The pond in the garden
And yes, as you know, nature is very well designed!
That is why it is essential to try to reproduce it as closely as possible in an "artificial" environment like your garden.
Indeed, by reproducing this type of space in your garden, you will create an ecosystem that is beneficial for your entire garden.
Let me explain: you are all familiar with the concept of a "food chain".
This is the one we are talking about.
Indeed, when you mow your lawn or weed your flowerbed, you significantly reduce the number of habitats that could accommodate a multitude of living beings.
That is why it is essential to counterbalance this result by promoting other biotopes in your garden.
Adding a water feature is just the icing on the cake, or rather, the cake on top of the icing! 😁🍒
Which place to choose?
To do this, choose a spot in your garden where you can let nature take its course without disturbing it too much.
Now listen up, I can already hear you saying: "Yes, but it doesn't look clean!"
Wrong! You can absolutely transform the area into a charming, bucolic, rural space.
How? By including decorative elements such as: insect hotels, fascines, paths made with a lawnmower through the tall grass, or even an old wrought iron garden table with its chairs or works of art…
In short, all these elements will bring structure to this wild-looking space.
A significant financial gain!
By creating this type of space, you will attract many so-called "beneficial" insects that will be of vital importance in your garden.
And for good reason, these insects will help you fight against so-called "pest" insects in your vegetable garden using organic methods. (It costs less than products from garden centers!) 🐞🐞
Likewise, all these insects will attract birds that will help you fight slugs and mollusks... and also eat your strawberries! 😅
And so on! As you will have understood: the greater the biodiversity in the garden, the more the food chain is balanced.
The result is fewer invasion problems and less spending to artificially solve these problems.
For my part, I wanted to have a rural space made up of wild plants offering nice blooms.
So I got this from the internet (don't ask me where: the company no longer exists)
PB: Remember the weather during lockdown...not much grew and the pigeons feasted! 😋
Received my seed order 
Watering using the rainwater tank.
Don't hesitate to leave a tree trunk or logs to rot; these will welcome detritivorous insects and thereby attract birds that feed on them, such as woodpeckers.
Piles of wood are also ideal hiding places for reptiles seeking coolness and the accompanying food source, and they make fantastic shelters for our hedgehog friends, who are true allies in the "slug watch plan". 🙃
In summary, try to recreate what your garden would be like if you weren't there.
The pond:
Select a space that can accommodate your pond.
For me, the space imposed itself, because there was a natural hollow in my garden.
Originally, I wanted to fill it back in; but after 3 cubic meters of soil from my crawl space, I abandoned the idea 🥵 to make this pond.
The idea is therefore to create the most natural shape possible by having very, very gentle banks.
So don't hesitate to stretch them out as far as possible. (Quick tip: before you get out your shovel, take your garden hose and lay it on the ground to define the final shape of your pond.)
No need to rent a mini-excavator! 30 cm of water is enough to welcome life! And besides, it will save you a gym session.
However, consider creating several layers with different levels; whether for plants or animals.
In the same vein: different locations will host different species and therefore a richer biodiversity. 
Be careful that the pond's edge isn't higher than the other, or the pond might empty on one side. Use a laser level or the water-filled transparent tube method to check this.
Next, having first taken care to remove all the stones that could puncture the tarpaulin, install a layer of sand or geotextile felt (which you can find commercially).
The aim is to absorb the micro-reliefs that could damage your tarpaulin.
Tip: Lay your tarpaulin out in the sun to make it easier to install later. (It will be more flexible.)
Next, place your tarpaulin in the designated location.
Don't worry about the folds, because that's the next step.
Start filling with water (preferably rainwater) and take off your shoes!
Now is the time to get wet and work on the tarpaulin to minimize creases.
Once the pond was filled, I decided to put a ball of peat in it, to have a substrate at the bottom that would promote the establishment of future aquatic plants.
Why peat?
Because it comes from the peat bog; because it is composed of decomposed plant matter which will best recreate the conditions that we wish to reproduce.
Yes, I grant you it's a little heartbreaking to dirty your beautiful, clean water, but remember one thing: it's for the well-being of the future biomass of your pond.
Oh, and one small but important detail: the tarpaulin doesn't really like UV rays, so protect the edges of the banks where the tarpaulin is exposed as much as possible by covering it with soil, flat stones, or even grass (I used a spade to break up the turf and laid it on top). 
Next comes planting time: treat yourself at a specialist store or ask your friends for plant cuttings from their pond.
A little secret I'm sharing with you! It's a gift! (This is probably the most important part for the rest of the story.) 🤩
To accelerate the nitrogen cycle of your pond so that it can support life as quickly as possible: it is best to seed it with bacteria.
So don't panic, you can find them everywhere: so, go on Amazon, get 200 euros ready and…no, I'm kidding! 🤣 Meet up with a bucket or two at the nearest river with a shovel.
Choose a corner with some vegetation and plunge your shovel in to bring out a large shovelful of mud with a little bit of plant.
This vase will naturally be full of life.
(That's how freshwater shrimp and sticklebacks ended up in my pond.
These last ones; automatically solving the mosquito problem).
Return home as quickly as possible! and pour your treasure into your pond.
Consider the landscaping around the pond.
Create niches for reptiles and amphibians such as rockeries with many cavities, an old tree trunk… which will also give the impression that the pond has always been there.
So, now we let nature take its course and let it grow.
Regarding maintenance:
The less we intervene, the better!
But you still need to at least trim the aquatic plants to leave some open water.
For meadows, mowing once a year in the autumn.
I do it late in the season because the frost on the dried stems of the old blooms is just magnificent.
And that's all.
Conclusion :
So, it's been 4 years now since the pond was put in place;
Over time I have seen a multitude of species establish their home there, such as shrimp, sticklebacks, tadpoles and frogs, a whole host of lepidopteran larvae, dragonflies and their larvae which look like aliens, and this year, the cherry on top: the Alpine newt.
So yes, one species is often present at the expense of another, but that's how the cycle of life works.
The whole secret lies in the balance of this ecosystem, which we have already damaged enough.
It is up to us to try and correct our mistakes.
And remember the story of the butterfly's wing flapping! 🦋
Be like butterflies! Nature will offer you all its gifts.