Yes, of course, you're quite right, Yvie - providing you have marginal plants next to the edge of your pond, little creatures can get out. (Hedgehogs are quite fat though, so they need the vegetation not to be so dense they can't push through.) So the sloping "beach" isn't absolutely essential... though birds love it as a place to bathe.
Lyn, your pond looks as if it's always been there. Lovely!
Last edited: 15 April 2017 20:25:07
Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
As you know we are almost at the finishing stages of our mammoth pond build and for the beach we cemented in a line of very large pebbles at the bottom of the beach, which is now under water. We then loosely built up the beach with more but smaller pebbles - so the line of large pebbles stops all these smaller pebbles from sliding into the pond. This picture shows the beach in the front of the picture. I did want the beach to be a little larger, but it is o.k. Good luck with your project Yvie, I am sure it will give you much pleasure over the years.
Hogweed and GD that sounds like a good idea, Mght also grade the pebbles, large at the bottom and then getting smaller towards the top. If I put smaller gravel in between that should keep the liner covered as and when the pond water drops.
Have been up and about for a while but wont be doing any hard graft today, for one thing I think I am broken . Quite achey and tired after the last two days. The other thing is can't do much more until the liner and underlay arrive. We did quite a bit of reasearch and taking cost, durability and reviews into account we have gone for a flexiliner (LPDE) from Pondkeeper.co.uk It has a 40 year guarantee and has good reviews vs butyl and PVC. At the moment they are offering half price underlay and free next day delivery so it seems like a good deal.
We have also been out and purchased enough welsh slate to go around 3 sides of the pond. We are looking at filling the gaps in with Moonstone aggregate as it picks up the grey, brown and while flecks in the slate. Will need to buy pebbles that blend in with these. I've picked fish friendly rocks etc as even though we aren't planning to keep any I thought it would be safer for wildlife.
While I'm on does anyone have any good recommendations for plants both for in the the pond and in the garden area at the back of the pond? Also any I should avoid.
One other thing I wanted to ask is what people feel about pumps, UV filters and moving water in a wildlife pond.
I want to put a water lilly in the pond and I know they don't like getting splashed. Hubby is worried about maintenance and wants to put in an all in 1 pump.
At the moment I am leaning towards letting him have his way and also putting in a water lilly. Then if the leaves get damaged I'll have proved my point and will tell him to turn the fountain bit off. What do you all think?
The main purpose of a pump is to oxygenate the water and they have to be turned off for the coldest part of the year and cleaned and maintained. I don't think they're worth the bother in a small pond.
I'd rather have some oxygenators and a bundle of barley straw sunk to the bottom to control algae and blanket weed. Water lilies like still water.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
Wildlife ponds are usually still, some say lilies don't like moving water, but a lot of people have them both.
i don't know what they are for really, pumps that is.? My water is crystal clear, once your plants get growing there will be no green or slime in your pond.
Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor.
Popped to a local aquatic shope and purchased some plants which we can keep in the half barrel pond until main pond is up and running. Bought Water Lily 'Nymphea Firecrest' blurb says it is strongly scented with deep pink flowers. Also bought a basket of british native wildlife plants that contains purple loostrife and 3 other which I can't remember at the moment.
In my opinion, unless you have an enormous pond you should avoid bullrush and yellow flag iris - both lovely but invasive. Purple loosestrife may need curbing after a while but is stunning. I wouldn't be without kingcup, caltha palustris. There's a double form and a white one, if you prefer...
Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
Posts
Yes, of course, you're quite right, Yvie - providing you have marginal plants next to the edge of your pond, little creatures can get out. (Hedgehogs are quite fat though, so they need the vegetation not to be so dense they can't push through.) So the sloping "beach" isn't absolutely essential... though birds love it as a place to bathe.
Lyn, your pond looks as if it's always been there. Lovely!
Last edited: 15 April 2017 20:25:07
Watching this thread with great interest. Can't believe how much progress you've made already!
As you know we are almost at the finishing stages of our mammoth pond build and for the beach we cemented in a line of very large pebbles at the bottom of the beach, which is now under water. We then loosely built up the beach with more but smaller pebbles - so the line of large pebbles stops all these smaller pebbles from sliding into the pond. This picture shows the beach in the front of the picture. I did want the beach to be a little larger, but it is o.k. Good luck with your project Yvie, I am sure it will give you much pleasure over the years.
Last edited: 15 April 2017 20:57:17
I have a line of large rocks underneath the water on my sloping side and built the cobbles up from that.
Day 3
Hogweed and GD that sounds like a good idea, Mght also grade the pebbles, large at the bottom and then getting smaller towards the top. If I put smaller gravel in between that should keep the liner covered as and when the pond water drops.
Have been up and about for a while but wont be doing any hard graft today, for one thing I think I am broken
. Quite achey and tired after the last two days. The other thing is can't do much more until the liner and underlay arrive. We did quite a bit of reasearch and taking cost, durability and reviews into account we have gone for a flexiliner (LPDE) from Pondkeeper.co.uk It has a 40 year guarantee and has good reviews vs butyl and PVC. At the moment they are offering half price underlay and free next day delivery so it seems like a good deal.
We have also been out and purchased enough welsh slate to go around 3 sides of the pond. We are looking at filling the gaps in with Moonstone aggregate as it picks up the grey, brown and while flecks in the slate. Will need to buy pebbles that blend in with these. I've picked fish friendly rocks etc as even though we aren't planning to keep any I thought it would be safer for wildlife.
While I'm on does anyone have any good recommendations for plants both for in the the pond and in the garden area at the back of the pond? Also any I should avoid.
Still Day 3
One other thing I wanted to ask is what people feel about pumps, UV filters and moving water in a wildlife pond.
I want to put a water lilly in the pond and I know they don't like getting splashed. Hubby is worried about maintenance and wants to put in an all in 1 pump.
At the moment I am leaning towards letting him have his way and also putting in a water lilly. Then if the leaves get damaged I'll have proved my point and will tell him to turn the fountain bit off. What do you all think?
The main purpose of a pump is to oxygenate the water and they have to be turned off for the coldest part of the year and cleaned and maintained. I don't think they're worth the bother in a small pond.
I'd rather have some oxygenators and a bundle of barley straw sunk to the bottom to control algae and blanket weed. Water lilies like still water.
Wildlife ponds are usually still, some say lilies don't like moving water, but a lot of people have them both.
i don't know what they are for really, pumps that is.? My water is crystal clear, once your plants get growing there will be no green or slime in your pond.
Still Day 3
Popped to a local aquatic shope and purchased some plants which we can keep in the half barrel pond until main pond is up and running. Bought Water Lily 'Nymphea Firecrest' blurb says it is strongly scented with deep pink flowers. Also bought a basket of british native wildlife plants that contains purple loostrife and 3 other which I can't remember at the moment.
In my opinion, unless you have an enormous pond you should avoid bullrush and yellow flag iris - both lovely but invasive. Purple loosestrife may need curbing after a while but is stunning. I wouldn't be without kingcup, caltha palustris. There's a double form and a white one, if you prefer...