Find your garden centre

Back to the overview

Ponds assortment Test GCGUK

Ponds

Everything for your pond at Test GCGUK in London. Ponds add a whole new dimension to your garden. They fill the air with light bouncing from the surface of the water, and the gentle, soothing sound of ripples and bubbles. You get to explore an Aladdin's cave of new plants from exotic-looking waterlilies to elegant purple water iris; and best of all, they're magnets for wildlife, buzzing with dragonflies, mayflies, waterboatmen and frogs.

Installing your Test GCGUK pond

It's well worth visiting Test GCGUK in London before you begin to talk through your options with the knowledgeable team in the aquatics department. Choose from easy-to-install preformed liners in sizes from tiny to super-large; or more flexible rubber butyl liners, ideal for larger, irregular-shaped ponds.

Whichever type of pond you want, initial preparation is the same. Dig the hole a little bigger than the finished pond, and build in shaped contours such as planting shelves. Line with a 5cm thick layer of sand, topped off with old carpet to prevent any stones penetrating the liner.

Make sure it's all completely level, then if you're using a preformed liner put it in place and backfill with sand; or for a butyl liner, unfold it gradually, starting in the centre and working it in to corners so it lies absolutely flat. Finally, run a hose to your pond, turn on the water and fill!

Perfect pond plants at Test GCGUK

Once your pond is in place you'll want to fill it with pond plants from Test GCGUK. There's a great selection in your Greater London garden centre so you can include plants at every level, from deep-water aquatics like waterlilies to floating oxygenators to keep the water clear and marginals such as marsh marigold. Aim to cover about a third of the pond's surface with pond plants.

Bring your pond to life with Test GCGUK ponds

Wildlife ponds will attract creatures like a magnet: once it's filled, you'll only wait a day or two before you spot the first visitors. Fish ponds, on the other hand, need a little help from the aquatics section at the garden centre.

Try to introduce a range of fish to your pond, including bottom, mid and surface feeders. Goldfish remain our most popular fish and thrive in garden ponds, often reaching 20cm long. But other fish to try include tench, sarasa comets and for larger ponds, koi carp and golden orfe. If you're not sure which to choose, ask the 

Test GCGUK

London