Service
Wildlife ponds
Naturalistic wildlife ponds with gently shelving margins and native planting, built to draw life in.
In short
What does Gardenscape mean by wildlife ponds?
Naturalistic wildlife ponds with gently shelving margins and native planting, built to draw life in.
A pond built to draw life in
A wildlife pond is one of the single best things you can add to a garden for nature: water draws in dragonflies, frogs, newts, birds and a great deal more, often within the first season. We build naturalistic wildlife ponds designed to look right in the garden all year and to teem with life.
Margins and planting are the point
What makes a wildlife pond work is the design of its edges. Gently shelving margins let creatures get in and out and give shallow, planted zones where life thrives, rather than the steep, hard edge of an ornamental pool. We plant it with native and beneficial species and balance it so it stays healthy, usually without fish, which predate the wildlife you are trying to attract.
Built for the ground
The clay vale around Chippenham, with its water-holding ground, lends itself naturally to a wildlife pond, but we build them across all the local conditions, choosing the liner and the construction to suit the site. We survey the ground first and build for what is there.
Naturalistic, and low maintenance
Designed and planted well, a wildlife pond largely looks after itself, settling into a balanced little ecosystem. Arrange a consultation and we will design one to suit your garden and the life you want to draw in.
Sibling disciplines
Also within this craft
- 01
Aquascape ecosystem pond
The Aquascape ecosystem pond, built as a Certified Aquascape Contractor: a low-maintenance, balanced, living pond.
Read - 02
Pondless waterfalls
A waterfall and stream with no open pool: the sound and movement of water, safe around children.
Read - 03
Koi ponds
Filtered koi ponds built for water quality and viewing, with the right volume and filtration for the fish.
Read - 04
Water features
Bespoke water features, from formal rills to natural rock springs, designed into the wider garden.
Read - 05
Convert a swimming pool to a natural pond
Turn a tired or costly swimming pool into a chemical-free natural swimming pond, often reusing the existing structure.
Read
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Cost context
Indicative ranges
Figures are relative, not quotations. Each scheme is priced after a survey of access, levels, drainage and finish standard.
| What changes the cost |
|---|
| margins and shelving |
| native planting |
| no-fish balance |
| liner type |
Source: Gardenscape. Figures as of 2026-06-03.
Recent work
Projects in this discipline
Drone footage panning across a rockery pond, stream and winding sett path at a country garden in North Wiltshire, by Gardenscape.
Common questions
Common questions
Often within the first season. Water is a powerful draw, and a well-designed wildlife pond with shelving margins and native planting will bring in dragonflies, frogs, newts and birds surprisingly quickly.
Usually not. Fish predate the insects, amphibians and larvae you are trying to attract, so a true wildlife pond is generally kept fish-free and balanced through planting instead.
Gently shelving margins let creatures get in and out and create shallow planted zones where life thrives, which a steep ornamental edge cannot. The margins are what make a pond a wildlife pond.
Yes. Water-holding clay, like the vale around Chippenham, lends itself to a wildlife pond. We choose the liner and build to suit the ground after surveying the site.
Arrange a consultation
Send a few photographs and a sentence about the site. We will reply personally.