So, I have just followed Bob's advice and apparently I am an ignorant ****! I'm so sorry, Lyn. I was ignoring you and have no idea why or how, especially as we've never met! ? But I did spy a stunningly beautiful pond as I scrolled down at breakneck speed, and am very envious!
so, I'll just go back up now and read everything properly from the top - thanks so much...
We recently made a largish wildlife pond using Bradshaws liner and underlay, approx 14m x 8m. It was far far cheaper than butyl. Hopefully we will never need to find out how good their 25 year guarantee is. They said they would send a 25 year guarantee certifIcate but didn’t. It was only when I said I would not leave good feedback if they did not send it that they eventually sent the certificate.
The liner is lightweight and pretty easy to install. We were worried about the weight of a large piece of butyl and that it would tear. Bradshaws liner seems pretty strong. Yesterday someone else asked about a large wildlife pond and I posted some pictures of ours. I’m on the wrong device right now for posting them again.
Based in Sussex, I garden to encourage as many birds to my garden as possible.
We're planning to net the leaves out so they shouldn't be an issue and I am really pleased the buddlea will be able to stay - it's near the beach end which is edged by a woodland bed. At the other end of the pond there is a small ish bog garden and the rest of the pond has about 50-75cm of soil before you reach the gravel paths.
The pond was dug over a year ago and is now full of weeds so ther a lot of work to do before we line it, which will be soon. But the plan is to have a disabled friendly wildlife garden that we can open for the ngs.
We have had help from volunteers and Dorset Perennials online helped with some free plants for our pollinator bed, opposite the pond. What help we get will be acknowledged in signage on the open day (good advertising) and as we are in such an exposed location, if we pull it off, we'll be chuffed ?
Thanks Redwing, I'm glad they sent the certificate in the end although there shouldn't have been the need to chase it up in the first place. Your pond sounds lovely and large and when you say 'recently' do you mean this year? I'm always fascinated by how quickly they look established ?
Yes, we started digging in mid August and it took a couple of weeks. I decided to hold off the planting until next spring as I didn’t want to spend a lot on plants only to have them succumb in a cold winter but I did invest in a lot of native oxygenators to keep the pond healthy over the winter. Tomorrow I‘ll post some pictures. They are on another computer .
it is amazing how quickly some wildlife moved in. If you look on the RSPB and Wildlife Trust pond pages you can find lots of good suggestions for what to plant and equally important, what to avoid planting.
Based in Sussex, I garden to encourage as many birds to my garden as possible.
when did you introduce the native oxygenators please? With my new pond I am also planning on not planting anything until spring for the same reason, but if you had success with your oxygenators, I might give that a shot...
I put mine in straight away, but we dug ouEd in July I think, not sure if you can buy any now.
i only got mine from eBay, just bunches of ten I think it was, by the following year it had spread, and by the second year I pulled out loads for the compost bin. You can see how quickly they spread in my photos above.
Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor.
I followed the instructions in this little book, I found it just about right, there are so many conflicting articles on the net, this one... plain straight forward no fuss book. if you read this you’ll find there’s nothing to worry about in building a pond.
mine is a wildlife pond so left very natural, I don’t know what’s entailed in building a formal/ornamental one. I wrote the first review.
I think you can get oxygenators all year round - pretty much. It'll depend which ones you want though, and where you get them, how they've been grown etc.
Look forward to seeing your progress photos Ddot. Your requirements will be slightly different from most of us as you'll need good, level access etc, but it won't stop you having everything required for a good wildlife pond.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Out of shot but running up to the slabs, that's a woodland bed and the slabs will be replaced by the beach which will come up and cover to that line.
In the far top right corner is the bog garden (now dug out but yet to be lined) and the path on the left has yet to be gravelled and will match the path on the right of the pond which has (yes, you guessed it) still to be gravelled. The pollinator bed is directly to the left of the path and is well on its way now it's had a full season. The monardas and astrantias have been fantastic along with the geraniums, especially Rozanne.
i'll post more photos when I get out there - tis very cold and the log burner is too tempting...
Posts
OKAY!!!!
So, I have just followed Bob's advice and apparently I am an ignorant ****! I'm so sorry, Lyn. I was ignoring you and have no idea why or how, especially as we've never met! ? But I did spy a stunningly beautiful pond as I scrolled down at breakneck speed, and am very envious!
so, I'll just go back up now and read everything properly from the top - thanks so much...
?
We recently made a largish wildlife pond using Bradshaws liner and underlay, approx 14m x 8m. It was far far cheaper than butyl. Hopefully we will never need to find out how good their 25 year guarantee is. They said they would send a 25 year guarantee certifIcate but didn’t. It was only when I said I would not leave good feedback if they did not send it that they eventually sent the certificate.
The liner is lightweight and pretty easy to install. We were worried about the weight of a large piece of butyl and that it would tear. Bradshaws liner seems pretty strong. Yesterday someone else asked about a large wildlife pond and I posted some pictures of ours. I’m on the wrong device right now for posting them again.
thanks for the thoughtful copy Fairygirl.
We're planning to net the leaves out so they shouldn't be an issue and I am really pleased the buddlea will be able to stay - it's near the beach end which is edged by a woodland bed. At the other end of the pond there is a small ish bog garden and the rest of the pond has about 50-75cm of soil before you reach the gravel paths.
The pond was dug over a year ago and is now full of weeds so ther a lot of work to do before we line it, which will be soon. But the plan is to have a disabled friendly wildlife garden that we can open for the ngs.
We have had help from volunteers and Dorset Perennials online helped with some free plants for our pollinator bed, opposite the pond. What help we get will be acknowledged in signage on the open day (good advertising) and as we are in such an exposed location, if we pull it off, we'll be chuffed ?
Lots of work yet - will post some photos
?
Thanks Redwing, I'm glad they sent the certificate in the end although there shouldn't have been the need to chase it up in the first place. Your pond sounds lovely and large and when you say 'recently' do you mean this year? I'm always fascinated by how quickly they look established ?
Yes, we started digging in mid August and it took a couple of weeks. I decided to hold off the planting until next spring as I didn’t want to spend a lot on plants only to have them succumb in a cold winter but I did invest in a lot of native oxygenators to keep the pond healthy over the winter. Tomorrow I‘ll post some pictures. They are on another computer .
it is amazing how quickly some wildlife moved in. If you look on the RSPB and Wildlife Trust pond pages you can find lots of good suggestions for what to plant and equally important, what to avoid planting.
Hi Redwing,
when did you introduce the native oxygenators please? With my new pond I am also planning on not planting anything until spring for the same reason, but if you had success with your oxygenators, I might give that a shot...
I put mine in straight away, but we dug ouEd in July I think, not sure if you can buy any now.
i only got mine from eBay, just bunches of ten I think it was, by the following year it had spread, and by the second year I pulled out loads for the compost bin. You can see how quickly they spread in my photos above.
I followed the instructions in this little book, I found it just about right, there are so many conflicting articles on the net, this one... plain straight forward no fuss book. if you read this you’ll find there’s nothing to worry about in building a pond.
mine is a wildlife pond so left very natural, I don’t know what’s entailed in building a formal/ornamental one. I wrote the first review.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/complete-wildlife-pond-Wildlife-maintain-ebook/product-reviews/B00D3RUDRC/ref=cm_cr_dp_d_show_all_btm?ie=UTF8&reviewerType=all_reviews
I think you can get oxygenators all year round - pretty much. It'll depend which ones you want though, and where you get them, how they've been grown etc.
Look forward to seeing your progress photos Ddot. Your requirements will be slightly different from most of us as you'll need good, level access etc, but it won't stop you having everything required for a good wildlife pond.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Here's photo of the pond.
Out of shot but running up to the slabs, that's a woodland bed and the slabs will be replaced by the beach which will come up and cover to that line.
In the far top right corner is the bog garden (now dug out but yet to be lined) and the path on the left has yet to be gravelled and will match the path on the right of the pond which has (yes, you guessed it) still to be gravelled. The pollinator bed is directly to the left of the path and is well on its way now it's had a full season. The monardas and astrantias have been fantastic along with the geraniums, especially Rozanne.
i'll post more photos when I get out there - tis very cold and the log burner is too tempting...
?