A practical guide to different types of wildlife-friendly garden ponds, along with the creatures that visit and the plants that thrive there

The best way to attract wildlife to your garden is to build a pond.

If you want to do your bit to support local biodiversity, pick up a spade and start digging. RHS How to Create a Wildlife Pond makes it easy to attract and support a huge array of species, with fully illustrated step-by-steps showing you how to plan, dig, line, and fill a simple wildlife pond, alongside alternatives including container ponds and more formal designs. Discover the best mix of plants you’ll need to keep your pond thriving, how to make sure that creatures can enter and exit the water safely, and the little extra touches that can attract and support all kinds of wildlife.

Once your pond is ready, sit back and watch nature do its work as the book reveals the creatures that will visit: the blackbird that bathes in the shallows; the wriggling tadpoles that bring the water to life; the bat that soars above the pond at nightfall to feast on rising insects. Every garden should have a pond, and with Kate’s help, you’ll have everything you need to create a pond that will teem with life for years to come.