Top tips for... lining and edging your garden pond

Flexible liners are generally made from PVC, butyl rubber, LDPE or polythene, while rigid ones are made from fibreglass or hard plastic. Both fibreglass and hard plastic are very strong and will last around 15 years, but rigid liners obviously only come in a limited range of shapes and sizes. With a flexible liner, you can have any shape and size you want.

If you opt for a flexible liner, use this method to work out its size: 2 x maximum depth of pond + maximum length of pond = length of liner, and 2 x maximum depth of pond + maximum width of pond = width of liner. Polythene is the cheapest flexible liner to use, but will only last a few years and is easy to puncture. Other materials are much stronger and will last three to four times longer. Butyl rubber is the best - it should last around 20 years - but also the most expensive.

Once you've fitted the liner, you need to edge the pond so it blends in with the rest of the garden. Formal ponds suit a formal edging, so lay paving slabs in mortar, trapping the edge of the liner underneath. The slabs should overhang the edge of the pond by around five centimetres to hide the liner.

Informal (irregularly shaped) ponds look best edged with bricks or different-sized paving slabs that follow the pond's curve. Again, you'll need to lay the slabs or bricks in mortar, trapping the edge of the liner.

A wildlife pond needs a natural-looking edge, such as pebbles, turf or plants, which gives wildlife easy access. If you use turf, make sure it isn't treated with chemicals because these could contaminate the water. It's also worth building a 'platform' at the side of the pond to view wildlife - decking works well because it blends in, but paving slabs or bricks can also look good. For more information, go to the DIY Advice Centre at www.homebase.co.uk