (You can always develop it later by adding features such as waterfalls or even building another). A simple pond construction just needs the purchase of a pond liner. <a href="http://www.pondkeeper.co.uk/pond-liners.asp"><strong>Flexible pond liners</strong></a> are relatively inexpensive these days - for instance a popular <a href="http://www.pondkeeper.co.uk/15yr-pondliner-6x5/l6x5+pondliner"><strong>6x5m pond liner</strong></a> will create a substantial pond sized approximately 3m x 2m x 1m deep (10' x 6' 6" x 3' deep) yet our prices begin at under £45. If you find the ground is particularly poor and stoney it will be well worth considering a <a href="http://www.pondkeeper.co.uk/underlay.asp"><strong>pond liner underlay</strong></a> to go down before the pond liner itself. (This should be the same size as the pond liner you purchase - eg, 6x5m in our example). Many aquatic retailers such as ourselves will often provide a discount if both the pond liner and underlay are bought together. The deeper you can dig the pond the easier it will be to maintain – but ensure that there are easily found sloped entry points in and out to help the wildlife from drowning. Aim for a semi-sun, semi-shade position. You need sun to allow pond plants to thrive but too much and algae will thrive presenting the problem of unattractive green water that will grab the oxygen in the pond reducing the chance of life for other plants or insects.</p>
<p>Once the pond has been created it won’t be long before the local wildlife finds it. To speed up the maturation process pour in a bucket of pond water from a friendly neighbour’s pond if you are lucky enough to have one nearby. This established pond water will contain many of the insect larvae and bacteria that your pond needs to balance correctly. Within a few weeks you will see signs of life – perhaps a water boatman skidding across the surface or a bird or two taking a bath (remember to provide some shallow areas to allow this).</p>
<p>When you have finished your wildlife pond you will gain agreat deal of satisfaction and enjoyment for many years. The biggest cost will be in your own time and energy - not materials. You will have done your bit for the planet without it costing the earth.</p>
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