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Journal Wildlife Pond Project

Simmo

Simmo

Member
Joined
11 Dec 2020
Messages
312
Location
Scotland
Hi All,
Looking for thoughts of experienced Pondists for plants tips and pitfalls on what I’m proposing. Been waiting 10 years for the kids to finish with the trampoline so I can build my pond and that day has now come!

I’m planning a wildlife pond using mostly native plants and have no plans to introduce fish so looking at a fairly shallow maximum depth of 12” and lots of sloping margins of shallow water with deeper pools in the middle. It’s 5m long and 3.5m wide at the widest point and kidney shaped. I’ll use a pea gravel substrate of 1-2” and mostly plant directly into it. Edges will be granite setts as I already have these and I’m using geotextile and EDPM to line. There will be a solar pump for aeration and a bit of flow but no filter.

Much of the info online seems to be a cut and paste job but I did find this very good guide (note it says deep ponds are not advisable for wildlife - phew! 😂)


My exception to the above design is I’m not having grass edges, this is because I live in an area of Scotland with midges and waterlogged soil is asking for trouble.

The aspect is not ideal being adjacent to a huge north facing granite wall but there’s nothing I can do about that, it’s the only space available.

I broke ground earlier this week and have a skip on site for spoil, it’s slow as everything has to be borrowed but I’m making progress.

Plants I’m thinking of are Iris, Bogbean, a non native (smaller!) water lilly. Open to advice!

Cheers
Dave
 
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Day 1
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Looks nice, a few observations.

1) If its not too late move the pond further in, or make the pond not so wide (Front to back) the reason being, when you need to get to the back of the pond (Maintenance etc) you will not have enough room to walk without falling in :p. I suggest it be at least 40+ cm from wall to pond edge.

2) Don't bother with a solar pump. Your 2nd picture shows that the pond will not be in direct sunlight most of the day (This can be a good thing) and solar pumps need a lot of direct sunshine to work, and most of them are too feeble to be any use, not to mention it being a natural pond the water will have lots of "particles" (another good thing) that will easily block the filter of a solar pump. :confused:

3) As its a natural pond, why not have an "insect house" (or two) nearby (Like you have a bird box) this should give insects somewhere to live, and so become the main menu item for frogs, who can then stay in your pond. (You may even be able to charge rent 😂)

4) Keep posting the pictures.:)

5) What will you be using for underlay for the liner?

6) If you can, keep the grass as far away from the edge as possible, nothing worse than when cutting the grass (even if your mower collects it) than having "stray clippings" going into the pond.
 
Hi all,
Simmo said:
I’m planning a wildlife pond using mostly native plants ....


My exception to the above design is I’m not having grass edges, this is because I live in an area of Scotland with midges and waterlogged soil is asking for trouble

Plants I’m thinking of are Iris, Bogbean, a non native (smaller!) water lilly. Open to advice
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I'm not sure grass edges are really suitable, any way, for the reasons @martin-green mentions. You could use smaller growing sedge, you may be able to pyo Carex nigra or C. panicea?

I just piled the rock I'd excavated to make terraces, worked fine, and even with no added soil things grew too rampantly.

Bogbean, Water Mint and Lesser Spearwort? As a planting.

Cheers Darrel
 
Hi Gents,
Thank you for taking the time to reply and for the useful input Martin 👍. The edge of the pond is 50cm + from the wall, I think it’s the flattening effect of the pic. I’ve already ordered a solar pump and it probably is crap but will give it a go! The panels are remote so power should be OK but we’ll see about the rest. The liner is a fleecy geotextile, put it down today after eagle-eyed offspring had checked for glass, sharp stones and all that but just subsoil beneath. Great point on the grass hadn’t considered that, the plan now is to leave the edge unmown but I think I might need another course of stones, will see how it goes.

Cheers Darrell for the thoughts, hadn’t considered the downside of grass edges, but yes I guess mowing ight well be problematic. I’ve kept a lot of bigger stones I dug out to use as beach material/substrate but think I’ll sieve some of the contents of the skip and reclain more stones.

Filling with water now, then leaving for 48 hours, to check for leaks.

Cheers
Dave
 
Sounds like a great project. Maybe give some thought to making it a little deeper, around 60cm, at least in one area. It’ll provide a greater range of habitat for amphibians. But gently shelving around the edges is perhaps more important. Position it in a location where it gets some sun and shade to provide a range of temperatures is also good.
 
Tim Harrison said:
Sounds like a great project. Maybe give some thought to making it a little deeper, around 60cm, at least in one area. It’ll provide a greater range of habitat for amphibians. But gently shelving around the edges is perhaps more important. Position it in a location where it gets some sun and shade to provide a range of temperatures is also good.
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Hi Tim, thanks, it’s just about full and the deepest is 53cm so not far off 👍😀. Fingers crossed it’ll be at the same level tomorrow 🤣 Cheers
 
Up early this morning being somewhat excited to see the pond 😆. All is well so I’ll finish the edges today and then reclaim some more substrate from the skip., sieving out the stones then washing them.

I was a bit concerned about my levels as I set them using a basic spirit level and the longest straight edged object I had was not long enough to do the widest poinr, tried string and nails but it was a bit iffy. Anyway, there is some variation upto about an inch but nothing that’ll be problematic - bit of a relief.
 
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@martin-green I like the insect house idea, what did you have in mind?, The garden is pretty unkempt and there’s a large detritus pile, native trees including a couple of mature birch and log stores that appear good invert refuges. What I’d like is more plant growth or other cover on the wall; have lost count of how many climbers I planted and have died, only one honeysuckle has survived. Bit concerned about roots though. Maybe some insect house thing on the wall?
 
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Happy with my border of a row of setts then stones dug from the hole behind and then turf. Sounds simple, well it is but I am a bit slow so lots of head scratching over how to finish it while obscuring the liner, avoiding waterlogged turf (midge larva risk) and getting the water the right height. If anything finds a level it’s flat water 😂
image.jpg
 
You may have seen them, but not known what they are for. (When I first saw one, I had no idea what it was)


bug house.jpg

This is a pre made one. I made my own version, I found some odd 3 x 2 cut it to about 4 inches and drilled lots of mostly small holes in the end, then I thought what a waste, so I turned it 180 degrees and did the same at the other end, then mounted it by drilling through the longest side.
Nothing has moved in yet, but then I guess it's not the right location, so I planted some "meadow flower seeds" and I am waiting for them to pop up, to attract insects, that will then attract frogs that will then live in the puddle adjacent (It's so small I call it a puddle, but it is deep ish)
The annoying thing for me is about 8 years ago, I had 36 frogs living in a water feature (I know it was 36, as I counted them when I cleaned the water feature)
 
Your pond is looking good, but as you are "sorting it out" may I suggest you get rid of the grass at the back now, it's not too long, but give it a few years, it will grow and the only option to cut it is a strimmer, which will then send everything into the pond, trust me, its no fun fishing grass from a pond, or even worse slipping and the strimmer goes into the pond.

I suspect the plants you originally planted died because they didn't like the soil, it was years before I realised not all plants will grow in all soil. :banghead: Keep up the good work and the pictures
 
martin-green said:
You may have seen them, but not known what they are for. (When I first saw one, I had no idea what it was)


View attachment 206262
This is a pre made one. I made my own version, I found some odd 3 x 2 cut it to about 4 inches and drilled lots of mostly small holes in the end, then I thought what a waste, so I turned it 180 degrees and did the same at the other end, then mounted it by drilling through the longest side.
Nothing has moved in yet, but then I guess it's not the right location, so I planted some "meadow flower seeds" and I am waiting for them to pop up, to attract insects, that will then attract frogs that will then live in the puddle adjacent (It's so small I call it a puddle, but it is deep ish)
The annoying thing for me is about 8 years ago, I had 36 frogs living in a water feature (I know it was 36, as I counted them when I cleaned the water feature)
Click to expand...
Ah, yes thanks, seen something like that in a catalogue somewhere, maybe RSPB… I like your idea of having a go though, looks pretty simple to make 👍. I’ve had very little luck with wildflower mixes, bought some ‘bee bombs’ that came to nothing but might try again…36 frogs…that is a lot!
 
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martin-green said:
Your pond is looking good, but as you are "sorting it out" may I suggest you get rid of the grass at the back now, it's not too long, but give it a few years, it will grow and the only option to cut it is a strimmer, which will then send everything into the pond, trust me, its no fun fishing grass from a pond, or even worse slipping and the strimmer goes into the pond.

I suspect the plants you originally planted died because they didn't like the soil, it was years before I realised not all plants will grow in all soil. :banghead: Keep up the good work and the pictures
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I’m going to leave it as I don’t cut that area at all so they are ‘weeds’ or rather they’re not because they are in the right place 😀 My idea is that’s good cover for anything exiting the pond and potentially a habitat/food source too. I have had some nice wild plants growing from the wall base, small male fern (or similar spp) have been a highlight. We’ll see if the sods recover and if not it’ll be sods away and a rethink!

Thanks again for the thought on keeping the mowed lawn back from the pond, have done what I can today 👍
 
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I have a couple of insect houses. Last year one of them was occupied by solitary bees, it was fascinating watching them investigating the bamboo sticks to lay their eggs.
A fernery at the base of the wall sounds lovely, plenty of cover for frogs! They would make a nice background for flowering plants in the pond.
 
dw1305 said:
Hi all,

The setts look great, but I wouldn't use turf, I'd plant a small shrub (Heather's might be a possibility?).

You won't be able to mow the grass, and if you strim it, grass will end up in the pond.

Cheers Darrel
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Hi Darrell, thanks, it doesn’t get mowed, it’s just left so should provide some shelter, maybe habitat. I like your idea though of a border of shrubs if it doesn’t work out.
Cheers
Dave
 
Big day yesterday, made a lot of progress; doing the edge is the most difficult bit but I’m pleased with the result. Just a few more stones and a tidy up and the construction phase will be finished.
My glasses are out there somewhere 😂
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image.jpg
 
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