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 It is not difficult to bring the beauty and music of water to your garden, patio or terrace - or even to a roof garden or balcony. There are several methods of construction, and it would be wise to plan very carefully before starting work. You will probably need to go to a specialist water garden center for materials, plants, fish and other supplies, and such places are generally happy to give free advice to customers. So take advantage of this before you start digging!
Notwithstanding the fact that an open position is essential for garden pools, some form of shelter - as from trees or buildings - is also advantageous. These break the force of strong winds (bringing dividends in the form of early flowers) and protect the site in winter. But never site the pool directly under a tree, or you will have problems with leaves in autumn unless you cover the pool with a net.
After deciding on its shape and type - formal or informal - peg out the pool outline with sticks and/or white tape. This gives a rough guide as to its ultimate size and effect. You should then decide on the depth. This depends to a great extent upon the climate. Ideally pools should be shallow enough for the water to warm up quickly in spring, thus encouraging flowering (especially of the water-lilies), yet deep enough to give fish protection in hot weather and to prevent a complete freeze up in winter. Over most of the British Isles two feet of water above the roots of lilies is normally safe from complete freezing, but in some latitudes 2.5 feet may be a more realistic depth.
With severe climates, it might even be advisable to drain the pond in winter. The fish and tenderest aquatics can then be stored somewhere else, and the pool surface covered with polythene sheeting or boards and branches to protect the remaining plants. Naturally, if plants are underneath, the covering must be removed as conditions improve, but it is surprising how well water-lilies and other aquatics temporarily exist without water in cold weather.
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