Planting pond plants is easy. Many floating and submerged plants don't have roots and can simply be placed in your pond in the open water. Marginal and emergent plants can usually be wedged into the gravel or stones at the bottom and edges of your pond - adding soil to the pond may lead to algae growth. You might also need to remove some sediment or fallen leaves from the bottom of your pond if it is in danger of becoming a bog rather than a pond (unless you would like a bog garden - they are great habitats too). Never remove all the sediment - this is where a lot of pond creatures live, especially in the winter months. The main task is reducing plants - ideally you want about 60% open water to allow light to reach submerged plants and to allow space for growth over spring and summer. But different species like different amounts of vegetation so don't worry too much about exact proportions. We are a charity and we rely on your support. No matter the size, every gift to the Museum is critical to our 300 scientists' work in understanding and protecting the natural world.

Place a log inside so it reaches the top of the container. This allows animals to escape if they fall in. Ponds need light. Sunshine allows pond plants to photosynthesise, adding more oxygen to the water. Oxygenated water is needed by aquatic wildlife that doesn't come to the surface to breathe. Despite the mounting pressures, hope is not lost. Museum scientists are working hard to understand and fight against the threats facing British wildlife. Floating plants are good for attracting insects and amphibians that lay eggs in the pond or on the underside of floating vegetation. Frogbit ( Hydrocharis morsus-ranae) is suitable for very small ponds.You can add a floating ball or gently break the ice on your pond if you want visiting birds and mammals to use it as a drinking source, but you don't need to break the ice to keep the plants and animals in the pond alive. The pond plants will continue to photosynthesise under the ice - producing the oxygen that animals need - as long as they continue to get light. We've also saved you time and fuss by selling our Pond in a Pot kits with a choice of aquatic plant collections which have been specially chosen to grow well together with complimentary colours and shapes. Following close collaboration with the Anglo Aquatic team, we are proud to present several plant collections that work particularly well with the Pond in a Pot range and are exclusive to Primrose. Anglo Aquatic's extensive knowledge of pond plants has helped us to ensure that we only use the best for our Pond in a Pot collections. The plants in your pond kit have been chosen especially for their remarkably high quality - some of them even winning the prestigious RHS Award of Garden Merit. This means that your plants are very reliable, with stable colours and forms, and have a higher than normal resistance to pests and diseases. Line the bottom of the container with a layer of gravel, then use the large stones to create hiding spots for wildlife.

Pond plants should ideally be bought from a supplier of UK native pond plants - these can easily be found online. Sometimes garden centres sell plants that are problematic if they escape into the wild, although many of the most invasive species have now been banned. Plantlife provides a list of banned plants (almost all are aquatic).To reverse the damage we've done and protect the future, we need the knowledge that comes from scientific discovery. Understanding and protecting life on our planet is the greatest scientific challenge of our age. And you can help.