Quick pond update just to show how it’s settling in for those interested. Pond 1 is naturalising nicely now. The grass has grown up a bit and all sorts of other lawn weeds are making it look very natural. The water has stayed crystal clear so far, the pond plants haven’t really got going that much yet (just 1 lily leaf!) so not sure if it’s still due a bloom of algae, or if the fact that one or other half of it is in shade as the day progresses is helping. Pond 2 is clear as well but very sparse on plants for now, will divide some of the others as they get going to pop in there.
The wildlife colonised it almost immediately, water boatmen, backswimmers, great diving beetles, whirligigs etc. We got some tadpoles from a friend which are providing great entertainment, they have grown loads and we don’t seem to have noticeably lost any. The solar pump (solaray 1550LPH) has been brilliant so far. Pumps a nice steady flow during the day, and then I switch it to battery backup at around an hour before sunset. Battery is lasting about 4 hours, although we have had a lot of sun so that may be better than usual. But for ease it’s perfect. I bought a 10m extension cable for the panels so they could be hidden away out of sight. The only niggle is you have to switch it to battery/direct solar power. It would be nice if it switched to battery automatically when the sun went, but not a big deal.
After Fire's recent request for project updates I thought Id just add a few (or should that be a lot - sorry) more photos of how the pond is maturing. I say maturing, but its only three months since I first dug the hole, and already it looks like it has been there forever. We're absolutely delighted with how its come along, and it has caused far too many wasted hours of long on the bridge looking into the water for all of us.
This is how it looked at the end of May (when we had only gone a month without rain!)
And these are from today. I topped up the water from the hose a few times early on when the liner became exposed, but now the grass has grown down over the edges and into the pond, so the water level is now a good 6 inches or so lower than the maximum, but you cant see the liner at all.
The water has been crystal clear throughout other than a few days early on when it clouded up from the soil. All this sun brought blanketweed, but Ive added some Barley straw midi bales under the bridge and that seems to be slowly taking effect.
The log slice viewing areas have blended into the garden nicely, and am really glad I added so many, as the biggest lesson Ive learned is everyone wants to be able to stand and gawp into the water all the time!
The shallow end (which I covered in playsand) is becoming more exposed as the drought continues, but that is fine as the liner is not exposed to the sun and it does the plants and wildlife no harm.
The most pleasing aspect without a doubt has been the sheer amount and variety of wildlife it's brought along. It is constantly swarming with overflies and dragonflies of all kinds and sizes, water boatmen, great diving beetles, backswimmers, whirligig beetles and all manner of underwater beasts are in there in great numbers.
We added some tadpoles from a friends nearby pond, hours of fun watching them grow up into the froglets which are out in force around the edges in this weather. Weve had some adult frogs arrive too though, so hopefully will get our own spawn next year
The most exciting bit was when a couple of newts turned up though, who now live happily in there. I think they are adolescents and cant tell if they are smooth or palmates, but hopefully its a good sign we might get some breeding next year
Overall it been a huge success and source of entertainment for us. If you are considering adding a pond of any size I'd heartily recommend it, but just be prepared for the amount of time you might waste staring into it!
"Wasted hours", Jelly? I can't think of a better way of spending hours than in joy with your family messing about near water, learning stuff. The forum def'ly inspired me to put in a pond. Even if it's a tiny one. A big congratulations to you all, for the hard work and grand success of your lake.
Thanks @Hostafan1 and neither can I @Fire, the kids have got so much from it, it’s the first port of call to wind down after school rather than the tv. I remember you saying you had plans to extend @Dovefromabove, you know you won’t regret it
That's absolutely stunning J'fire. I love those log slices - perfect for sitting and mulling over the meaning of life...certainly not a waste of time. It's what we'd call 'a wee stoater' up here Lovely to have your little table and chairs close by too. What a view from there. I hope that's something your kids will remember forever
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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The wildlife colonised it almost immediately, water boatmen, backswimmers, great diving beetles, whirligigs etc. We got some tadpoles from a friend which are providing great entertainment, they have grown loads and we don’t seem to have noticeably lost any.
The solar pump (solaray 1550LPH) has been brilliant so far. Pumps a nice steady flow during the day, and then I switch it to battery backup at around an hour before sunset. Battery is lasting about 4 hours, although we have had a lot of sun so that may be better than usual. But for ease it’s perfect. I bought a 10m extension cable for the panels so they could be hidden away out of sight. The only niggle is you have to switch it to battery/direct solar power. It would be nice if it switched to battery automatically when the sun went, but not a big deal.
This is how it looked at the end of May (when we had only gone a month without rain!)
And these are from today. I topped up the water from the hose a few times early on when the liner became exposed, but now the grass has grown down over the edges and into the pond, so the water level is now a good 6 inches or so lower than the maximum, but you cant see the liner at all.
The water has been crystal clear throughout other than a few days early on when it clouded up from the soil. All this sun brought blanketweed, but Ive added some Barley straw midi bales under the bridge and that seems to be slowly taking effect.
The log slice viewing areas have blended into the garden nicely, and am really glad I added so many, as the biggest lesson Ive learned is everyone wants to be able to stand and gawp into the water all the time!
The shallow end (which I covered in playsand) is becoming more exposed as the drought continues, but that is fine as the liner is not exposed to the sun and it does the plants and wildlife no harm.
The most pleasing aspect without a doubt has been the sheer amount and variety of wildlife it's brought along. It is constantly swarming with overflies and dragonflies of all kinds and sizes, water boatmen, great diving beetles, backswimmers, whirligig beetles and all manner of underwater beasts are in there in great numbers.
We added some tadpoles from a friends nearby pond, hours of fun watching them grow up into the froglets which are out in force around the edges in this weather. Weve had some adult frogs arrive too though, so hopefully will get our own spawn next year
The most exciting bit was when a couple of newts turned up though, who now live happily in there. I think they are adolescents and cant tell if they are smooth or palmates, but hopefully its a good sign we might get some breeding next year
Overall it been a huge success and source of entertainment for us. If you are considering adding a pond of any size I'd heartily recommend it, but just be prepared for the amount of time you might waste staring into it!
We have tentative plans to extend ours this autumn ... goodness knows how many hours we'll 'waste' when it's even bigger
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I remember you saying you had plans to extend @Dovefromabove, you know you won’t regret it
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Lovely to have your little table and chairs close by too. What a view from there. I hope that's something your kids will remember forever
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...