I'm wondering if there is an optimum minimum size for useful, biodiverse wildlife ponds (no fish). I know people say that frogs will breed in a puddle and dragonflies arrive within four minutes of building a pond, that is not always true (in the same that home grown tomatoes are all supposed to taste better than shop bought. Not remotely true in my case). I imagine it depends greatly on the wildlife already going on around you before you build the pond - what your green life, tree life, cat life, amphibian life is doing locally...
And I suspect there is a deal of 'survivorship biasing' going on. We don't often hear about the god awful tomatoes and the pond pulled out after five years because bugger all happened. We may learn more from our 'failures' than the successes on this score.
I know that people on the forum say that the best size pond to have is one size up from the one you put in. And a good pond will have varying depths to accomodate various life - beach, shallows, deep waters. More vegetation and edge cover habitat is more useful than less so animals feel safer, cover etc. So maybe there is a minimum decent size where all this becomes realistically possible, beyond micro-ponds. Do you think?
Lovely looking Hosta @pitter-patter, mine always end up looking like grannies lace curtains. I like the first pic,its like looking at an embryo,but they are all gorgeous.
The whole truth is an instrument that can only be played by an expert.
Thank you, @Valley Gardener. It’s my only hosta and I’m doing my best to keep the slugs away. There’s a copper ring at the top of the pot and I’m checking the leaves from time to time. It still gets a few holes though... and some scalloped edges. 😔
Thank you @Fireand@Camelliad. I think the pond is 3 years old now but its the first year I've had frogs leave me in charge of their young! There are at least 3 newts I see in there and the birds use the shallow end as a bath and shower. The log across has birds lined up waiting to shower in the solar powered water feature and splash in the shallow end. On the deeper side the is a submerged sloping rock that goes into the water so anything that shouldn't be in there can get out again. Like everything in my garden it was done on a budget and cost me £40 in total to make, that was the liner and solar fountain. Its so calming to watch!
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Your pond looks fab, very thoughtfully designed. I think I saw it on here the other day too, it's clearly doing well with all the tadpoles
@RoddersUK your flowers seem so much further on! My nemesia has always come back but there's no sign of it yet here.
@WonkyWomble and @Victoria Sponge I love your ponds. That will have to be my next project I think. We don't have too many cats around.
Like everything in my garden it was done on a budget and cost me £40 in total to make, that was the liner and solar fountain. Its so calming to watch!