The Pond Garden (gouache style)

Ponds have a long history in British gardens, from monastic fish ponds to the formal canals of grand estates and the water gardens of the Victorians. Many hardy water lilies grown today descend from those bred in France by Joseph Bory Latour-Marliac in the late nineteenth century. Many countryside ponds were lost in the twentieth century, so garden ponds matter more. Frogs, newts, dragonflies and birds come to them, and lilies shade the water, keeping it cooler and limiting algae.

Fill a new pond with rainwater, since tap water carries nutrients that feed algae, and give it at least one shallow, sloping edge so animals can get in and out. Plant water lilies from April to June in aquatic baskets, lowering them gradually to their final depth. Leave out fish if wildlife is the aim, as they'll eat tadpoles. In autumn, net out fallen leaves and thin oxygenating plants, leaving what you remove at the edge overnight so creatures can crawl back.

A small pond is shown here with water lilies on the surface, and ferns and hostas around the edges. Their broad, cool leaves make it a shady, green scene. Even a pond this small has everything that's needed: water, shelter at the margins and planting that wildlife will soon find.