New wildlife pond - edging/planting questions - Page 2

Malcolm Banks · #11 (**permalink**) 06-10-2009, 06:56 PM

Sorry, the last message was meant for JenBee (forgot you had moved in, with permission of course, on Kev's thread)

M

JenBee · #12 (**permalink**) 08-10-2009, 06:05 PM

Thanks Malcolm. It's so frustrating not being able to do anything! (Note to self - must work on improving patience).

How will the snails get into the pond if I don't put them there? Do I just hope there are some on the plants I will buy in the spring?

Malcolm Banks · #13 (**permalink**) 09-10-2009, 11:08 AM

Not completely sure how they get in JenBee, but once I had filled my pond with tap water, I left it for a month before stocking with plants (spring 08). By the time I came to add the plants there was already a small population of snails in residence. Apart from eggs (or v young snails) attached to pond plants, bird's feet and amphibians might introduce them I guess.
Have you put any planting pockets in your pond? If you have and have filled them with aquatic soil, you would probably get away with sticking in a few plants that should survive even now, although I accept availability may be a prob. This might have the added advantage of inceasing your chances of getting spawn in Feb next year. You are right though, patience is the watchword, but "everything comes to him/her (pc) who waits" - the almost daily arrival of new bugs and creatures in a new pond in spring is fantastic (Perhaps you should hibernate so the time passes quickly!!

)
M

JenBee · #14 (**permalink**) 10-10-2009, 06:34 PM

Well we have put some subsoil in the very bottom, where we will be planting the deep water plants in the spring, but apart from that it's just the usual shelves and slopes. I was undecided whether it would be best to make planting pockets with smooth stones and fill them with the aquatic compost which is biding its time in the garage, or to plant in baskets. I think I will probably opt for the stones as it's more natural, unless you know of any advantage to the baskets. No snails yet - DH thought I had gone mad when he saw me down on my knees gazing into the depths of the pond!

I bought some water crowfoot and elodea crispa but they are still sitting in a bowl of water - not sure if they are worth planting now?

We seem to have been working on it for ages, made a little rockery on one side of the pond for the creatures to hide in, used the soil from the hole to make a raised shady bed in a corner of the garden under trees where nothing seems to grow because its all dry rooty soil - lots of hard work but still not a finished pool!

Even more reason to look forward to spring this year!

Malcolm Banks · #15 (**permalink**) 12-10-2009, 12:44 AM

Perhaps it's patience or a spot of aestivation for you then JenBee.

At least the rest of your habitat is up and running and should make for a diverse collection of visitors when you add the pond plants in the spring.
M

joey747 · #16 (**permalink**) 05-04-2010, 08:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by -kev

Thanks for the comments guys, they've been useful.
I finally sorted out a photo.

Top left area is grass, where I plan to sit. Bit messy atm because I had to dig all the turf up and raise it a few inches (bye bye surplus soil!), to get a nice slope down to the water. I plan to leave a couple of square metres uncut.

The eagle eyed may spot the laburnum - d'oh! Just read the new thread on those...finally had the excuse to rip it out, it wasn't doing at all well anyway.

Around the right side I'm edging with some stones, the tops match the surrounding ground's level and will hopefully contain the soil as I've mortared along the back of them.

Hornwort/starwort/milfoil are in, currently in baskets in the deep section. Couldn't resist getting a few other plants such as the frogbit. The irises are yellow ones salvaged from the old pond and repotted (they took up over half the area of the old one!) Btw, does frogbit take root, or otherwise need anchoring in position?

Baby and adult frogs have been checking it out already. Some beautiful dragonflies have had a buzz round. A pond skater appeared this morning to my surprise - are they likely be permanent residents of a smallish pond like this?
Also, bizarrely, a single wasp has been coming back repeatedly ever since I started filling with water. It turns up every 5 minutes or so, goes to the exact same spot on the edge, appears to be drinking, then flies off again...what is that about?

cheers,
kev.

are those granite sets/blocks your using? ohh it looks great btw id completely fill it full of native plants though, you should get newts with a pond like that with a few more plants :P