Hi Sibe,

I have a waterlogged garden which I have discovered is due to local springs in the area. I would like to turn this to my advantage and somehow channel the water into a pond. Is this advisable and if so, how is it best achieved? My garden is on a slight slope going down to the house where there is a drain for excess water.

Thank you,
Fiona

Our garden expert replies

Hi Fiona,

I'm sure this seems an attractive idea in theory. A natural water source - so why not simply dig out a pond and collect the water?

In practice I think would be difficult to bring about for many reasons. For example, are you sure the spring is reliable all year round? If not, the pond is very likely to dry out in the summer months and you would then be faced with filling it artificially. Even if the supply of water was reliable, quite a bit of soil would be carried into the pond along with the spring water. This would inevitably have the effect of increasing the fertilizer content of the pond, resulting in luxuriant growth of pond weeds and particularly algae.

By all means give it a try if you like - you never know whether these things will succeed or not, but be aware of the potential pitfalls. An alternative idea may be to channel the water back and forward across your garden in the form of a stream. At least then the water would be constantly moving towards your drain and you could plant a number of moisture-loving plants along the stream sides. Candelabra primulas would give a good display in spring while conditions remained moist.

If you decide to go ahead check out Building a Pond for additional advice.

Good Luck!
Sibe