Ideas for a small pond in a raised bed

[robyn40]

I'm trying to improve a garden at a preschool. There is a raised bed which is around a metre from the ground. The bed is 3mx1m. It gets no sun and the soil is poor. I'd like to put a pond in but need ideas as I will be on a very tight budget! Thx.

[GCN lova]

hi

make sure frogs and newts will be able to climb up the bed and give it some shady areas and lay some logs or piles of stones around. you can get liners for about £40 pounds but premade liner (which is stronger) cost me £70! plant it well and dont add fish because they are predators of frog eggs newt eggs and their tadpoles. id say keep it about 30-50 cm deep and make sure it has shallow areas and beaches. try to keep the plants around it long because froglets and toadlets love this.

good luck

GCN lova

[robyn40]

Do u think i could use and old plastic tub, it's 40cm deep and 1.5x1m? It's strong cos it's for kids to play with. Can u suggest plants to put in to keep the water clean? Thx

[Deb London]

I know a colleague who's very canny with money. I'm fairly sure she made hers out of an old plastic tub for FREE (the plants were from me). Don't forget ramps as exits. Proper bricks and stones piled up. DO NOT USE CONCRETE.

Fill with rainwater if possible, depending on your area this can really help prevent blanket weed. If you use tap water then allow a few days before adding wildlife to allow the chemicals to be dissipated.

You might get your oxygenators from a friend/neighbour for nothing. Most people are pulling out the stuff by the handful when they weed. You will transfer some microorganisms and inverts that will establish the pond. If you go down this route, find a healthy pond to take from.

Hornwort, Water Soldier, Water Starwort (newts love this for their egg laying) are my main oxygenators. You will want to plant some emergent marginals in submerged tubs. I had some clay left over from the pond digging and used this for planting. Don't use topsoil or garden compost.

Don't plant the following:

https://secure.fera.defra.gov.uk/non...grow/index.cfm

Bung in a bucketful of pond water from a trusted source when the pond is ready.

You shouldn't empty a failed/no longer wanted pond into a "wild" pond or water course. You do have to be prepared to have things die, or think permanent.

The very best of luck.

[robyn40]

Thankyou that is really helpful, my parents have a pond so they will probably give me things for it. I'm looking forward to it, it's good to have a project! x

[AndrewA123]

I've recently created a small garden pond myself in part of a longer raised bed (room for expansion). My pond is approx 5.5'x2.5' and raided by approx 16".

The depth at the maximum point is approx 18", there is a shelving area and both ends slope to allow an escape route.

I had already seen both Frogs and Toads on the raised section prior to building the pond. Access being obtained through a small hole in one corner of the fence and a gentle sloping area to the other end of the raised bed.

I've opted for a liner as opposed to the rigid pre formed options, given the size I was looking for. I've planted it up with a variety of plants, and added a number of larger rocks and pebbles to allow plenty of hiding places, as well as increasing the options on exiting the pond.

The pond has been established for approx 4 weeks (3 when photo was taken) and I'm still tweaking some parts of the surrounding areas and plant/rock locations, however in that short time I've already a number of bugs in the pond, Damselflies visiting and now 2 Resident Frogs who have taken up home in the rocks around the edges.

The link below, (to a rather rushed and poor photo ) may help you with ideas.
Raised Garden Pond | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Regards,

Andrew

[robyn40]

That looks great , you've given me lots to think about, thx

[GCN lova]

How to make a wildlife pond is a helpful site. dont plant too much in there because newts like open water as well as a lush plant area. elodea crispula is a good oxygenator just make sure it doesnt begin to cover the whole place. try some irises as well because they attract bees and keep spreading quite quickly. you could try a water lily but they're not essentials.

[tom00_uk]

it wont be deep enough or have the needed surface area for a lilly,

if its not practical to build a means for amphibians to get up there then don't tailor the pond for them, aim it for invertebrates as they will have no issues getting there, By limiting the depth a small liner will got a long way and keep the costs down.

could you have a mailshot / talk with parents and find out how many have ponds and can donate plants further reducing the project costs and making them feel included