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Journal Wildlife Pond Project

The Miniaturist said:
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.
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A fernery sounds great doesn’t it? Have to look into that! Good to hear you’ve had some success with one of those insect houses 👍
 
I’m assuming you’ll be doing some planting around the pond so, if you can, try a frog/toad house amongst the plants. Dig a hole a foot or so deep (doesn’t need to be huge) put some rocks and branches in there, with good gaps in between, maybe a few handfuls of leaves too. Mound that up to a few inches above soil level with some obvious front entry ways, and then cover the top and back of your mound with soil, leaving a way in at the front, Once you’ve got some planting around it, you’ll barely know it’s there, but the frogs will love you for giving them a summer hideaway and a winter home. 😊
 
KirstyF said:
I’m assuming you’ll be doing some planting around the pond so, if you can, try a frog/toad house amongst the plants. Dig a hole a foot or so deep (doesn’t need to be huge) put some rocks and branches in there, with good gaps in between, maybe a few handfuls of leaves too. Mound that up to a few inches above soil level with some obvious front entry ways, and then cover the top and back of your mound with soil, leaving a way in at the front, Once you’ve got some planting around it, you’ll barely know it’s there, but the frogs will love you for giving them a summer hideaway and a winter home. 😊
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Thanks, sounds goodwe have toads in abundance but looking fwd to fitst frog!
Incredibly we have pond skaters and whirlygig beetles within 48 hours of filling! Incredible powers of dispersal
 
Not much change as been away with work, I have built a beach and a couple of ramps to help wildlife get out or access the water. To the horror of some wildlife purists (they are out there!) I’ve got a wee fountain of the solar powered variety that has worked very well so far and the birds really enjoy bathing in it.

The reason to post now is that plants arrive tomorrow from British Pond Plants so last pic in its unplanted state. An expensive detour with planting when I ordered coir plant pots meant for terrestrial planting as a biodegradeable option thinking I was being clever only to read that natural latex, used to hold the shape is toxic to aquatic invertebrates (?). So plastic pots it is….

Need more stones so going scrounging today…

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Cheers
 
Looking good & I like the fountain!
Oase sell fabric planting bags, they appear to be made from stuff similar to weed suppressing fabric. Never used them so I don't know how durable they are over time.
 

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The Miniaturist said:
Looking good & I like the fountain!
Oase sell fabric planting bags, they appear to be made from stuff similar to weed suppressing fabric. Never used them so I don't know how durable they are over time.
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Hi, thanks yes I saw them but got expensive if you get a lot, Swell had a BOGOF on plastic pots so went cheap after my coir debacle! 😂 I wasn’t going to pot at all just use gravel substrate but seems to have advantages for the inexperienced like being able to move plants about and soil should give them a good start
 
Simmo said:
I’ve got a wee fountain of the solar powered variety that has worked very well so far
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May I suggest that as you have a floating solar fountain, you tether it to something (Brick?) so it / its jet can not get too close to the edge. The reason being that although the jet is never powerful, it can be (and is) high, and this over time can empty the pool (I have almost had it happen)
 
martin-green said:
May I suggest that as you have a floating solar fountain, you tether it to something (Brick?) so it / its jet can not get too close to the edge. The reason being that although the jet is never powerful, it can be (and is) high, and this over time can empty the pool (I have almost had it happen)
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Thank you, yes I had thought of that and it’s strapped to a cobble, although mostly because I’d read it reduces organic matter entering and clogging if you raise it off the bottom. It’s not actually floating, the pump sits on the bottom and there’s a cable to the panels in the oak planter and an adjustable spout to the surface.
Cheers
 
Yesterday I added about a quarter tonne of gravel to the margins to cover some of the liner and provide an additional habitat. Every shovelful needed rinsing so it took a while 😂

I’d like to plant something (terrestrial) in the corner (the photo with with the oak tub in it) to give cover and provide habitat, , think lavender was suggested, any other ideas would be great, I’m not much of a gardener…
 

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Thanks Myrtle! Yes a lovely idea, if it’ll grow there. There’s a few wild ferns growing at the base of the wall I’m encouraging. Any species recommendations? 👍
 
How about a few grasses with @Myrtle's big fern? You would have interest all year round along with seeds for the birds.
It depends which direction the wall faces, it could be a sun trap or a frost pocket! Also whether you want flowers or a relatively maintenance free planted corner.
One of the largest ferns is the royal fern (Osmunda regalis) grows about 5ft tall with quite delicate looking fronds. It is deciduous but the new growth in spring is very attractive.
 
Great ideas, thanks chaps, it’s North facing in northern Scotland so bleddy cold!
 
Hi all,
Simmo said:
Any species recommendations? 👍
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Simmo said:
it’s North facing in northern Scotland so bleddy cold!
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A lot of ferns are really hardy. If it is not dust dry you get a few more options, but Dryopteris wallichiana (below) is pretty bullet-proof.

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"Soft Shield Fern" would be another option that will grow "dry", I like Polystichum setiferum "Herrenhausen" but there are lots of different cultivars. "Lady Fern" is another option, the standard one is nice but you can get Athyrium filix-femina “Victoriae” etc.
The Miniaturist said:
One of the largest ferns is the royal fern (Osmunda regalis) grows about 5ft tall with quite delicate looking fronds. It is deciduous but the new growth in spring is very attractive.
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Great if it is wet enough. "Lemon Scented Fern" Oreopteris limbosperma is another wetter one, it is the fern that grows along the streams out on the rough grazing in N & W. Britain.

cheers Darrel
 
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