When we first visited what would later become our home, there were two enormous holes in the garden. In a previous life, they had been koi ponds, but they had sadly fallen into neglect. Months later, when we finally moved in, both ponds had been filled with tap water but had no filtration system in place. They smelled awful and were teeming with flies.
Naturally, our first thought was: Oh no, what have we done? Yet, as difficult and overwhelming as it was to bring them back to life, we now think having a pond just outside the house was one of the most magical gifts the garden had to offer.
The pond has a 'mind' of its own. Plants and tiny creatures regularly appear out of nowhere, with absolutely no help from us
In spring, it’s a joy to see it bursting with life and to observe the quirks and growth of the many bugs it harbours. Spoiler alert: water boatmen have a funny, yet brutal, tale to tell about life, love and death!
Throughout the year, it’s soothing to watch raindrops falling onto the water from the kitchen window, or to notice the shifting patterns of light reflected onto our ceiling when the sun is still low in the sky.
Our summers would no longer feel the same without the much-loved, assertive presence of dragonflies, of which we recorded 11 different species in 2023 alone. Even in our small suburban garden, we sometimes witness dozens of dragonflies taking their maiden flights at once while we stroll along the pond edge with a morning cup of tea or coffee in hand. Back garden magic, that is.
Choosing pond plants involved a fair amount of trial and error. Because we rely solely on rainwater, the water level fluctuates throughout the year, and anything growing in the pond must cope with both extremes: waterlogged conditions during the cold, wet months and drought-like conditions during our increasingly hot, dry summers. Happily, a lot of the plants we introduced seem completely unfazed and continue to thrive, albeit slowly, despite the challenges and even during the severe London summer drought of 2022.
Depth also plays an important role in supporting wildlife. Ranging from ground level down to around 160 cm, the pond provides a variety of habitats for different species. Meanwhile, fluctuating water levels allow self-seeded plants to wander through the pond, creating new shapes and unexpected combinations from one year to the next.
Over the years, the pond has attracted many visitors. Herons occasionally stop by, looking like giants as they land on the garden fence, perhaps on their way to or from the nearby wetland reserve. Birds, bees, foxes (and our cats, Ziggy and Yoko) all come to drink and cool off by the water. Frogs complete their entire lifecycle here and, each evening at dusk, it’s a selight to watch bats darting overhead.
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