Creeping Jenny is a wonderful trailing plant that I've now put at the back of the pond. Its going great guns. Most of my plants are native - but bought them.
Yes @Hostafan1 - the number of posters here who ask 'how do I get rid of it' is increasing year on year! @joe.shimmin -evergreen Carexes are an excellent plant for covering edges, providing cover, and they hang over. They work with lots of other plants too. Anything which provides that is of value, especially over winter. A variety of plants is the important thing. Make sure you get some verticals in the pond too. It doesn't have to be Irises, which can be invasive unless in containers - there are plenty of alternatives
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Here is a pic of how the pond is coming on. I’ve planted the rockery with rockery plants including ivy and campanula. I have some tall grasses on the corners and some herbs. There are also some frog houses ready for the spring. A neighbour who is draining their pond next year is going to transfer her frog spawn. I have planted nearly all native plants. It’s a work in progress. The light colour round the side is sand that I have used as a substrate on the bottom.
I have always used a ping-pong ball in my stone or ceramic bird baths over Winter to stop them freezing up - where the cold storing artefacts and shallow waters would otherwise freeze solid. Likewise, I place a ball, sized somewhere between a football and a tennis ball toward the deeper end of the pond. This means I don't have to use depth as an anti-freezing factor. A non-toxic ball, about 20cm in diameter should do the trick. You will find the birds find their place around the slushy edges and help the thaw!
I’m digging a wildlife pond and i’m finding so much conflicting advice on the net and in books.
So far I have dug the pond in a rough, rounded L shape. It slopes from no depth at all at one end, down to 35cm at the other. Some sides are steep and some are sloping. There is a long, gentle slope down at one end.
I haven’t put in any shelves and have kept it shallow as this was something I read on one site and my ground is like concrete!
The pond is something like 7’ by 8’ and because I have young children i’m going to put a wire mesh over the deeper parts and leave the really shallow areas uncovered.
It’s in a sunny area and once lined, I was going to let it fill up naturally with rainwater and perhaps let plants colonise naturally too, if I have the patience.
So, is my pond any good or do I need to adapt it? I’m after any wildlife as I know water in a garden is very important to lots of animals.
Any my advice would be gratefully received.
As you have young children, please put secure fencing around your pond until they are old enough to understand the dangers of water. A small child can drown in 2 ins of water if they knock themselves unconscious falling into the water. It is not worth the risk, you cannot watch children every second of the day. A friend of mine had a 3 yrs. old son who went into their pond to fetch the dog's ball. He had brain damage as his mother was on the phone and she didn't realise what had happened. She thought he was playing with his toy lawnmower. I know this sounds rather doomsdayish but accidents happen so quickly and unexpectedly.
Your pond looks great, it will give you and your family so much pleasure. It is lovely to hear frogs and toads croaking on a warm summers evening, the wild life will come with time. I get so excited when dragonflies and damsel flies visit mine. I made mine 4ft deep to avoid worrying about inhabitants being frozen, there is just enough room for the fish etc. to stay safe in the centre of the pond, it is approx. 6 ft circular with a shelf around part of it for pots of plants. I have used miniature water lilies as it is not big enough for full sized lilies which overtake a small pond. They are much more expensive but non invasive and just as pretty. Good luck, stay safe and enjoy.
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@joe.shimmin -evergreen Carexes are an excellent plant for covering edges, providing cover, and they hang over. They work with lots of other plants too. Anything which provides that is of value, especially over winter. A variety of plants is the important thing.
Make sure you get some verticals in the pond too. It doesn't have to be Irises, which can be invasive unless in containers - there are plenty of alternatives
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I know this sounds rather doomsdayish but accidents happen so quickly and unexpectedly.
Your pond looks great, it will give you and your family so much pleasure. It is lovely to hear frogs and toads croaking on a warm summers evening, the wild life will come with time. I get so excited when dragonflies and damsel flies visit mine. I made mine 4ft deep to avoid worrying about inhabitants being frozen, there is just enough room for the fish etc. to stay safe in the centre of the pond, it is approx. 6 ft circular with a shelf around part of it for pots of plants. I have used miniature water lilies as it is not big enough for full sized lilies which overtake a small pond. They are much more expensive but non invasive and just as pretty.
Good luck, stay safe and enjoy.