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New pond
Guernsey Donkey2
Posts: 6,713
in Plants
I couldn't find my old pond thread, so starting this one. We have just begun digging our wildlife pond, which will have a pump, filter and flexible liner. Unfortunately all the best laid plans didn't prove useful. We found large granite rocks/boulders all the way down to three foot and beyond and filled a skip in just a couple of hours - no more skips available until next week. We have a well and soak away within the pond area, so we
need to divert the rain water from our house roof to a different area.
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You could be right Tetley. The water from the gutters would have plenty of leaves and pine needles in it though - and the amount of water coming into the pond after heavy rain for say 24 hours, would an overflow system cope with so much in one dollop?
What ever you decide to do GD2 - good luck with it all. That digger has made short work of the excavation. It's going to be a good sized pond when it's all done. Work has halted on mine due to the rain but I have everything stocked up waiting to go in the spring time.
No Tetley, we had the driveway gravelled a couple of years ago, but we have a huge front garden with trees, lawn and some very old camellia bushes, then a massive back garden with trees, huge lawn, orchard, veg patch, greenhouses - the only really hard surface is the patio that you can see in the first picture.
I am glad that we got the digger, it would have been heavy work for the two men to dig with spade because of the amount of large granite stones which we didn't expect. It seems they came from digging the foundations of the larger house (where our daughters now live), as the cellar is 10foot deep - hence the waste was put just where are pond is being sited.
It will take at least another month or so to sort this digging and prep work ready for the pond liner and then it will be Christmas!
Various ideas coming up for the gutter waste water diversion- we could run it into the pond or into the field over the wall which is also ours but used by a farmer with cattle.
Yes I can Tetley, and I do agree with you - but it isn't up to me entirely to make the decisions. We used plenty of the granite that lies around here to build 2 extensions on our little cottage (originally a farmer hand cottage/barn/store,), also used granite to edge our driveway and car park. We do recycle and have 4 water butts now full of rainwater for using to water the garden. There is still plenty of granite on this island which is used to build walls, houses, even a fireplace or wall feature within a house.
We are on metered water because our home was run as a holiday cottage until we decided to move in and let our daughters move into our big house.
Why don't you Tetley - if you are able to travel of course. You would love it here - the cliffs, beaches, other islands to take day trips to. Guernsey enters and usually wins gold in the Floral Britain best seaside town, small town and other categories. There is an abundance of wild blue bells, primroses and other native plants in flower from April through until Christmas although at their best during the spring/summer. I am sure others will tell you that their area is best, but Guernsey is just that bit more special - oh and we speak English but are not too far from France, our food is a mix of English and French.
Perhaps one day eh Tetley - you never know!
Pond update - filled another large skip full of stones, rocks and rubble - need to order a third tomorrow and once that is full we can get in and start shaping our massive hole. Short pipe delivered by pond man - for the stonemason to fit onto the rim of the well at some time in the future.
Another couple of hours spent digging out the pond this afternoon - another skip three quarters filled. Moved some large pieces of granite that were saved from another job whilst we had the digger to lift them. Having to turn a blind eye to the mess, and imagine the peace and tranquility of the finished effect.
Luckily you haven't had our rain GD or your pond would be full.
Looking forward to seeing it on completion.