New Wildlife Pond Questions....

[Red Robin]

Hi folks,

I'll start off with a pic showing the location of the small pond I created in June (2010). I'll upload and add pics to illustrate my questions later.



I am fortunate in having a small river and corridor of mature trees only 50yds away. So my pond exclusively uses water from the river.

[Red Robin]

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Q1:

As seen in the photo, I have started to build an adjacent plant bed (2 of them) to my small wildlife pond. This is intended to provide additional shelter and attraction to various creatures and mini-beasts (cats will be shot on site!). It also has the benefit of giving the illusion that the pond is bigger in my grand landscape.



I am thinking of growing low-maintenance, present all year (is that a 'perennial'?), plants and need ideas of which plants. The ground is not boggy. A few of the smaller rocks edging the bigger righthand bed need replacing to form a more complete edging like the lefthand bed.

Should I dig and lay a man-made membrane and cover with gravel? Or just plant straight into the earth?

Thankyou for any replies

[tom00_uk]

shrubs would provide multi layers of interest, if you use deciduous species then ground cover of ivy or some other creeping evergreen will provide year round ground cover

take it you have an abstraction license to be using river water?

[Red Robin]

Thanks for the advice, Tom . A friend visited this morning and advised I lay down a membrane and cover with a good depth of stone chipping gravel.

He took me to a local nursery where they have scores of Alpines and many other suitable plants. I'm going to be busy working out a layout scheme.

Originally Posted by tom00_uk

take it you have an abstraction license to be using river water?

^^^^ LOL [where's the laughing out loud smilie?] Extraction license? You must be joking

Surely river water has got to be excellent for a garden wildlife pond. I also refresh my Sunflowers with river water. Bagged me a Water Beetle from the river too. He's still around after a few weeks so I guess must be happy.

[tom00_uk]

if instead of stone chippings you use bark then there will be a substrate that things can feed from that will then be feed on by higher predators like frogs and birds etc. it will need topping up every so often though because of this.

[Red Robin]

^^^^
Hmm, bark chippings sounds like a good idea. But, aesthetically I always think they look artificial inspite of the natural advantages you point out. Your suggestion makes very good sense.

Aesthetically, stone chippings are no less 'artificial' but they have a Japanese appeal for me and there is loads of long grass, bushes, trees, and cover for predators to feed in, all in close proximity.

Having an aesthetic consideration perhaps shouldn't be so important for a wildlife pond, but.

I will go and look at some bark chippings though and reconsider.

I have a good log pile too nearby:



Thanks