Year round pond care

A sheet of glimmering water, dancing with dragonflies and sparkling with lush, exotic flowers is an eyecatching centrepiece that's the perfect finishing touch to your garden. Water features create a restful space after the fireworks of your main borders, and they'll attract wildlife into your Donaghadee, Bushmills, Ballymena and Ballyclare garden like nothing else.

Ponds are surprisingly low-maintenance considering what a wonderful contribution they make to the garden, requiring just a little attention every few months to keep plants and wildlife in harmony. You'll find all the specialist equipment you need in our garden centre to keep your pond picture-perfect all year round.

Spring:

• stock up on new water plants once the water has warmed in mid to late spring, and plant them straight away making sure they're at the depth stated on the label.
• divide overgrown pond plants, cutting the rootballs into several clumps to replant into aquatic baskets filled with specialist aquatic compost.
• check pumps or filters are working ready for the season ahead and repair or replace if necessary.

Summer:

• pull out blanket weed by twirling a cane in the water to twist it round the end and pull it out.
• scoop duckweed from the pond surface regularly with a pond net.
• feed waterlilies with specialist fertiliser, available as pellets or tablets from our garden centre.
• top up the pond in dry weather as necessary, using saved rainwater if you can to avoid pollution.

Autumn:

• net your pond against falling autumn leaves, as if they're allowed to decay they'll pollute the water.
• pull away the foliage of your plants as they die down before they can rot into the water.
• now is a good time to clean your pond if the sludge is building up too much: only pull out half the sludge each year to avoid harming wildlife.

Winter:

• drain water from pipes and remove pumps from the pond to prevent them cracking in the frost.
• melt a hole in the ice regularly with a pan of hot water to let oxygen through for plants and fish.

Please ask the staff in our Donaghadee, Bushmills, Ballymena and Ballyclare garden centre for more information and advice about looking after ponds.