Installing a wildlife pond in the back garden is the most wonderful source of interest and relaxation for adults and children alike - provided, of course, that the children are old enough for it to be safe.

After a demanding day at the office, there's really nothing quite like slipping outside with a cool glass of something refreshing and spending a quiet 10 minutes contemplating the natural scene which unfolds before your very eyes.

Snails and water boatmen (insects which skid across the surface of the water) are oblivious to an audience - we never thought we could enjoy watching snails until the arrival of the pond, but somehow, the slow pace at which they move about helps us to unwind - they're never in a hurry to do anything!

Sit quietly and after a little while, air bubbles signify the imminent surfacing of frogs. They come to the edge of the pond and poke their noses out to have a look, almost as though they're checking to see whether the coast is clear.

Tadpoles will feed from surface insects, and if you sit long enough you may be lucky enough to see a newt or two come out from hiding places under surrounding stones.

Use a butyl or pre-formed liner, with stones to disguise the edges, some pond weed and nets full of barley straw to maintain a natural balance of oxygen and help keep the water clear.

Allow one side of the pond to slope so that frogs, hedgehogs and so on can get out, and make one part at least 60 cm deep so that creatures can move down in cold weather, and so that they have somewhere to hide.

Add a water lily for shade, marginal plants to create a natural look, and a jam jar full of pond water from a friend or neighbour, and you'll be amazed at the speed with which your new feature appears to belong.

In no time at all, pond dwellers will move in, the water will clear, and you can relax in the comfortable knowledge that you have created a wildlife haven in your own back garden.

Happy Gardening!