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pond plants for wildlife
in Talkback
Hi. New here. Hubby is about to dig the soil ready for the pond . Its 4.5 feet across and about 3-4 ft deep. Holds 475 litres of water. Any ideas of what to plant and how many to add so it doesnt turn out a waste of time. I love colour and wildlife. Any ideas please Lisa x
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Posts
I recommend
Veronica beccabunga
Botumus umbellatus
Acoras calamus
Nuphar luteum
Guem rivale
Water forget me not
Elodea - potted into pure gravel in pots.
Aponogeton distachyos
Nymphaea odorata
Caltha pulustris
Are you meaning plants to go in the pond, or plants for the surrounds Lisa?
Or both!
It's very deep for the size, so I'd imagine you'll want some plants for the depths as well as marginals.
Where is the pond sited and what else have you got growing round about it? Wildlife needs shelter nearby for safety, so a few plants to offer them security are necessary. I always have some evergreens - grasses like carexes are good for that purpose. If you have room, there are plenty of opportunities for bigger plants too, depending on the aspect.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Ideally your pond should have a sloping end or side so that birds can use it for bathing, and wildlife can escape from it easily (hedgehogs can drown in deep ponds otherwise).
I built a pond in my previous garden, and was astounded when the morning after I'd filled it with water, and before it contained any plants, a great diving beetle landed in it.
Dragonflies, pond skaters etc followed very quickly.