Guernsey Donkey2 - you said earlier that your partner had taken some persuading to agree to a pond. My partner wasn't sure about a pond at first but he likes our pond so much now he's talking about adding a second one at some point. It's definitely the best feature in the garden so far and seeing the visitors to it is a real bonus. The main mistake we made was making it too close to the fence.
I did a lot of research on ponds, got lots of advice on here, and used the following as guides before we made ours:
After we'd made the pond another member recommended Alex Sally's ebook The complete wildlife pond. I found the information and ideas in there interesting too.
There does seem to be differing information as to how deep the pond should be. Apparently the wildlife can cope in very shallow water, so some sources recommend keeping the pond shallow. Alex Sally's book goes in to the evolution of pond creatures and how they are used to their temporary ponds decreasing in water level before they move on to the next pool of water they find. Our pond is about 60cm deep but has a shelf right round. It's about 1.5 metres long by 1 metre wide with a sloped pebble beach and a hibernaculum combined with rockery area.
Here's some photos of ours in the various stages - it's still a work in progress:
I've still got to finish the planting around the edge, and am aiming for mostly evergreen plants to provide cover for the wildlife. For the front edge we're going to bank up the soil and plant some wildflowers like Ragged Robin.
All of our marginal pond plants were planted in aquatic pots with a mix of sub soil from the garden and grit as this was advised on the website of the place we bought them from (Devon Pond Plants). Most of them seem to be doing very well on that and it saved us buying the aquatic compost. We lost the marsh marigold after it showed a few flowers, and the flowering rush stopped flowering but the leaves are still green. We have two types of Iris, neither of which have flowered yet so I'm not sure if this is to do with the way we potted them or the balance in the pond. The other plants have all flowered as they should do though.
I'm envious of all of your ponds. I have a bathtub. Pictures of my pond have been a conversation killer on this site in the past. I'm going to try again though. I'm including a picture of when I started so you can see how far I've come. Birds, frogs and newts seem to like it although frogs haven't spawned in it yet. We have a small garden but may be able to eventually make it bigger but it would involve digging up concrete paths so will have to live with the bathtub for awhile yet. It still makes me happy (and a little proud.)
Early days
June of this year
Last week.
Some of the planting around it is evergreen but definitely recognisably a bathtub in the winter.
I think it looks really nice Watery - especially the loosestrife. Do you find you get a lot of bees on yours? Ours are covered in honey bees all day, although we have the pink type too (Robert) which they seem to prefer. I'm sure if that wasn't there they'd be all over the purple loosestrife, but that seems to be second best. You've got the visitors there so they obviously like it.
Thank you! I can't tell you how much that means to me. I'd love a big, pond-shaped pond but also quite fond of my bathtub. Yes lots of bees. Definitely going to have to divide the loosestrife this year.
Thank you for all your helpful comments - and Lucid for sharing the story of your pond building with us. Both my OH and I have been suffering with back problems this year and in my case will probably continue to do so - and as he is due to retire next year, I am envisioning us sitting by the (finished) pond watching the wildlife into our dot age. However until then we have plenty of planning and perhaps some gentle digging to do. Daughter's partner is planning on doing a lot of the work for us, bless him but we aren't quite ready just yet. Luckily we already have outside electrics and a well - so we are waiting for quotes for fitting a pump to draw the water and also for using with an irrigation system. Yes, it's going to cost us a bit of money but as I can no longer travel I guess we can justify the expense.....The picture shows the area we want to transform. There is going to be a lot of stone under that scruffy surface.
Posts
Guernsey Donkey2 - you said earlier that your partner had taken some persuading to agree to a pond. My partner wasn't sure about a pond at first but he likes our pond so much now he's talking about adding a second one at some point. It's definitely the best feature in the garden so far and seeing the visitors to it is a real bonus. The main mistake we made was making it too close to the fence.
I did a lot of research on ponds, got lots of advice on here, and used the following as guides before we made ours:
Jenny Steel - Wildlife Ponds
How to Build a Wildlife Pond leaflet from the Froglife website - http://www.froglife.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Froglife_JustAddWater_2011.pdf
Video on building a wildlife pond - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8yY50brPvA
After we'd made the pond another member recommended Alex Sally's ebook The complete wildlife pond. I found the information and ideas in there interesting too.
There does seem to be differing information as to how deep the pond should be. Apparently the wildlife can cope in very shallow water, so some sources recommend keeping the pond shallow. Alex Sally's book goes in to the evolution of pond creatures and how they are used to their temporary ponds decreasing in water level before they move on to the next pool of water they find. Our pond is about 60cm deep but has a shelf right round. It's about 1.5 metres long by 1 metre wide with a sloped pebble beach and a hibernaculum combined with rockery area.
Here's some photos of ours in the various stages - it's still a work in progress:
September last year we started:
November with most plants bare:
Early Spring:
Late Spring:
Early Summer:
Mid Summer:
Last edited: 16 August 2016 23:50:35
Late Summer:
I've still got to finish the planting around the edge, and am aiming for mostly evergreen plants to provide cover for the wildlife. For the front edge we're going to bank up the soil and plant some wildflowers like Ragged Robin.
All of our marginal pond plants were planted in aquatic pots with a mix of sub soil from the garden and grit as this was advised on the website of the place we bought them from (Devon Pond Plants). Most of them seem to be doing very well on that and it saved us buying the aquatic compost. We lost the marsh marigold after it showed a few flowers, and the flowering rush stopped flowering but the leaves are still green. We have two types of Iris, neither of which have flowered yet so I'm not sure if this is to do with the way we potted them or the balance in the pond. The other plants have all flowered as they should do though.
Lucid
Lucid; I was told iris often don't flower in their first year if that helps!
Thanks Clarington - fingers crossed for next year then!
Nice one Lucid, good to see the construction story
In the sticks near Peterborough
I'm envious of all of your ponds. I have a bathtub. Pictures of my pond have been a conversation killer on this site in the past. I'm going to try again though. I'm including a picture of when I started so you can see how far I've come. Birds, frogs and newts seem to like it although frogs haven't spawned in it yet. We have a small garden but may be able to eventually make it bigger but it would involve digging up concrete paths so will have to live with the bathtub for awhile yet. It still makes me happy (and a little proud.)
Early days
Some of the planting around it is evergreen but definitely recognisably a bathtub in the winter.
Last edited: 17 August 2016 08:49:43
I think it looks really nice Watery - especially the loosestrife. Do you find you get a lot of bees on yours? Ours are covered in honey bees all day, although we have the pink type too (Robert) which they seem to prefer. I'm sure if that wasn't there they'd be all over the purple loosestrife, but that seems to be second best. You've got the visitors there so they obviously like it.
Lucid
Very wildlife friendly with all the logs and planting and stones watery. I like that.
In the sticks near Peterborough
Thank you for all your helpful comments - and Lucid for sharing the story of your pond building with us. Both my OH and I have been suffering with back problems this year and in my case will probably continue to do so - and as he is due to retire next year, I am envisioning us sitting by the (finished) pond watching the wildlife into our dot age. However until then we have plenty of planning and perhaps some gentle digging to do. Daughter's partner is planning on doing a lot of the work for us, bless him but we aren't quite ready just yet. Luckily we already have outside electrics and a well - so we are waiting for quotes for fitting a pump to draw the water and also for using with an irrigation system. Yes, it's going to cost us a bit of money but as I can no longer travel I guess we can justify the expense.....
The picture shows the area we want to transform. There is going to be a lot of stone under that scruffy surface.