It's going to be 2m by 60cm, approx. Which may sound strange but there are placement reasons. It was supposed to be wider but I had mid-measured somewhere along the line Although when digging today wished I had gone for a washing up bowl. One website I read said people only regret not making it bigger, so it is bigger than I originally planned!
That article makes me feel a bit better about my wildlife pond - I didn't like the pots in mine so filled the bottom with compost and covered in rocks and planted in that. It looks nice but I lost a lot of the depth (I dug it around 18")
It does lose a fair bit of water mainly when it's windy and also because there's a bog garden attached which squelches out a lot of water.
If it helps, my hens have never fallen in the pond (that I've noticed) although mine is fairly small so I'm sure they would just climb back out.
That's a great idea to take lots of pictures, it's great to look back on it all with the last picture being it filled with water and all the work done.
Hiya Minosgardener, sounds like you've got a good wildlife pond in the making! I'm not sure how far you've got with it so far, but I have some tips for you. With planting, if you want to bring in plants, then I would include a variety of types of plants, as in where they go and how they grow. These would include marginals, emergents (barred horsetail is really good- not invasive, native and colourful), floating (lilies) and oxygenators (elodea). In terms of structure, I would include sloping sides, sand and gravel (nice look and is good for an initial silt layer for burrowing, use for caddisfly larvae etc.). Hope you've chosen a sunny place with no overhanging trees or anything (shadows and leaves). Good luck!
Victoria Sponge, I'd be weary of the compost in your pond. Is it aquatic compost? If not, then the extra nutrients in it will only feed algae, which will go completely nuts in your pond so beware. :L Has it had algae problems in the past?
Hiya EdW. I'm older and wiser than I used to be so digging it out I a slow process You have however described how it should look, although I haven't started on the plants yet
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That article makes me feel a bit better about my wildlife pond - I didn't like the pots in mine so filled the bottom with compost and covered in rocks and planted in that. It looks nice but I lost a lot of the depth (I dug it around 18")
It does lose a fair bit of water mainly when it's windy and also because there's a bog garden attached which squelches out a lot of water.
If it helps, my hens have never fallen in the pond (that I've noticed) although mine is fairly small so I'm sure they would just climb back out.
Hope you put a pic on when it's done
I have taken lots of pictures because otherwise it is easy to get disheartened and not be able to see what you have done!
That's a great idea to take lots of pictures, it's great to look back on it all with the last picture being it filled with water and all the work done.
Hiya Minosgardener, sounds like you've got a good wildlife pond in the making! I'm not sure how far you've got with it so far, but I have some tips for you. With planting, if you want to bring in plants, then I would include a variety of types of plants, as in where they go and how they grow. These would include marginals, emergents (barred horsetail is really good- not invasive, native and colourful), floating (lilies) and oxygenators (elodea). In terms of structure, I would include sloping sides, sand and gravel (nice look and is good for an initial silt layer for burrowing, use for caddisfly larvae etc.). Hope you've chosen a sunny place with no overhanging trees or anything (shadows and leaves). Good luck!
Victoria Sponge, I'd be weary of the compost in your pond. Is it aquatic compost? If not, then the extra nutrients in it will only feed algae, which will go completely nuts in your pond so beware. :L Has it had algae problems in the past?
This was our pond in May last year.
Berghill, thats a beautiful pond and garden
Gosh, that's a great pond and garden, Berghill!
My pond in May 2013- all the tadpoles! It was crazy- 7 clumps of frogspawn in a tiny pond less than a metre square!