8 garden pond ideas that will make an instant impact in spaces big and small

The latest garden pond ideas include everything from contemporary designs with a modern edge to natural wildlife pools to encourage biodiversity. If you have a compact urban garden there are also smaller scale ideas that will work for you, such as a simple freestanding stone or concrete basin design.

The style of pond you choose will generally be led by the design aesthetic of your house and your garden landscaping. Whether you're looking for a crisp, geometric design, a plant-fringed natural pool that adds a wildlife-friendly habitat to your outdoor space, or a soothing addition that lets you immerse yourself in nature for a calming experience, there will be a pond that works for you.

Whatever style you choose one thing is for sure – you won't regret adding a pond to your outdoor space. Especially when you're sitting by it watching the sky mirrored in the surface, watching the fish nibble, or being soothed by the trickle of running water.

1. Use a pond to enhance the feeling of space

"Water is a great way to bring the sky down into a garden and increase the sense of space," says garden designer Helen Elks-Smith. "Still water creates an incredible surface reflecting the pattern of clouds and adds another element to a space. Water is also a great way to partition outdoor areas if you're looking for ideas on how to zone a garden."

Think big with ponds if you have a big garden, as larger expanses of open water create more atmosphere and are more pleasant to sit next to and watch the world go by. "Too small bodies of water can be problematic in terms of keeping clean but can also get ‘lost’ within the overall space," explains Helen. "Instead make the pond a feature of your garden design."

Helen Elks-Smith

Known for her thoughtful approach to design and expertise in subtle, textural planting, Helen Elks-Smith studied garden design at Writtle College and set up her studio in 2005. In 2019 was made a Fellow of the Society of Garden Designers for her outstanding contribution to the industry. She has won numerous awards including two RHS gold medals, three design awards from the Society of Garden + Landscape Designers, and two Design Excellence Awards from the British Association of Landscape Industries.

2. Add colour around a pond with joyful planting

Small formal ponds are a good option for compact urban gardens and small garden design ideas. They can be raised, at ground level or sunken. This simple reflective pond design by Nick Burton and Duncan Hall of Burton Hall Garden Design is edged with a joyful planting scheme that offers something a little different.

All too often the plants growing around ponds are low key, predominantly green, varieties, especially if you choose marginal plants that like their feet in water. The colourful plants in this design are a playful alternative, turning a relatively simple pond design into much more of a feature.

The static water reflects the outline of the plants to double the interest. To bring out the best of the water’s reflective qualities, it helps if the water is as dark as possible. This means the reflected images will be clear even when it's cloudy. Consider using a product like CaplinTec Black Pond Dye from Amazon to get this effect. The good news is it's fish and wildlife friendly too.

3. Create a natural wildlife pond

Naturalistic garden pond ideas are an ideal way to attract wildlife into your garden. Any size or depth of pond will quickly be colonised by wildlife, as well as boosting ways to make your garden more eco-friendly.

In a small garden even a supersized plant pot can be used as a wildlife pond. In a large garden wildlife ponds can be on a much bigger scale. Either way frogs, toads and newts will soon take up residence in the pond, shimmering dragonflies will hover overhead, and birds will drink from and bathe in the water. Plus of course you will probably want to include some fish too.

The mix of aquatic and marginal planting around the edge of ponds provides one of the richest garden habitats for wildlife. Include some shallow, sloping areas around the margins to allow wildlife easy access in and out of the pond.

If you have an existing design that's looking a little tired you could even think about expanding the depth and size to create a natural swimming pool. With a little know-how, turning your pond into a natural swimming pool can be a more achievable dream than you might think.

4. Include a pond in the front garden

It might not be the first thing that comes to mind for your front garden ideas but adding a water feature works just as well as in the back garden. This front garden was devoid of interest before being transformed into a stunning space with a contemporary koi pool taking centre stage.

"The design is curvilinear in form, featuring a trio of intersecting circles aligned diagonally, leading to the front door," explains garden designer Anna Helps. "The stepping stones that ‘float’ across the surface of the pond lie on the same continuous arc of one of the many generous sweeping paths that dissect the space.

"The stunning Specular water feature is adjacent to the seating area and the ‘vortex’ design provides water movement but does not disturb the surface of the pool so fish can be clearly viewed." It's one of many standout garden pond ideas in this design.

The hard landscaping materials within the design are a combination of buff granite and a cream porcelain slab, which both provide a lightness of colour in the north-facing area, while acting as a good foil to the planting palette, explains Anna. "Barley quartzite gravel co-ordinates with the buff tones of both the granite and the porcelain. The mix of slab, gravel, and setts add textural complexity to the design, while retaining a simple colour palette."

Anna Helps

Anna Helps offers sustainable and long-term landscape design solutions, creating new gardens and reimagining existing ones. Anna is passionate about helping people make the most of their outdoor space. She loves connecting clients with their gardens in a way that they had not considered before. Anna believes that extending your living space outside allows you to experience nature and see the world through very different eyes.

5. Design two ponds in one feature

One pond is a lovely addition to the garden but two together is even better. We love this dual pond design, which has been shortlisted for a sustainability and biodiversity award. It makes good use of dead space on a patio and segues harmoniously with the stone landscaping of the wall and pavers.

"I designed two small ponds filled with recirculated mains water from a reservoir via a blade and overspilling into the reservoir pool," explains garden designer Susan Young. "One reservoir was a cut-down recycled water tank and the other an off-the-shelf tank."

The pond design is sited in an L-shaped courtyard/patio of a sunken garden. The space is overlooked by a garden room, with a backdrop of richly planted rain garden and lawn beyond. Susan worked with skilled stone waller Tim Mason, and the pond surrounds were built to complement the drystone walls in the garden.

Susan Young

Susan Young restores, plants and designs new gardens in the Bedfordshire area and beyond with her team, with whom she has won several industry awards. As a horticulturalist and wildlife enthusiast, biodiversity and sustainability is at the core of her design ethos.

6. Plan a neat pond for a small urban garden

The pond in this modern courtyard garden by Kitti Kovacs Garden Design offers a peaceful space that inspires reflection. It's an eco-friendly garden design featuring drought-tolerant planting, and sustainable landscaping in stone and gravel.

The soothing pond by Aquascapes Water Gardens features trickling water around the edges. It doesn't use any chemicals in the system and reuses the same water, so also ticks the green credentials box.

The highlight of the drought-tolerant planting scheme are these deep red ‘Lasting Love’ lilies, which flower from June to September. They’re great plants to grow and don’t need lots of space, which means they're ideal for including in your patio planting ideas. Choosing an interesting sculpture like this one will add an extra dimension to your garden pond ideas too.

7. Add a rill to a pond design

The sound of water from a narrow trickling rill that winds its way through the garden is so soothing and is perfect for sensory garden ideas. It's a great way of connecting different areas too, and often feeds into a pond to add another dimension to the design.

Rills add a combination of sound and movement to a garden, helping to turn it into a more restful place. They tend to be geometric and modern in shape but the joy of this design by landscape designer Jo Thompson is that it feels such a natural part of the garden. Combined with a tranquil pond and immersive planting, it makes the space feel like a sanctuary.

Choose materials to edge the pond that connect to other areas of the garden, such as using York stone pavers in different spaces, with the periphery softened with generous planting that overhangs the water.

8. Light a garden pond at night

Like most outdoor features a pond will be transformed at night with the right garden lighting ideas. "The easiest lighting options for a garden pond would be to use submersible LED lights," says Chris Bawden, founder of Simple Lighting. "You can put them directly into the water and they add a lovely soft glow." Look for designs suitable for outdoor or underwater use. They should come with sealed cables to keep everything weatherproof.

"Spotlights can also work well around the edges of a pond and you can point them at plants, rocks, or other key features you want to highlight, such as a fountain," says Chris. "You don’t need to go overboard. A few well-placed lights look better than lighting the whole area. Warm white bulbs tend to look more natural and help keep the space feeling calm."

Solar lights can be a good option for garden pond ideas if you want something low-maintenance and easy to install, but they’re usually less powerful. "For something more consistent, especially if you want the pond lit every evening, a low-voltage mains-powered system will be more reliable," suggests Chris. "Use waterproof connectors and check everything meets safety standards for outdoor electrics."

Chris Bawden

With over 15 years experience in lighting and interiors, Chris Bawden specialises in energy-efficient solutions that combine style, sustainability, and functionality. Chris is the founder of Simple Lighting, and a trusted voice on how lighting transforms spaces.

It's worth noting that a garden pond doesn't have to be a massive expense and they can work well as a budget landscaping idea too. A simple shallow plant pot fitted with a solar pump and a few small pond plants can easily become a tranquil addition to your patio without blowing your budget.