There are several garden pond weeds that need to be kept under control and if left can cause chaos in your pond.

The most common weeds found in a garden pound are blanket weed, duck weed and algae. Although small amounts of these weeds are essential for plants, fish and insects to live in the pond, they can completely take over the pond if left for a short period of time and will eventually kill any plants you may have in or around your pond.

To keep these weeds in check, you need to ensure that there are other plants which allow the nitrogen fertiliser to get into the water which will prevent any build up of the unwanted weeds. These plants that can be used to control the weeds are called marginal plants, which you can find in most good garden centres.

However, if this fails to prevent the spread of the weeds, they can be easily removed by hand. Blanket weed in particular is very easy to remove from your garden pond and it will usually come out in large batches.

Similarly, duck weed can cover a small pond in a short space of time and can be removed by hand using your hand or a small sieve, ensuring that you take the small roots out of the water when removing the leaves.

One job that most pond owners will have to face at some point in their pond owning lives will be thoroughly cleaning the pond. Doing anything that is so invasive will undoubtedly alter the balance of life in the pond, so any dramatic cleaning procedure should be avoided until it is absolutely necessary.

The ecosystem in your pond may have taken years to establish so if you remove all the plant and animal life (and of course all the water) you will be lucky if you do not have a few teething problems afterwards. Regular maintenance is the key, and if you use pond maintenance products such as a heavy duty pond vacuum and own items such as arms length pond gloves and pond waders you will be more likely to maintain your pond more regularly. It goes without saying that if you do some of the dirty work on a regular basis your pond life will appreciate it in the long run.

Pond vacuums come in hand powered and electric powered models and are a better solution than the methods used years ago that usually involved a bucket and some very hard work.

Garden ponds offer a diverse ecological environment where many life forms take residence over the years. If the pond is healthy and is self supporting then the organisms that live there should be able to maintain a balanced environment. If however your pond does not have a balanced ecosystem then waste products will build up.

If you are lucky you will never have to try to chemically or physically readdress the balance of your pond because the organisms that live there should do it for you. Fish however produce large quantities of waste products including ammonia, which if not dealt with can actually poison life in the pond. Also over time the pond may silt up due to the deposition of these waste products and other organic products such as decomposed plants, leaves that may have fallen into your pond and uneaten fish food.

There are things that you can do to tackle these problems including adding pond treatments to introduce friendly bacteria into the pond. These may help to restore the natural balance of the pond or may tackle specific problems if they occur. Most pond equipment suppliers will be able to help you with specific questions you have regarding the pond water quality and many will be able to offer you solutions to these problems.

On a warm sunny afternoon, there’s nothing quite like sitting by the garden pond, sipping a cold refreshing drink and getting stuck into a good book.

In fact, garden ponds can provide pleasure all year round; with the fish, wildlife and plants that they attract.

But when maintaining a pond, there are the more practical elements to consider and safety should be a priority; particularly when there are children and pets in the house.

A basic but effective pond safety device is the safety net. This is the most widely used method to keep both pets and children protected from the dangers of an open pond. The net is placed above the water level and attached securely around the edge of the pond with specially designed fittings.

Most nets are designed to blend in with the pond so that its beauty can still be enjoyed. The nets can also be adapted to suit any size or shape.

Aside from a pond net, it can be a good idea to install adequate lighting around your pond. This means that you can continue to enjoy your beautiful garden even when the sun starts to set, secure in the knowledge that your children and pets are able to see the dangers easily.