Great work digging that by hand. When ever I’ve dug a pond out for myself I’ve always included a gentle slope at one side just allow hedgehogs to climb out if one should fall in.
That’s a great pond you have dug there. The wildlife pond I dug 3 years ago is smaller but always has birds coming during the day drinking & bathing.Keep an area one end about a metre long which is free of marginal plants for the birds to use.I put a couple of bags of pea gravel that end to act as a beach or you can roll turf or bare soil there. You will need a butyl liner - expensive but worth it as it will last. The levels you have included are perfect for water plants that like different depths to grow in. Keep some soil to put back on the top shelf once the liners in.It will help make it look more natural & create a medium for plants to become established quicker. Also if you have any of the turf left that can be put over the liner edge into the water to again make it look natural.The grass will grow up but the old amphibians like hanging out in the damp grass on hot days. A few lengths of various sizes of logs & thick branches piled up at the waters edge one end next to the taller waterside plants will also provide shelter for amphibians. If you put any waterlilies in keep them in the pond basket or they will take over in a couple of years. There are oxygenator plants to keep the water clean in summer.Avoid Canadian pondweed (Elodea Canadensis) as it takes over. There are lots of native pond plants available.I can recommend Flowering Rush,water mint,purple loosestrife,lesser reedmace,water crowfoot,water violet,ragged robin,yellow flag iris,marsh marigold. You can have a rain water run off pipe with a diverter to the pond from the greenhouse.It will save on topping up in the dry times. You could create a water feature with that lovely stone you have. Don’t forget to scrounge some frogspawn & water plants from your customers. Look forward to the next pond update. All the best
Thanks Country Boy! I asked for advice and boy have you delivered. Really superb comments. I have made a list of your plant suggestions which I will look into when ready. Piling up logs at one end as well is a great shout, probably even going into the water itself will make it look real nice. Thanks again for your valuable comment
Good man listening to the voice inside, it’s easy to get into a hole lol mentally anyway and I love the fact you love the wild life in the garden and that’s more interesting than lawns and edges more so. Few chickens are nice to watch grazing around the garden too I think Great video mate 👍🏼
If you can, try and fill the pond from the gutters on your house. That way you avoid the chlorine. Even a feed from the gutters to keep the pond fresh, with the spill over going into a bog garden or reed bed. Oh and beware old carpet! Unless you can guarantee its free of carpet tacks. Nice job by the way.
We are thinking the same things. I am rigging a hose to the gutters to fill the pond up, one to save money and two as its cleaner. I know it will take longer but I'm not worried about that. Thanks for the advice about the carpet as well!
just think of all the therapy sitting by the pond listening to flowing water. no doubt you will gather all the info needed to do a 1st class job.don't think the planting around the margins are going to be a problem.look forward to end result mate.(i also don't do ponds for clients) best of luck.
Also get a good liner and the good underlay so that any stones won't Pierce The Liner you can also use old carpet with my pond I used old carpet sand and underlay and the pond liner
That's some digging!!!! Well played mate. I'll look forward to seeing the end result. Wildlife ponds are nice but one that size would look great with some nice big Koi in. I've dropped you a sub mate - ATB
Good advice Jen. Blanket weed is a pain in the backside. I have an old nursery not far from me that does only aquatic plants so will be taking a shopping trip soon I think! Thanks for commenting
Looking good in my experience with ponds it always looks natural when the liner's hidden so rock or stone from the edge sloping into the water and covering the first ledge would have to dig more out on the first ledge for some underwater stone and the sound of running water is very therapeutic a little waterfall perhaps when it's established you won't see another slug in the garden frog's favourite meal
Yes hiding the liner is my biggest concern and if something goes wrong with this project it will be that. I have done some additional digging since and hopefully I wont have the problem. I am pondering the waterfall. I am a bit of a procrastinator so I need to get the pond done and finished, then a waterfall may be a secondary consideration. Thanks for taking the time to comment Steve
My old pond had a liner but the surface underneath it was stony and when you had to walk into it to cut back the plants it got punctures so I like your idea of carpet but my choice would be a good bit of sand and very careful rounding of any sharp corners.
Thanks Wayne. Luckily my ground has virtually no stones (unlike yours it sounds). I have bought the liner now and a proper good underlay which I hope should do the trick.
Great work again Simon! Sometimes we all need to take a break from the madness. If you got an email address mate id love to grab the occasional bit of advice. Thanks again
Hi Matt. Yes a break is sometimes needed. I hope you understand but I don't really want to put my email address on here but quite a lot of people have already been in touch with it so it can be found.
