Building a Garden Pond Video

Step 3: Prepare the ground

Once the hole looks deep enough, scoop out any last loose bits from the bottom and try to get it roughly flat.
Place your liner in the hole to check you've gone deep enough.
Remove the liner and shovel a layer of sand into the hole.
If you're using a hard pond liner, you'll need about an inch of sand in the bottom of the hole.
For a rubber liner, cover the hole very carefully with about two inches of sand to ensure the liner doesn't get pierced by rubble or debris.
Tip: Instead of using sand to line the hole, you can use an piece of old carpet, rubber side up.

Step 4: Level the pond

It is absolutely vital that you get this step right!
Place the liner back in the hole.
Rest the piece of timber across the pond lengthwise and place the spirit level on top.
If it's not level, adjust the liner and try again.
Rest the timber across the width of the pond and check that it's level that way as well.

Step 5: Fill in the hole

Once the pond is perfectly level, fill the gaps around the edge of the pond loosely with topsoil from the hole.
Fill the pond with water and keep an eye open for wildlife.
Tip: Don't pack the soil tightly around the pond before you fill it with water. It's best leave the soil loose and let things settle for about a week before packing it more tightly.