Pond Liner

[martin_25]

Ok, I need some help choosing a pond liner and other pond features. Well a month or so ago I began digging a pond in the garden (I've tried for ages to try and put a photo up of it, but no success...apparently the poto exceeds the size limit.)

After digging through over a foot of hidden rubble and other rubbish that the previous owner had left (thanks!), I have finally managed to dig sufficiently deep enough for any fish to survive.

Anyway, my questions are...

1) Is a butyl liner better than pvc?

2) The garden is quite low-lying and sometimes holds water after heavy rain, would it be advisable to build up the sides with hardcore then top-soil?

3) The area around the pond is pretty much still surrounded by all the rubble and pebbles, but I want to really give the pond and surrounding area a natural look, and introduce a bit of wildlife diversity into the garden...any ideas on that front?

4) And finally, i'm not too great on plants knowledge, so what would be the best plants for in and around the pond?

Sorry there's quite a few questions there, and I will try and get a photo posted as soon as I can work it out!!

Thanks,

Martin

[Kayleigh]

Hi martin..You need to resize your pics on the pc before you upload.

On the pond front, A butyl liner is more expensive but has a life time or 25 yr guarantee and is more flexible.
I have never used a pvc.

You will need to build up the sides as when the water is in it seeps into the folds and escapes. But make sure you protect the liner from stones. I put house bricks under the edge then covered them with a layer of sand then the underlay then the liner on top of that..
I then laid turf all around to cover the liner. It gives a natural look.

Draw out your design on paper so you know in your head what you want it to look like and plan it.

I copied Allan Titchmarsh's design though mine was on a minuscule scale.

BBC - Gardening - How to be a Gardener - Revisited - Programme 4

The plants will come later. As I will try to fins some previous threads..

Hope this is enough to be getting on with.

[Gill Catton]

for pond plants I strongly recommend contacting your local wildife trust to see if they are doing any local pond or canal vegetation clearance, you may be able to take some of the removed plants which will then be of local provenance (hopefully - so long as its a well established water body) and will hold lots of good micro-organisms and invertebrates which will kick start your pond off really well.

Consider the fish aspect carefully as they can reproduce very successfully and eat an awful lot of the invertebrates and amphibian eggs or young. We're surveying a pond at the moment that must have hundreds of stickleback in it and the number of invertebrates we are finding doesn't compare to fish free ponds and we've yet to find any amphibians at all. If you definately want fish, think about creating a shallow vegetation choked area that allows refuge for animals the fish might eat.

[martin_25]

Thanks Kayleigh and Gill for your replies....believe me i'm taking note of everything your saying as i'm a little out of my depth at the moment!!!

As for the photo of the pond (well, the hole in the ground!) still can't get it uploaded as it is too large!


Thanks,

martin

[Kayleigh]

Originally Posted by martin_25

Thanks Kayleigh and Gill for your replies....believe me i'm taking note of everything your saying as i'm a little out of my depth at the moment!!!

As for the photo of the pond (well, the hole in the ground!) still can't get it uploaded as it is too large!


Thanks,

martin

I down load my pics from my camera into "my pictures" on the computer. There is a tool bar at the top I can I resize my images before I upload to the Gallery/archive..
Can you do this Martin? Not sure what others do to resize theirs.

[witham]

I do mine that way Kayleigh, when I first picked a few of my pictures to put on a few weeks ago, they were all too big and I spent ages faffing about and then took some advice given on here, I go in My Pictures, click on the picture you want to resize to open up Photo Suite, click on image, go down the left hand side and pick the size you want and hey presto, at least I think that's how I do it yep that's it
Also if anyone has some old carpet or similar it makes a good cheap underliner for your pond, that's what we used and its still going strong over 20 yrs later, another problem you might find as we do is that living in a low area when the water table is high the lining can sometimes lift up where it's not weighted down by plants etc

[Perry Grin]

I have recently dug a pond with a surrounding bog garden. I have been given a fair bit of planting advice in another thread - see here.

Good luck, and have fun

Perry

[martin_25]

Right well I have the photo of the garden in my Gallery now, yet I still don't know how to add it into a message!!!

Martin

[Kayleigh]

Originally Posted by martin_25

Right well I have the photo of the garden in my Gallery now, yet I still don't know how to add it into a message!!!

Martin

Hi Martin, I have PMd you..

[martin_25]

Hope this works!!