Quick tips for installing a garden pool

The sight and sound of water, the colourful fish and varied plants water can support, along with the vitality of the birds that come to drink add warmth to any garden. Adding a water garden gives you the opportunity to grow plants that would not survive in regular soil. Here are a few tips for creating your own water pool:

Begin by selecting a sunny, open spot for your pool within reach of your garden hose. Then decide on the shape of the pool, and mark the outline with rope or flexible hose.

Avoid narrow necks, dumbbell shapes, and crosses — all of which waste space. You may wish to have a ledge 15 to 20 centimetres (six to eight inches) below the surface for shallow-water plants.

The next step is to dig the pool and either install a preformed pool, or line the newly dug hole with plastic.

• Liners of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) of 32-millimitre thicknesses last 10 to 15 years.
• PVC liners do not stand up well in cold winter weather.
• In such cases, a butyl rubber liner may be a better choice. It will not only withstand frigid temperatures but it will last up to 50 years.

To determine how much liner you will need, measure the maximum length and width of the pool (including the outside edge), then add double the maximum depth. Always add a little to the dimensions to allow for errors and shrinkage. There is no need to make allowance for ledges or for overlap.

1. Dig a hole of the shape you have marked out, making the sides slope gradually. If your pool is to include a shallow-water ledge, make sure its surface is perfectly horizontal.
2. Span the pool with a plank, and use a spirit level on top of it to see that the ground is absolutely level all around the edges.
3. If it is not, build it up with soil from the excavation.
4. A pool whose edge is not perfectly level will look unbalanced when filled with water.
5. Remove all sharp stones from the hole, spread three centimetres (one inch) of sand over the bottom, and line the hole with an old carpet or foam rubber sheet for more protection.
6. Unfold the liner in the hole, placing it so that at least 15 centimetres (six inches) of the material overlaps the edges.
7. Weight this overlap down with bricks or smooth stones.
8. Run water slowly into the pool, pleating and tucking the liner for a neat finish. When the pool is filled up, the weights can be removed.
9. Trim off any excess liner with a sharp knife, leaving a 15-centimetre (six-inch) overlap all around.
10. Lay paving slabs or stones on the overlap so that they project three to five centimetres (one to two inches) over the edges of the pool.
11. Fill between them with mortar so they are bonded together and cannot tip to cause injury.

When you are finished, no part of the liner should show.Keep the pool filled. Direct sunlight can cause the liner to deteriorate in a relatively short time.

If you opt for the pre-formed liner...

• Dig a hole the shape of the pool but a few centimetres/inches wider. Remove all stones from the hole and pack the soil firmly.
• Lower the preformed pool into position.
• Span the pool with a plank, and place a spirit level on it to be sure the pool is level.
• Fill in the gap around the pool, and tamp the soil down firmly.