It all depends, said Pooh, on what you can put in, where you want it, and how big. We started off with nothing more than, now don't laugh, seriously, an old washing up bowl from the kitchen. We plonked it into the flower bed at the front of our house, right i amongst the roses and other flowers, and before we knew what was happening, we had a gurt splodge of frog spawn, and some frogs splashing about. it DOESN'T have to be big or elaborate. Little more than a puddle can do the trick !.
Any size of pond is a great addition to a garden Fishy. When I moved from the house I'd been in for over 16 years, I decided to reduce the pond as it could have put off potential families. I got all the wildlife I could from the existing one, filled most of it in, making some of it a bog garden, and used one of those plastic toy boxes to make a tiny pond which then housed the Equisetum and Caltha that I kept. There was loads of planting round about for all the creatures who were used to using the bigger pond, and I had lots of pebbles and bits and pieces to give access to the water, so it was really just a tinier version of what was there. It was in a raised bed, but if anyone had been concerned about children, you could easily have put a grid over it.
I'm in the process of making a small pond here as I miss having one so much. Make part of it as deep as you can so that it doesn't heat up too quickly in warm weather, or freeze in winter. That's the best advice I can give
Are you convinced?
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Totally convinced Fairygirl Years ago where I used to live,we always had a pond in our garden and a biggish one too. However we kept goldfish,koi etc so it wasn't a proper wildlife pond which is what I want. Having said that,we did get newts which seemed to breed ok and my Mum built a bog garden.
Anyway,to the present. Pete - its funny you should say about a washing up bowl because that's exactly what I've got here in my garden as I speak. I put it in about 4 years ago,sunk down so its rim was level with the soil surface. It did have a frog (just the one) for the first two years but nothing since apart from mosquito larvae and dead slugs. I have a feeling its in too much shade as well but I really want something bigger and have in mind a liner. I also want to replicate a natural pond as much as I can,with a shallow gradient sloping to deeper water at the other end.
I'd love to get started on it asap but being a carer for Mrs Fish,we are financially challenged
Mine is now dug and almost full, it rains a lot here.
I just need to finish the edges, has anyone just put the turf back if so, does the soil wash in when it rains and do the plants and grasses grow in only about 2inches of soil because the liner is directly under it?
Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor.
Many ponds have the grass right to the edge Lyn so that it covers liner edging. You won't get too much soil going in - maybe a little initially. The only problems with grass is keeping the clippings out the water when you mow, and the edges get very wet because they act like a sponge - squelchy if you get lots of wet weather! It can be an advantage because you can plant into those edges and you don't need to worry too much about watering - the roots will work their way into the soil behind the liner and some things will be quite happy in that couple of inches. We had problems with a pond liner because it had been installed half way up the bank the pond had been dug into, and heathers planted on top. They were quite happy because the excess water ran down the liner and they just formed a huge mass of roots on top, but it wasn't funny when we had to remove and renovate some of the dead and overgrown heathers, clear brambles and willowherb, and put new planting in.
Fishy - if you use a liner, a small one isn't too expensive, and you can use all sorts of stuff for the underlay - I've even used underlay! Old blankets, or something similar, are great because it's just to prevent the liner itself from getting punctured by any bits and pieces below. It's less of an issue in small ponds since you won't need to go into them to clear debris or move planting baskets etc.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
OK I've dug a pond - about 2 meters by 1 roughly speaking and the deepest point is about 21 inches. Tough going on that part as the sub-soil was clay and full of limestone. I've got a very shallow outer ledge - maybe 2 to 3 inches and then a further ledge down at about 9 or 10 inches. Just waiting on the liner now before I introduce water.
I've been reading online about allowing the pond to fill naturally with rain water. However,there is a school of thought that tap water is ok because any chlorine in it will dissipate after a few days anyway. A lot has changed since I last built a pond,and I also like the idea of grass right up to the water's edge. This is achieved by basically sliding the edge of the liner under the turf right? Then the turf just carries on growing over the top whilst soaking up water from the pond.
Philippa - you're not going to let me forget that are you I had my two little helpers with me today. No not Mrs F and Beth - Robbie and Lexie. I'm sure they thought I was mad...
Posts
It all depends, said Pooh, on what you can put in, where you want it, and how big. We started off with nothing more than, now don't laugh, seriously, an old washing up bowl from the kitchen. We plonked it into the flower bed at the front of our house, right i amongst the roses and other flowers, and before we knew what was happening, we had a gurt splodge of frog spawn, and some frogs splashing about. it DOESN'T have to be big or elaborate. Little more than a puddle can do the trick !.
Any size of pond is a great addition to a garden Fishy. When I moved from the house I'd been in for over 16 years, I decided to reduce the pond as it could have put off potential families. I got all the wildlife I could from the existing one, filled most of it in, making some of it a bog garden, and used one of those plastic toy boxes to make a tiny pond which then housed the Equisetum and Caltha that I kept. There was loads of planting round about for all the creatures who were used to using the bigger pond, and I had lots of pebbles and bits and pieces to give access to the water, so it was really just a tinier version of what was there. It was in a raised bed, but if anyone had been concerned about children, you could easily have put a grid over it.
I'm in the process of making a small pond here as I miss having one so much. Make part of it as deep as you can so that it doesn't heat up too quickly in warm weather, or freeze in winter. That's the best advice I can give
Are you convinced?
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Totally convinced Fairygirl
Years ago where I used to live,we always had a pond in our garden and a biggish one too. However we kept goldfish,koi etc so it wasn't a proper wildlife pond which is what I want. Having said that,we did get newts which seemed to breed ok and my Mum built a bog garden.
Anyway,to the present. Pete - its funny you should say about a washing up bowl because that's exactly what I've got here in my garden as I speak. I put it in about 4 years ago,sunk down so its rim was level with the soil surface. It did have a frog (just the one) for the first two years but nothing since apart from mosquito larvae and dead slugs. I have a feeling its in too much shade as well but I really want something bigger and have in mind a liner. I also want to replicate a natural pond as much as I can,with a shallow gradient sloping to deeper water at the other end.
I'd love to get started on it asap but being a carer for Mrs Fish,we are financially challenged
How big do you want it fishy?
Mine is now dug and almost full, it rains a lot here.
I just need to finish the edges, has anyone just put the turf back if so, does the soil wash in when it rains and do the plants and grasses grow in only about 2inches of soil because the liner is directly under it?
Many ponds have the grass right to the edge Lyn so that it covers liner edging. You won't get too much soil going in - maybe a little initially. The only problems with grass is keeping the clippings out the water when you mow, and the edges get very wet because they act like a sponge - squelchy if you get lots of wet weather! It can be an advantage because you can plant into those edges and you don't need to worry too much about watering - the roots will work their way into the soil behind the liner and some things will be quite happy in that couple of inches. We had problems with a pond liner because it had been installed half way up the bank the pond had been dug into, and heathers planted on top. They were quite happy because the excess water ran down the liner and they just formed a huge mass of roots on top, but it wasn't funny when we had to remove and renovate some of the dead and overgrown heathers, clear brambles and willowherb, and put new planting in.
Fishy - if you use a liner, a small one isn't too expensive, and you can use all sorts of stuff for the underlay - I've even used underlay! Old blankets, or something similar, are great because it's just to prevent the liner itself from getting punctured by any bits and pieces below. It's less of an issue in small ponds since you won't need to go into them to clear debris or move planting baskets etc.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
OK I've dug a pond - about 2 meters by 1 roughly speaking and the deepest point is about 21 inches. Tough going on that part as the sub-soil was clay and full of limestone. I've got a very shallow outer ledge - maybe 2 to 3 inches and then a further ledge down at about 9 or 10 inches. Just waiting on the liner now before I introduce water.
I've been reading online about allowing the pond to fill naturally with rain water. However,there is a school of thought that tap water is ok because any chlorine in it will dissipate after a few days anyway. A lot has changed since I last built a pond,and I also like the idea of grass right up to the water's edge. This is achieved by basically sliding the edge of the liner under the turf right? Then the turf just carries on growing over the top whilst soaking up water from the pond.
Good digging Fishy
You could wait along time for a pond to fill with rain water. I'd get the hose out
.
In the sticks near Peterborough
That's just what I was thinking nut. I saw a dragonfly today and I'm sure it was checking out the facilities
To Let, or TOI-LET, wossit matter, as long as they love their Mama ?