Liners

There are various types of liner to choose from and they fall into two categories: pre-formed or cut-to-fit. Cut-to-fit liners allow you the freedom to make your wildlife pond your own shape, size and depth.

Pre-formed ponds
Many garden centres sell pre-formed ponds, usually made or plastic or fibre-glass, largely designed for housing ornamental fish. These need to be carefully dug beforehand, but can last a long time (many over twenty years). The downside is that there is no room for creativity, and many pre-formed liner designs are exclusively fish-friendly, lacking slopes for other wildlife to get in and out. 

Some people choose to make raised up garden ponds with troughs or raised pre-formed liners. Remember that many forms of wildlife will find this much harder to get in and out of.

Liner ponds
The most popular and reliable liners are made from butyl (though other materials are also available). 

This is a flexible material and can be cut to fit, allowing you to be more creative with shape and size. The disadvantage of using pond-liners is that they are prone to punctures, often from sharp stones, (plus the occasional claw or beak). Don’t let this put you off though, just be sure to add an extra protective layer (see Digging).  

The most environmentally friendly liner is clay, but this can be time-consuming and problematic. If installed correctly this is the most natural option.

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