Great stuff @Wilderbeast Glad you're already enjoying yours too @tommo9320. The best entertainment. I have bits to finish on the little extensions to mine, but it'll have to wait. I love watching one of 'our' rather tame woodies trying to negotiate the pond for a drink. He hasn't quite worked out that there are shallow bits, and insists on perching precariously on the new bit, right beside the deepest part, and almost tipping in. Big clumsy oaf! He has also attempted sitting on the perch beside the bird cages, in the vain hope that he might squeeze himself inside....
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Watching monty in his wildlife garden I can't believe that his pond was only moved this winter, suppose that's the advantage of lots of mature plants to go straight in. I've realised I need to add a tree to give some shade to the bog plants which are being frazzled, think a birch is the choice fast growing, look good, native and very affordable
I think it’s all been covered but I have to commend you on parenting skills, ’she knows her boundaries through conversation’. You don’t hear that very often these days. Im sure she’ll get pleasure from the pond once it’s set up and established.
Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor.
@tommo9320 Thank you so much for sharing your pond with us all. I've just purchased a very similar-sized pond and hope to have it situ in the next couple of weeks. How you've set yours up with the pebbles and the surrounding area has given me some great ideas for when I'm able to get mine up and running. Thank You!
@Wilderbeast, would you recommend adding a log or two to the pond to allow anything that inadvertently falls in (we have hedgehogs in the garden) is able to climb out?
@tommo9320 Thank you so much for sharing your pond with us all. I've just purchased a very similar-sized pond and hope to have it situ in the next couple of weeks. How you've set yours up with the pebbles and the surrounding area has given me some great ideas for when I'm able to get mine up and running. Thank You!
@Wilderbeast, would you recommend adding a log or two to the pond to allow anything that inadvertently falls in (we have hedgehogs in the garden) is able to climb out?
Hi Joolz,
Thank you very much.
I can honestly describe our little pond project as one of the most fulfilling and enjoyable experiences. It has brought us so much joy! 😊
In such testing times, personally it has been a real positive. Not only a focus, but good for the soul and has really re-aligned my love with nature when we are usually so pre-occupied and heavily engaged with the pace of life. Something I will continue to do when things become a bit more 'normal'.
Our daughter has absolutely loved it too and provides endless education from the visitors our little patch now attracts.
We have a small plank of wood, with a shallower gravelled sloping side to help any visitors in and out the pond.
We have seen the birds use this shallower side for drinking during warmer weather and witnessed frogs using it for access and exit from an adjacent log pile (on our wildlife camera).
A few months in and a few pictures of just a few of our visitors.
There are lots of threads about ponds @Joolz. If you use the search facility at the top of the page, you can look through them Depending on the size and shape of your pond, you can add anything to help with access - branches, rocks, planting etc.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I think it’s all been covered but I have to commend you on parenting skills, ’she knows her boundaries through conversation’. You don’t hear that very often these days. Im sure she’ll get pleasure from the pond once it’s set up and established.
There are lots of threads about ponds @Joolz. If you use the search facility at the top of the page, you can look through them Depending on the size and shape of your pond, you can add anything to help with access - branches, rocks, planting etc.
Thank you @Fairygirl I'll be sure to do a good search tonight.
Golly @tommo9320 your pond looks fabulous! Would you mind telling me what plants you've added to your pond? I want to add as many as I can to help all varieties of wildlife that might use it. Lol, maybe I ought to start a thread myself.
Mainly what we could get hold of from our local nursery delivery service as at the start of lockdown, plants were hard to come by. I'm sure you'd have much more joy now. ☺
Also with it being a temporary rental we did not want to plant things that would get too out of hand so low ground covering/flowering shrubs would be the order of the day.
There's so much choice now but we managed to get hold of some saxifraga, campanula, carex, vinca. Other plants like geraniums and sunflowers were added for colour and attracting pollinators.
We also sowed some wildflowers above a bare patch of land. These are coming up well and should attract pollinators come summertime.
If your site has partial to full sun (which is ideal for a pond anyway) then there's so many options and hardy varieties for you to choose from. ☺
Remember to take plenty of photos. It's so fulfilling seeing the eventual outcome of turning that bare plot of land into something wildlife can benefit from ☺
Posts
Glad you're already enjoying yours too @tommo9320. The best entertainment. I have bits to finish on the little extensions to mine, but it'll have to wait.
I love watching one of 'our' rather tame woodies trying to negotiate the pond for a drink. He hasn't quite worked out that there are shallow bits, and insists on perching precariously on the new bit, right beside the deepest part, and almost tipping in. Big clumsy oaf! He has also attempted sitting on the perch beside the bird cages, in the vain hope that he might squeeze himself inside....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
’she knows her boundaries through conversation’. You don’t hear that very often these days.
Im sure she’ll get pleasure from the pond once it’s set up and established.
Thank you so much for sharing your pond with us all. I've just purchased a very similar-sized pond and hope to have it situ in the next couple of weeks. How you've set yours up with the pebbles and the surrounding area has given me some great ideas for when I'm able to get mine up and running. Thank You!
@Wilderbeast, would you recommend adding a log or two to the pond to allow anything that inadvertently falls in (we have hedgehogs in the garden) is able to climb out?
Thank you very much.
I can honestly describe our little pond project as one of the most fulfilling and enjoyable experiences. It has brought us so much joy! 😊
In such testing times, personally it has been a real positive. Not only a focus, but good for the soul and has really re-aligned my love with nature when we are usually so pre-occupied and heavily engaged with the pace of life. Something I will continue to do when things become a bit more 'normal'.
Our daughter has absolutely loved it too and provides endless education from the visitors our little patch now attracts.
We have a small plank of wood, with a shallower gravelled sloping side to help any visitors in and out the pond.
We have seen the birds use this shallower side for drinking during warmer weather and witnessed frogs using it for access and exit from an adjacent log pile (on our wildlife camera).
A few months in and a few pictures of just a few of our visitors.
Thank you everyone for your help and advice.
Depending on the size and shape of your pond, you can add anything to help with access - branches, rocks, planting etc.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Kind of you to say.
Lol, maybe I ought to start a thread myself.
Mainly what we could get hold of from our local nursery delivery service as at the start of lockdown, plants were hard to come by. I'm sure you'd have much more joy now. ☺
Also with it being a temporary rental we did not want to plant things that would get too out of hand so low ground covering/flowering shrubs would be the order of the day.
There's so much choice now but we managed to get hold of some saxifraga, campanula, carex, vinca. Other plants like geraniums and sunflowers were added for colour and attracting pollinators.
We also sowed some wildflowers above a bare patch of land. These are coming up well and should attract pollinators come summertime.
If your site has partial to full sun (which is ideal for a pond anyway) then there's so many options and hardy varieties for you to choose from. ☺
Remember to take plenty of photos. It's so fulfilling seeing the eventual outcome of turning that bare plot of land into something wildlife can benefit from ☺
Good luck!