THERE is a mesmeric fascination with water rooted deeply within us all. Maybe it has something to do with the bucket-loads that fall down from the heavens every summer, usually just after the barbecue has been lit.

Maybe it is because we are island dwellers. It may even go even further back to a time perhaps when we were water-dwelling creatures. Whatever the reason, the result is many lost hours spent aimlessly gazing into vast pools of the stuff.

Add an element of movement to the water and we become further hypnotised. It becomes more than just a visual experience. The rhythmic sounds, the bubbling and gurgling, the fizzing and splashing hold us spellbound.

You may remember that I wrote about the construction of my small garden pond earlier in the year. It has evolved quite nicely. The colony of frogs has definitely given it the thumbs-up. There is a multitude of water wildlife happily inhabiting the shallow depths. However, the plants that I bought on the day of completion don't seem to be thriving as well as they should. Add to this a slight build up of algae and an explosion of aquatic larvae and you get a pond that desperately needs a quick fix of oxygen.

There are several ways in which to oxygenate a pond. The most efficient method is to establish concentrations of oxygenating plants. I know when I first started building ponds I had no idea which plants grew in what depth of water and which were actually beneficial to the pond. Nowadays it is very easy to sort out. Most garden centres that stock aquatic plants have information boards that tell you exactly what will grow where and do what. In a small pond you can usually get away with one water lily, one iris and one water buttercup to provide height, shade and oxygen.

In my case the plants needed some help. It was just a little too shady. The rose rambling up the fence had gone berserk and spread its canopy too wide. I set to work and trimmed it back so that the sun could break through.

Next came the fun part. I needed to get some form of water movement going on. All the pumps that I have used in past pond creations have had to rely on an electrical source. The nearest supply would be my garage which is a good thirty metres away. The cable would have to go under the best part of the lawn and through several plant borders. I am not the world's most adventurous electriciann and when it comes to water and electricity, you really do have to be careful. You must use the correct weatherproof boxes and cables, bury them down to a safe depth and encase them in a safety sheath. Residual current devices are a must.

I have seen advertisements and catalogues selling solar powered pumps. This would be the ideal solution to my problem. So it was yet another quick trip to my local garden centre. We had a superb time examining all the merchandise, as the centre staff hadn't had much to do with these new- fangled toys either. We read all the manuals and took them out of the boxes to see which one would be most appropriate to my needs. It came down to one that stayed on the surface and had the solar panels actually on the floating body, or a standard pump that had a length of cable attached to a free standing solar panel. I opted for the latter as is seemed more versatile and aesthetically pleasing.

It worked a treat. The pond is surrounded by local stone (hewn from the hills above the house). In keeping with the theme, I selected a large oblong tablet of stone and drilled a hole through the face. I stuck the pump tube into the stone and lowered it into the pond so that it lay at an angle, half submerged in the water. I placed the solar panel in the tall meadow grass just to the side of the pond. It is quite invisible, but collects enough sun to do the job. As well as powering the small jet of water, the panel charges up a battery that keeps it going even when the sun is not out.

I now have a wonderfully clear pond. I can drift away to the refreshing trickling sound of running water. I can congratulate myself that I am using modern methods of natural power generation. I can pat myself on the back for using environmentally friendly and sustainable practices. Best of all, I can relax in the smug knowledge there are no running costs involved.

Published: 10/08/2002