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Started pond earlier than planned.

ThebigeasyThebigeasy Posts: 190
in Wildlife gardening
My wife just informed me that the some work is needed next to the steps to get kitchen signed off, so I need subsoil to build it up, so I started my pond earlier than planned, not that I'm fussed.

W, L and D - 2.1m X 2.5m X 1m.  All new to me so all tips are welcome.

First visitors already lol.  
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  • philippasmith2philippasmith2 Posts: 3,742
    A decent sized pond which should do well.  A good liner and a bit of a slope to allow your "visitor" and others to access the water. Planting around the edges to cover where the liner is.  Not sure what tips you are specifically looking for but there are several "pond" threads on the forum which may help you  :)  
  • TheGreenManTheGreenMan Posts: 1,957
    As it’s in a lawn you could edge it using the turf. 

    There was an episode of Love Your Garden recently with Alan doing exactly that. Looked good. 

    Definitely slopes for stuff to get in and out at one end at least. 

    Make sure you make shelves to stand pots on. 

    Think about providing some shade. Either plant around it or have pots with tall, bushy plants in them.  

    Logs and bricks around it for newts to hide in. 

    This is mine after 9/10 months. 

    Already have seven newts, pond skaters, water boatmen, birds love it. 

    Don’t worry when the water goes murky and green. It’ll all balance itself out. 

    If you get blanketweed it’s not the end of the world. I quite enjoy twenty minutes of twiddling twice a week. 

    Enjoy. 


  • TheGreenManTheGreenMan Posts: 1,957
    Oh! Don’t buy watercress plants. 

    Buy a bag or two from the supermarket and throw it in. 

    I did it 6 weeks ago and now have eight plants in flower 👍🏼
  • ThebigeasyThebigeasy Posts: 190
    TheGreenMan said:
    As it’s in a lawn you could edge it using the turf. 

    There was an episode of Love Your Garden recently with Alan doing exactly that. Looked good. 

    Definitely slopes for stuff to get in and out at one end at least. 

    Make sure you make shelves to stand pots on. 

    Think about providing some shade. Either plant around it or have pots with tall, bushy plants in them.  

    Logs and bricks around it for newts to hide in. 

    This is mine after 9/10 months. 

    Already have seven newts, pond skaters, water boatmen, birds love it. 

    Don’t worry when the water goes murky and green. It’ll all balance itself out. 

    If you get blanketweed it’s not the end of the world. I quite enjoy twenty minutes of twiddling twice a week. 

    Enjoy. 


    Can't believe I've only just discovered that programme will need to have a look at that one. 

    Yeah I will be doing a shallow side almost like a pebbly beach for a way out should anything fall in. Still trying 5o decide what to plant round it for some cover, love the pond by the way.
  • ThebigeasyThebigeasy Posts: 190
    Topsoil all dug out and banked up, form the shelves when getting the depth.


  • BluesBlues Posts: 49
    My advice would have been to give yourself more space around the boarder for maintenance purposes, unless of course you intend growing a huge leafed plant for shade. Aquatic life will usually get enough shade from surface plants like lilies etc
    Have you given any thought to pumped filtration ?   
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Are you digging out a small deeper section in the middle? That will give you the shallower shelves too. Are you using a liner? Make sure you secure it well around the banking, or you can take it further into the banking to create a boggier section.
    I'd remove some of that banking to make a sloping access area too - along the fence side somewhere so that you can get good cover around it as well. 
    No need for pumps in wildlife ponds.  :)
    Yes - don't buy watercress plants - just a bag from the supermarket and chuck it all in. It'll spread and root as it goes, or float around with roots. It's a very good little plant for using up the excess nutrition that algaes etc feed on. Don't rush the planting - take some time to decide what suits the site and aspect, as well as choosing what suits your needs, and what you like.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • ThebigeasyThebigeasy Posts: 190
    Will probably move the plants along the fence and add some grasses there, with cover at top and bottom side. 

    I don't have power for pumps so unless solar is capable or I can make a battery set up I will have to use plants for areation.

    There is a fall of about 300mm from top to bottom hence the reason it is banked up.

    @Fairygirl still to excavate to about 1m in the middle and forming the shelves.
  • ThebigeasyThebigeasy Posts: 190

    Got the levels done tonight only managed 660mm deep with the sides being to steep, from what I gather that is deep enough for a wildlife pond.

    Blue marks I need to shape up some more as they a re bit steep.


  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Plenty deep enough @Thebigeasy  :)
    I realised after I posted yesterday that you'd probably dig out the middle more deeply - sorry! It'll be grand once you get all the planting sorted out. You might even need a boat... ;)
    You really won't need a pump, although aeration is useful in long dry spells. Wildlife ponds just get on with it as they settle and establish, which does take a couple of years.
    If mine is needing a bit of aeration, I just use the hose set up as a sprinkler for ten minutes, propped up at the edge, especially as a fair bit of my pond is shallow. I decided to make a bigger one a few years ago, in the early days of lockdown, in one of the driest springs we'd had for donkey's years, so it was too difficult to get down into the compacted clay/hardcore/cr*p to get it any deeper! In our normal conditions, the rain does that regularly enough though. The wasps and bees love the very shallow bits though, so it's always worth remembering that it isn't just the bigger wildlife that needs water.  :)
    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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