Plants around a pond ?

[Tursiops2]

Originally Posted by Ann Ewt

As you are being so helpful perhaps you might find the time answer these very basic questions? (I asked them in another posting but did not get a reply).

Thanks

Ann Ewt.

If you check that thread, you'll find that King Edward has answered your questions now. I can't add much to them, but I would say that water lilies are not a plant I'd recommend for wildlife ponds. They have some value, but they can take over a small pond quite quickly, and shade-out the submerged oxygenating plants which are essential for a healthy pond. If you do use them, don't allow them to cover more than 1/3 of the surface area and be prepared to thin them out from time to time.

Read through this thread: Building a new pond particularly the posts about re-using old tights as planting pockets, which might be applicable to your situation.

T2

[NYBraby]

On the fold issue I actually find that lots of wildlife (mainly Newts) hide and live in / under the folds and over time the folds become less visible.

Some of the other posts came across a little negative (I thought) but would also like to say what great project you are undertaking, from the before and after photos you have made excellent progress and already really improved the area.

[Dragonyka]

Originally Posted by Tursiops2

Read through this thread: Building a new pond particularly the posts about re-using old tights as planting pockets, which might be applicable to your situation.

T2

Reading through that whole thread's a bit of a mammoth effort now - maybe I'll collect all the useful bits together in one post and stick it at the end of the thread for anyone who doesn't have the time to read the whole lot. It'll probably be useful for me too, I'm sure there are ideas that I've missed and still haven't used even though my pond's in the ground and alive now.

Term ends this Friday, so I'll have a bit of time available to do it next week.

[Ann Ewt]

Hello,

Once again, thank you to every one for their advice, especially Tursiops2.
We did remove the excess underlay and tuck the liner into a trench; we did cover the exposed liner with turf( which we will let grow long); and we planted with some of the suggested type of foliage.

There are a lot of pond plants in now, waiting to bloom; It's only April but newts , frogspawn, tadpoles, frogs, lots of surface insects are all present.

Kind Regards

Ann Ewt.

[Red Robin]

Originally Posted by Tursiops2

No trouble at all. I love ponds, and designing ponds, but I have no garden and no pond of my own so I live vicariously through the ponds of others

The key to a good wildlife pond is getting plenty of plants in the pond (download this factsheet from Natural England NE27 - Garden ponds and boggy areas: havens for wildlife) .

....I really do hope that one day you get to have your own pond, T2 You deserve one!

That 14-page 'factsheet' you linked is excellent - Thanks

[Tursiops2]

Originally Posted by Ann Ewt

Hello,

Once again, thank you to every one for their advice, especially Tursiops2.
We did remove the excess underlay and tuck the liner into a trench; we did cover the exposed liner with turf( which we will let grow long); and we planted with some of the suggested type of foliage.

There are a lot of pond plants in now, waiting to bloom; It's only April but newts , frogspawn, tadpoles, frogs, lots of surface insects are all present.

Kind Regards

Ann Ewt.

That's a really nice job you've done there
Glad to know the hard work is already paying off.

T2

[Cowgirl]

Lookin' good Ann, well done, it looks superb



My only comment would be if the turf is directly on top of the liner with no layer of soil underneath (admittedly cant really see photo, need new specs ) it may dry out too quickly, the edges of the turf are better touching the surface of the water so that the grass will keep nice & green.