When a client contacted us about her large garden pond, she had one key request: the bank needed to be retained. Signs of erosion were becoming more obvious, and sections were collapsing. Rather than opting for a short-term fix like wooden edging, we wanted to put something in place that would stand the test of time. The solution? Gabion Baskets.

First up, we had to lower the water level in the pond by around 200mm. To do this, we put our new JS 400 submersible pump to work, shifting water at an impressive 240 litres per minute. It didn’t take long before we had the clearance we needed. Once the water was down, we got a good look at what was hiding beneath the surface, and let’s just say it wasn’t pretty. The amount of silt build-up made it clear that a full dredging job would be needed soon.

With the collapsed section of the bank cleared, we dug down to create a solid foundation. Typically, a type 1 MOT subbase is used under gabion baskets, but given the proximity to the water’s edge, we opted for a 150mm deep concrete footing instead. This would prevent any future washout, ensuring the structure stayed put. We mixed and poured 2.1 cubic metres of concrete by hand, hard work, but worth it.

To stop soil from washing through the gaps in the gabion baskets, we installed a 1000gsm non-woven membrane underneath and behind them. Then, to add extra strength, we drilled and fitted rebar starter bars, securing them with R-KEM 11 resin.

One of the challenges of this job was access. The client’s garden was tight, meaning we couldn’t just have the gabion stone delivered straight to the site. Instead, we had it tipped at our yard and transported it in batches using trailers. Throughout the project, we shifted around 10 tonnes of stone. Once the baskets were filled, we covered the top with the non-woven membrane and added a treated half-round post to help retain the new soil while the grass took root.

With everything in place, we backfilled the gabions with three tonnes of 6mm graded topsoil and gave the whole area a generous sprinkling of grass seed. Now, it’s just a waiting game for nature to do its thing.

The client is absolutely thrilled with the transformation and has already booked us in for early April to dredge the pond—no small job considering there’s roughly 900–1000 cubic metres of silt to remove. By then, the grass should be sprouting nicely, and we’ll be back to capture some photos of the finished bank. Stay tuned!