Should you improve your garden with a pond? It’s a big decision, as it can change your garden forever. If you’re a regular reader of this site you’ll know I am a big fan of water features but before you jump into anything, it’s important to weigh up the pros and cons.
Pros
There are plenty of good reasons to get a pond, some of which are more important than others. To try and keep things short and sweet, I’ve picked out the two main advantages of a garden pond.
Aesthetically Pleasing
The main reason people build ponds is because of the way they look. A pond in your garden can be incredibly good to look at, they are very aesthetically pleasing and create a nice feature for your garden.
There are few things you can do to a garden that upgrades the way it looks as much as the presence that a pond does. What’s more, you can add colourful fish to make it look even better too.
Environmentally Friendly
You may not have thought of this, but a pond can actually help the surrounding environment. For one, you’ve got yourself a natural environment for amphibious animals. If you get some fish and put them in your pond, then it’s a much better life for them than being stuck in a fishbowl.
Your pond also creates a place for wild frogs to come and play too – you’ve given them a natural habitat. To add to this, ponds contain water (what a surprise!) which can help surrounding plants by providing them with extra moisture when they might lack it.
Cons
Sure, there are some great reasons to build a pond in your garden, but what are the drawbacks? here are the two I think you should be most aware of.
Maintenance
One of the biggest downsides of a pond is that they require lots of maintenance. You have to ensure your pond is clean, well-filtered, and free from bad things like algae. Unlike some aspects of your garden routine that you do a few times a year, pond maintenance is something that needs to be done regularly, especially if it contains fish and don’t forget about after winter, when your pond is more than likely going to be in a right old state.
You’ll have so much blanket surface gunk to get rid of, which means using things like Cloverleaf Blanket Answer for weeks, if not longer. Then, you have to go out with a net and fish out any debris – it’s a lot of effort let’s just put it that way!
Potential Hazard
The other major con with a pond is that you have a potential hazard in your garden. Generally speaking, ponds aren’t deep enough for someone to drown in. However, they can still cause problems, particularly if you have young children.
It’s easy for a kid to just run by it and fall in. The younger they are, the more dangerous it is, so bear that in mind if you have young children.
There is one thing that could be added to the cons, and that is cost. However, cost depends on the pond you’re building, some people might build one really cheaply, while some do cost a lot. So, it’s sort of a point that floats between pros and cons.
In summary, you can see the main positive and negative aspects of pond ownership so now you can decide whether it’s right for your garden.
