Time for a pond

All free living creatures around our Homes & Gardens - enjoying helping them helping us
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cgisby
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Time for a pond

Post by cgisby »

I've finally taken the plunge and started on a pond, I want to encourage a manner of creatures to my garden, especially frogs, and there's no better way of doing it than water.

Here's my progress so far

Step 1, clearing the area. This was part of the chicken run, so a days work went into pulling it down and disposing of it.

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Step 2, rotavating and levelling the area.

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Step 3, digging the hole. This was not easy, the ground was full of stones

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Step 4, lining the hole

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Step 5, filling the pond, I thought I had let enough buckets fill with rain water, they barely filled up the deep hole so unfortunately I resorted to using the tap to fill to the brim. Not ideal but better than no water (and I'm too impatient to wait for more rain). The water is incredibly murky, assuming a mix of what was in the buckets and I hadn't washed the gravel well enough.

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More pictures to come when the sun comes back out

Now I just have to wait for the frogs :)
3 chickens - Petal, Hermione and Snowy
Frog crazy
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Richard
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Re: Time for a pond

Post by Richard »

Fantastic, not only a great Garden Feature but a home for so many creatures.

Watch out for your chooks though, they can't swim. I lost one of mine in the pond, but if you make it so they can climb out OK., all will be well.

Really looking forward to see the progress.

I think the sun's coming out by the weekend !!! :-D :-D

Richard
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wildlifemad
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Re: Time for a pond

Post by wildlifemad »

Looking good! Once it all settles down it will be wonderful & it is surprising how quickly the wildlife find a pond. As Richard said you might want to put a ramp in the shallow end for animals to get back out if they fall in, I'm thinking more of hedgehogs, they can swim but may not be able to get out if the sides are slippy. Look forward to seeing more photos as it progresses. Well done & in such "soggy" circumstances!! That's commitment!!
Gwenoakes
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Re: Time for a pond

Post by Gwenoakes »

Looks real good, well done you. )like(
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cgisby
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Re: Time for a pond

Post by cgisby »

So here's the photos from today

This morning

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This afternoon when I got home from work

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The rocks did actually go in yesterday but by the time I was finished it was dark. The furthest big rock slopes in like a ramp and has a nice cavern like bit underneath it which I assume the frogs might like, the flat rock next to it has a bump which lifts it and allows for room underneath too.

There's now also a water lily in the deepest part and some oxygenating weeds dotted about.

I plan on getting native plants like yellow flag iris, water forget me not, frogbit, and maybe a few others. Don't want to go mad with it because in time it will either show up randomly or spread and need removing from the pond.

Weekend jobs include finding a few more plants, setting up a small water spitter/feature for a bit of water movement and noise, building a large insect hotel (mansion!), a log pile, and putting down a bench so I can relax

No frogs yet though! (Maybe I'm too impatient)
3 chickens - Petal, Hermione and Snowy
Frog crazy
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Mo
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Re: Time for a pond

Post by Mo »

Interesting the way things do appear naturally. I'm not even sure that OH intended a pond when he dug a 'dingley dell' but each year the winter puddle grew and took longer to dry up. Then the reed mace (that people call bull rush though botanists insist it's not) appeared, and spread. And some sort of grassy reed and pond weed. And newts etc.

My grandson was helping me pull out excess reed-mace but I showed him what was inside the seed heads and he had a great time with it, so no doubt there will be loads more.
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Gwenoakes
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Re: Time for a pond

Post by Gwenoakes »

That looks good, you have made real progress. Well done you. )like(
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cgisby
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Re: Time for a pond

Post by cgisby »

I've started working on a huge wildlife hotel that I'll take a photo of in the morning, and I'm looking into these "bumblebee nest box" things. I don't like many of what I've found but some websites are saying to use a pot with a hose coming out the bottom for them to get into

Now from what I understand they like to use old mouse nests and are attracted by the scent of mice. I don't have ready access to mouse nests but I do have access to my hamsters bedding, what are the chances they'll be attracted to their scent? If so that's a super easy way for me to set up a nest or two

Still no frogs
3 chickens - Petal, Hermione and Snowy
Frog crazy
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cgisby
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Re: Time for a pond

Post by cgisby »

Sorry for the slow update, here's just a few photos. Not managed to get anything else done in the garden, horrible weather }hairout{

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As you can see it's not done yet. I've done the top so I can plant it up, thinking bee friendly alpines or loads of herbs. I'm also going to hang pots/planters on the side for herbs.

I just want it to not rain on my very few days off so I can get it finished.

Still no frogs, but I found a slow worm so can't complain too much
3 chickens - Petal, Hermione and Snowy
Frog crazy
Gwenoakes
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Re: Time for a pond

Post by Gwenoakes »

Everything comes to those who wait. It looks good.
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cgisby
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Re: Time for a pond

Post by cgisby »

Hello!

Here we go a three month update, lots of activity with wildlife now, exciting stuff.

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These were all taken within 5 minutes of each other. So happy to see tadpoles and frogs starting to emerge
3 chickens - Petal, Hermione and Snowy
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lancashire lass
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Re: Time for a pond

Post by lancashire lass »

)like( I've had lots of flying things visiting my raised fish pond on the patio and I've seriously been considering a wildlife pond in the garden.
fabindia
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Re: Time for a pond

Post by fabindia »

Really impressed, well done.

We need more garden ponds, as many as we can safely have (small children permitting). They are invaluable for wildlife, from birds to bees to the things that actually live in them.
Michael
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