Forum home› Wildlife gardening
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Ideas for belfast sink

davebettzdavebettz Posts: 110
in Wildlife gardening
Hi I've got a quite large belfast sink and I'm not to sure what to do with it yet any members got one of these in there garden? 

I quite like the look of a nature pond but would it be best to dig it into the ground or pop it on a few bricks?

Also not sure if the shade will be better I've a nice spot under a salix tree but worried the leaves will fill it. 


Posts

  • CeresCeres Posts: 2,698
    Typing as someone with a pond underneath a tree, yes the leaves will fill it so unless you net the sink every autumn, you are looking at a bubbling, decaying mini-swamp. This works fine for me as my pond is larger than a sink but with something small and hopefully attractive, it's not a good look.
    Semi shade is good if you have a spot that fits the bill.
  • borgadrborgadr Posts: 718
    edited June 2023
    I've got a couple like that against the wall by my back door. I grow mint in one, and thyme and rosemary in the other. For the Mediterranean herbs, being up against the wall means they're in a bit of a rain shadow so they don't stay too soggy in winter. 
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Many people use them as alpine beds, but drainage is vital for those, so the site is really important, just as it would be for the herbs mentioned. Not so easy in wet parts of the country for over winter. 
    The alternative to that is to create a bog garden or similar. Quite easy when you have a plughole, as it would only need minimum covering, and then you can have a soil based medium and grow plants which need consistent moisture  :)
    I would agree re siting it as a pond. Ponds are better in sunnier sites anyway, and then you use planting to cover the surface etc. If you want it as a wildlife pond rather than just an ornamental one, it would be better sunk into the ground unless you can arrange suitable access with logs/plants etc for safe access. You'd get plenty of advice if you decide on that approach though.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • thevictorianthevictorian Posts: 1,279
    We have two, one as a pond, the other has heuchera in it, outside the backdoor in a slightly shady position. The pond does really well and has had a resident croaking frog in it for a few years no. It primarily a pond but is my dogs favourite watering hole.
    Ours is on a couple of bricks and everything finds it's way in there fine but it's on concrete and not in the garden, where perhaps sinking (no pun intended) it into the ground would be more beneficial.
    I keep it where it is because it weighs an absolute ton and if you do dig it down a bit then good luck getting it out.  

    Before we had lithodora and some alpines with a deep layer of grit underneath and they did fantastic in pull sun. 
Sign In or Register to comment.