I love my garden

[birding dave]

I don't do gardening, as I live on the edge of a National Park, so I have a huge wild garden on my doorstep.

[shei111]

Originally Posted by bigwig

Hi It looks considerably better than when we started, but there is still lots to do and now the summer is almost over it will have to wait till next year. I have to say that had I had more money available I could have done more, but setting up the ponds cost quite alot and I didn't realise that plants were so expensive I wish now that that I had taken a before and after photo as the bit we have done is almost unrecognisable. I have plenty of ideas for next year, though. Might even be really adventurous and put in a larger pond with a waterfall effect.

Yes weve got a pond its been set up since may 07 so lovely, im going to keep that one and hubby is going to get a digger in and dig himself a bigger pond in the autumn, probaly 12X 15 or similiar, like you say everything is expensive but you do get hours of enjoyment watching it, if you went to the pub everynight and smoked that would mount up to a decent size pond pretty quick with nothing to show for it, well thats the way I look at things shei.

[bigwig]

Originally Posted by shei111

Yes weve got a pond its been set up since may 07 so lovely, im going to keep that one and hubby is going to get a digger in and dig himself a bigger pond in the autumn, probaly 12X 15 or similiar, like you say everything is expensive but you do get hours of enjoyment watching it, if you went to the pub everynight and smoked that would mount up to a decent size pond pretty quick with nothing to show for it, well thats the way I look at things shei.

Fortunately smoking and pubs are not amongst my vices , but you are indeed correct in what you say. I didn't know that you could set up a pond in autumn, thought it had to be done in Spring/ early summer ? I am a complete novice when it comes to pond keeping, so excuse me if I've said something silly I have been doing some research on internet though and this forum has given me some very good advice

I have 3 small ponds, 2 are for the snails and anything else that decides to move in and do not have fish. The 3rd we are going to add 2-3 small fish. Two of the ponds we have are the terraced kind ( the ones with a wooden surround ) and the 3rd is just a plastic tub sunk into what used to be a rockery. I wish now that I had not bought them as they are somewhat small, although they do look very ornamental and rustic in the garden. They have lights and fountains, so look very pretty at night. The snails certainly like them .

I realise now that I have made a few wrong choices along the way and with hindsight I could have done things differently and probably cheaper, but. like you say the ponds do give me a lot of pleasure. I love peering in every day to see what is going on - its like a little mini ecosystem .

[bigwig]

Originally Posted by goosey

Hi bigwig please don't despair with your garden it sound so full of potential. Having climbers cover your wall and fecing will also help soften the noise. You have hedgehogs which must be wonderful and the squirrels may become regulars once they discover your bird food. Also proper ponds, I hope you get your frogs. Your garden maybe noisy but, just be so proud of yourself of what you are attracting and plan all your planting so you have 12 months food supply for insects and birds. I have a tiny enclosed yard in town, on a main road under a Schiphol flight path with no possobility of frogs, squirrels or hedgehogs but I get a huge amount of pleasure from what I can attract which is amazing really be way of insects and birds I have 30+ sparrows in the pyracantha at his very moment.

Hi thnx for the encouragement. I think I am just impatient really ..... having come this far I have been thwarted by the weather and lack of money. The hedgehogs are not regular visitors, despite my putting out food for them. I wish they would come - they might eat all the huge, mutant slugs that have taken up residence I actually measured one the other day and it was just over 8 inches long

I guess we are very lucky in that the sparrows and starlings come every year to nest under the eaves. The one nest in above bathroom window, the other above our bedroom window, so we have lots of lovely bird sounds during nesting time. A couple of months ago I was lying in bed and suddenly got the feeling of being watched. I glanced out of the window and noticed the male sparrow hanging off the guttering and peering in. How sweet is that And, of course we get all the pleasure of the baby birds when they fledge.

[shei111]

Hello bigwig, I think most people would advise do the pond autumn thats when the garden and pondlife quieten down no breeding etc, plus we find you have more time to plan the way you want things and its done before everything starts growing again, we are all different another member would probaly say different, I have a buzzing wildlife pond with so much stuff going on in it we need another pond to put the fish in so ive decided I will look after the small wildlife one and hubby as the big one, we call it HIS n HERS . shei.

[bigwig]

Originally Posted by shei111

Hello bigwig, I think most people would advise do the pond autumn thats when the garden and pondlife quieten down no breeding etc, plus we find you have more time to plan the way you want things and its done before everything starts growing again, we are all different another member would probaly say different, I have a buzzing wildlife pond with so much stuff going on in it we need another pond to put the fish in so ive decided I will look after the small wildlife one and hubby as the big one, we call it HIS n HERS . shei.

Oh, right .... well, I did say that I am a novice , but now I've learnt something else about ponds .

I don't suppose you know how old snails have to be to reproduce, do you ? I have posted this in the water life forum, but no-one seems to know there. I ask because I've seen the baby snails, who are 8-9 weeks old and still very tiny, locked together. Surely they are too young to be mating ? I also see them hitching a ride on the adults backs quite alot, too. Maybe feeding off algae growth on the adults shells ?

Is your hubby going to be having a filter and pump in his new pond ? I have a pump in our soon to be fish pond, but no filter, so am just wondering how it will work out ? Been told that because of the small size of the pond a filter isn't that essential and provided the fish are not overfed and there are plenty of oxygenators everything will eventually find its own balance.

[shei111]

Sorry I know nought about snails, yes he will have filter and pump for pond, it should keep nice clean and clear, shei.