Ooooh lucky you Dove! Our pond now has three Iris plants (two purple, one yellow), native oxygenating weed (Hippuris Vulgaris), and a native lilly (Nymphaea Alba - I think!)
Just need to make it a little more accessible now.
You guys are inspiring us to try and put in a pond at home. just need to figure out where to put it. Maybe I can get my other half onto the project, he likes to have projects... I just wonder how all these little animals find the ponds...
Peanut - I was wondering how creatures find ponds myself just yesterday when we found a pond skater in our pond (as far as we're aware there isn't another pond around for streets and streets).
We're suffering the blanket weed Dove - unfortunately until the oxygenating weed and lilly grow a little (or a lot) we can't really cover the surface to stop all this lovely sunlight sending the green makers into over drive. I brought some liquid barley straw extract but am leaving it a week as I've just planted four mini bull rush type plants (Typha Angustifolia) and didn't want to shock the pond too much in one go.
Its lovely seeing our two fish swimming around now they've plants to investigate rather than just their drain pipe hides! S has chosen some others that we'll introduce in a month or so's time - don't tell him but to me they just look like carrots!
For anyone worried about high costs for pond pumps try what I have done for my pond. For around £20 you can buy solar pond pumps which do a good job through air stones in aeration of the pond. These run in daylight and better in full sun which is when you need it. I have connected mine to an aquarium sponge type filter, around £6, which sets up its own micro climate and does not need cleaning once it all settles down. No running costs and all works fine. if your pond is big put more solar pumps in. i got all my stuff from ebay. i still have aeration plants and use barley extract and have a crystal clear top 6" of water in a very small 90 litre Pond. It houses 3 fish at least one newt and 3 frogs and a multitude of water shrimps/lice and bloodworm.
i notice you have trees around if leaves drop in to pond in large numbers they ferment in the sun giving off gasses may need dredging in spring also put lots of oxgenators in like elodea crispa horn wort etc and more water plants to take up nutrients if algae problem it should after that clear up and wildlife will thrive
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Ooooh lucky you Dove! Our pond now has three Iris plants (two purple, one yellow), native oxygenating weed (Hippuris Vulgaris), and a native lilly (Nymphaea Alba - I think!)
Just need to make it a little more accessible now.
That's really exciting little bee
In the sticks near Peterborough
You guys are inspiring us to try and put in a pond at home. just need to figure out where to put it. Maybe I can get my other half onto the project, he likes to have projects... I just wonder how all these little animals find the ponds...
Peanut - I was wondering how creatures find ponds myself just yesterday when we found a pond skater in our pond (as far as we're aware there isn't another pond around for streets and streets).
In our experience one pond skater finds a new pond, then sends out party invitations to all it's friends and rellies
Our pond is turning green - we knew it would, it was just taking it's time. I've ordered some liquid barley straw treatment from Amazon.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
We're suffering the blanket weed Dove - unfortunately until the oxygenating weed and lilly grow a little (or a lot) we can't really cover the surface to stop all this lovely sunlight sending the green makers into over drive. I brought some liquid barley straw extract but am leaving it a week as I've just planted four mini bull rush type plants (Typha Angustifolia) and didn't want to shock the pond too much in one go.
Its lovely seeing our two fish swimming around now they've plants to investigate rather than just their drain pipe hides! S has chosen some others that we'll introduce in a month or so's time - don't tell him but to me they just look like carrots!
For anyone worried about high costs for pond pumps try what I have done for my pond. For around £20 you can buy solar pond pumps which do a good job through air stones in aeration of the pond. These run in daylight and better in full sun which is when you need it. I have connected mine to an aquarium sponge type filter, around £6, which sets up its own micro climate and does not need cleaning once it all settles down. No running costs and all works fine. if your pond is big put more solar pumps in. i got all my stuff from ebay. i still have aeration plants and use barley extract and have a crystal clear top 6" of water in a very small 90 litre Pond. It houses 3 fish at least one newt and 3 frogs and a multitude of water shrimps/lice and bloodworm.
i notice you have trees around if leaves drop in to pond in large numbers they ferment in the sun giving off gasses may need dredging in spring also put lots of oxgenators in like elodea crispa horn wort etc and more water plants to take up nutrients if algae problem it should after that clear up and wildlife will thrive