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New Pond but in odd place - advice please!

theonlysarahg1theonlysarahg1 Posts: 2
in Wildlife gardening
Have recently dug a 9ft x 4ft (wildlife) pond.  I would love your sage (!) advice as to what i can plant around it for cover.  It is bang in the middle of a north facing garden with no cover for wildlife presently.  There is a flagged path going to one side and behind it with approx 3 foot of grass between it and the pond and, on the other side, a low (approx 18") stone wall with only 2 feet of what is currently grassed area.  You may be tempted to say don't put it there but I haven't the heart to start again!  Some ideas re planting please? 

Posts

  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    Welcome to the forum Sarah!
  • KT53KT53 Posts: 9,016
    I wouldn't worry unduly about attracting wildlife.  The pond we had didn't have much in the way of cover around it but that didn't stop frogs and all manner of other aquatic beasties finding their way in.  The big positive of your location is that you don't have trees overhanging it to drop masses of leaves in the autumn.
  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    There are definitely good planting opportunities there to provide cover etc for various creatures.
    As well as shrubs think about things such as snowdrops (you can buy "in the green" around now) and pulmonaria. There are several suggestions here
    https://www.gardenersworld.com/plants/plants-for-a-north-facing-border/

    Also ideas for your pond
    https://www.gardenersworld.com/plants/four-tips-for-a-shady-pond/

    As @KT53 says, you will be surprised how many creatures find your pond within a few weeks, if not days.
    I'm pleased to see that you've created a shelving beach so that anything such as hedgehogs can get out easily  :)

  • CatDouchCatDouch Posts: 488
    Don’t despair, I created a wildlife pond a couple of years ago in my north facing back garden and it’s really thrived.  The birds love it, also during the summer there’s loads of dragonflies and frogs have recently appeared to.  Here’s a photo as I was just finishing it and putting the plants in …
    and this was it in it’s second summer …

    I planted quite a few grasses which provide cover for all sorts of creatures and provide some structure through the winter.   Last year I found a dragonfly skin/case which it had shed in one of the grasses, Pennisetum Hameln.  The side closest in the photo gets sun in the summer so I’ve planted Nepeta, Astrantia Roma and Salvias which the bees love.  The other side doesn’t get as much sun and I’ve planted that with foxgloves, grasses and a couple of geranium Roxanne which has done really well and flowers for months and months.  
    Hope that’s given you a few ideas, I’m sure it will look fantastic.
    South Devon 
  • ViewAheadViewAhead Posts: 866
    Oh my, @CatDouch, what a fabulous pond! 👍
  • CatDouchCatDouch Posts: 488
    Ahh thanks @ViewAhead 😊
    South Devon 
  • CeresCeres Posts: 2,698
    It may be in a north facing garden but don't discount the possibility of hot weather cooking frogs (sadly it can happen to emerging froglets) so some evergreen cover right up against the edge of the pond can afford shelter from predators and a cooler place for amphibians to lurk when they aren't breeding. Frogs need a way to get out of the pond as they spend most of their lives away from water and they can drown if they are unable to escape. A ramp, a plant that trails into the pond, or a judiciously placed pond plant can solve this problem.
  • theonlysarahg1theonlysarahg1 Posts: 2
    Really very helpful and reassuring, thank you so much!  Presently the dog, birds and the fox (which I've just noticed is sitting on my brick wall in the photo!) drink from it.  I feel quite uplifted - thank you for your supportive comments.  Sarah
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