When we talk about including water in gardens, the first thing that springs to mind is a pond. Of course, a large pond is fabulous if there is room, but as we all know size is not important. A washing up bowl buried in the ground, or an old saucepan surrounded by pot plants and logs, make a great mini pond. Whatever size or shape of pond you decide to have, just make sure creatures can safely access the water. Consider having pebbles for insects to land on to drink and include shallow areas for birds to bathe. Hedgehogs are a bit ‘accident-prone’ and although they can swim, sadly ‘hogs will tire and drown if they cannot easily get out. So please include a ramp if the pond doesn’t have any shallow sides. 

A good wildlife pond ideally has submerged, emergent and marginal plants. Emergent plants provide somewhere for damselflies to climb out and dry their wings, while submerged plants will help oxygenate the water and keep the pond healthy. Any aquatic plants should ideally be native! Hornwort (Ceratophyllum demersum) is a great oxygenator and noninvasive, unlike ‘curly pondweed’ (Lagarosiphon major) or ‘parrots feather’ (Myriophyllum aquaticum) which should be avoided at all costs. These, and other invasive species, can become a big problem, choking the pond and spreading to waterbodies in the wider countryside, where they can outcompete native species, reduce plant diversity and impact aquatic life. Please check before you buy! 

It's important to connect habitats and in a garden, a pond shouldn’t be just an ‘island’ of water. Leaving areas of tall grass, creating a flower border and adding a log pile around the edges will provide cover for young froglets to safely disperse and help other creatures visiting the pond have somewhere to shelter if they get disturbed. 

Everyone knows ponds are great for a variety of wildlife, but smaller features can also be hugely beneficial. A saucer of water left out on a hot summer’s night may be a life saver for hedgehogs, while a shallow dish with a few pebbles around the edge makes a safe place for birds to bathe and bees to drink. If you can, provide water at different heights - some birds like to bathe at ground level, whereas others prefer the relative safety of a raised bird bath. You can never have too many water features. 

Other ‘wet’ habitats which might be worth considering are a bog garden or rain garden. Bog gardens are great for growing moisture-loving plants such as marsh marigolds, water forget-me-not or water mint. They can also be great habitats for species of hoverfly with larvae which thrive in damp soil and puddles. If space is at a premium, you can also build your own hoverfly lagoon from an old container filled with autumn leaves and water. 

Rain gardens tend to be temporary features, which as the name suggests, are fed by rainfall (grey water) channeled from roofs into a shallow cobble filled ‘pond’ or into a border with plants tolerant of temporary inundation. 

Creating habitats in your own green space is a great thing to do, but you can do even more for our rivers and streams by conserving water. If you are on a meter this is a ‘no-brainer’ as it saves money on water bills. Even more importantly, it helps protect our water-courses from over abstraction. 

There are lots of simple things we can do in our homes and gardens. Rather than turning on the kitchen tap, harvest rainwater to top up ponds and to water pot plants or hanging baskets. Considering what, when and how we use water is also important: new seedlings are much more vulnerable to drying out than established plants, and watering early or late in the day when temperatures are lower reduces the loss of water through evaporation. Top tip - never waste water on lawns – grass is as tough as old boots and will soon recover after it rains. Save spent washing up water or other ‘grey’ water to keep your plants lush rather than turning on a hosepipe. These simple actions will reduce water consumption and help protect aquatic insects, fish, kingfishers, and otters, which depend on our rivers and streams. With hotter and drier summers forecast, these actions are increasingly important.