The answer to this question depends very much on who you ask. In the interest of providing one perspective it could be explained as follows.

A water garden will generally contain a variety of aquatic plants and will primarily be a decorative feature. To fulfil its decorative function it will quite possibly contain brightly coloured fish such as goldfish. Having a body of water containing plants and fish definitely seems to fulfil the description of a pond in many peoples eyes so what is the defining characteristic of a water garden?

The concept of the water garden is possibly easier to understand once you begin to define a pond. The word pond quite simply covers a vast array of water holes. These extend from wildlife ponds full of newts and frogs with a very earthy natural feel, to the typical garden pond, or a village watering hole (not the beer serving variety) to the ornate ponds of a stately home in addition to countless other varieties. Accepting that the word pond obviously cover a vast spectrum of ideas, it is possible to think of a water garden as simply a type of pond with a focus on the decorative.

So at what point does a pond then become a lake? Well personally I am still seeking the defining answer. A search of the internet will produce as many distinctions as there are types of pond so the definition is blurred. In simple terms, lakes are definitely bigger in most cases but the cut-off point is clearly not… well… clear.