If you have a garden that is set on many different ground levels it can be the perfect place to install a garden pond. Having a split level water feature or garden pond will mean that you can incorporate waterfalls and water courses into the pond design to really make something of your garden feature.

Whilst a garden pond on one level looks brilliant, having a sloping garden can mean you can have two or more pond levels and have streams or different types of interconnecting water flow between them. The overall affect can look stunning.

When installing a pond system on sloping ground you need to make sure that the pond design is done correctly and the ground can structurally hold the quantity of water you will add to the pond. This may mean shoring the earth in different locations and then backfilling or adding more earth around higher level pools to hold everything in place. You may even need to build retaining walls or get a structural engineer to oversee the construction if you have any doubts. But, when the design is finished the pond will certainly be the focal point of your garden.

With all the rain that seems to be falling at the moment it can pose potential problems for pond owners. That is unless you have already taken preventative measures to make sure that excess water in the pond is dealt with before it becomes a problem.

Lack of water in your pond can also be a problem. If during the summer months your pond water level drops too far, the pond inhabitants may suffer unnecessarily. You therefore need to take steps to ensure you have a top up supply if the water level drops too far. Using tap water can be detrimental to your pond’s eco-system, so whenever possible you should use collected rain water.

If you want to take preventative measures to remove water from your pond if the level rises too high, there are some things you can do here also.

The best solution to remove excess water from a pond is to use a soakaway. You can incorporate an overflow pipe into the pond design at the upper most level you want the water to rise to. The overflow pipe can lead to an underground soakaway that can be dug at a level lower than the pond so the water can easily drain into it.

Making the decision to include a garden pond in your garden design can be a little difficult. There are many things you need to consider. Not least how much time and patience you will need during the pond’s set up period and future maintenance requirements.

Owning garden ponds can be very rewarding but you need to prepare yourself for a little hard work now and again. If you just want something to look at, why not try a water feature or other garden decorative feature.

The initial design and pond build can take some effort and then the pond needs time to develop its own eco-system before you add your fish. This is a time consuming process. But when done properly it can provide many hours of pleasure and satisfaction.

Important considerations before the start of the build include:

• Build a pond that fits with the size of your garden
• Decide positioning of the pond based on future water supply and electricity requirements
• Try not to build a pond under trees – the falling leaves can prove to be a problem
• Decide if you want to keep fish – and how many
• Look into the various pond filter and pond pump systems – you need to choose the right one for your pond size
• Take into consideration how your pond will affect the surrounding environment – be prepared to include an array of pond plants and incorporate features in your pond that will not only benefit you but also other animals and future pond inhabitants

If left for a few years with little maintenance the plants in your pond can become overgrown. If you have planned well in advance any plants that have been submerged in your garden ponds will have been installed in planting baskets. These are the perfect way to put plants into your pond and the easiest way to remove them if necessary.

Mesh pond plant baskets allow the roots of your pond plants to spread out but still keep the pond plant well contained so it can be easily removed from the pond if necessary. They also keep the soil around the plant roots and not clouding the water, adding pea gravel to the top of your baskets will also stop soil floating away for your plant.

Having your pond plants in individual containers also means that you can split the plants easily and also target specific plants with fertilisers or other treatments if necessary.

You can get many different sizes of pond planters in shapes including square, round and kidney shaped. So you will be able to find the right size planter for the size and position of pond plant you want.

Now might be the time of year you consider installing a heater to your pond. With the winter weather only round the corner, if you want to keep your pond ice free and keep your fish active you will need to stop the pond temperature falling as the air temperature drops.

The cooling of your pond temperature is a gradual process and the fish in your pond are well aware of this. They will adapt to their ambient surroundings and so when the pond temperature drops they will become less active and hence not need as much food. If you want to keep the fish in your pond more active than usual over the winter months then the only solution is to install a pond heater.

Depending on the size of pond you own you will need to buy a pond heater (or pond heaters) accordingly. Most come with a thermostat that can be set to your required temperature and the heater can be easily foxed to the floor of wall of your pond for ease of future access.

Pond heaters are the perfect pond accessory and a great way to make the most of your pond during the cold winter months.

If you own a particularly large or deep pond then you might want to add a pond air pump into your design to aid water oxygenation and hence improve the environment for your fish.

Most new air pumps now offer high performance levels along with the ability to pump air to a depth of several metres so your pond can stay fully aerated. The oxygen that is in garden ponds will be used by all the living creatures that inhabit it including your fish and the bacteria in your pond filter. The filter bacteria need this oxygen convert harmful fish pollutants like ammonia into nitrites then nitrates.

This conversion of pond pollutants is essential for the survival of your pond. Without a filter system or adequate oxygenation your pond pollutants will ultimately build up to uncontrollable levels resulting in the death of your fish and their habitat.

Adding extra oxygen into the pond using an air pump is a great way to add more oxygen into your pond which will ultimately lead to a better environment for your fish and your pond.