need some advice re pond + wildlife corner

[wornoutmumoftwo]

Hello,

I have gone ever so green and decided to put a small pond in a small area of the garden that I plan to be our wildlife area.

It is only a small patch about 3x3 meters, the pond is taking up two thirds of this space.

I have just dug it and it is a quarter filled with water (from water butt), deepest point is about 2 foot, the rest is quite shallow with ledges.

I would love to get frogs into my garden (to eat the slugs as I'm unable to kill anything and they eat my veg), I would also like birds to bathe/drink - though I am considering getting a separate bird bath.

I have no desire to have fish in the pond, and understand that I would be better off without a pump of any form.

I just need ideas of what plants to put in the pond - the internet is great for information but there's too much - I'm confused,

Also I have one of those fences where it is sticks attached by wires, great for our passing hedgehog but unsightly, I don't want to replace it but would like to plant something to cover it that is also wildlife friendly.

It is pretty much a blank canvas but in a very small garden, also I have children (5&6) - I put in a very small pond last year made from their old paddling pool and after the novelty wore off they weren't interested in it, although I think I need wire or something over the top as this one is deep in the middle but I also don't want to trap any frogs etc etc

Thank you in advance for any help you can give me and I will try and get a picture on here.

[wornoutmumoftwo]

Here is the photo;

[Tursiops2]

Hallo wornoutmumoftwo (such an evocative username , you have my sympathies), welcome to the forum. I'm sure we can help

[quote=wornoutmumoftwo;432377]

I have gone ever so green and decided to put a small pond in a small area of the garden that I plan to be our wildlife area.
It is only a small patch about 3x3 meters, the pond is taking up two thirds of this space.
I have just dug it and it is a quarter filled with water (from water butt), deepest point is about 2 foot, the rest is quite shallow with ledges.[quote]

Thanks for putting the pic of your pond up; it's quite small, but certainly has potential.

[quote=wornoutmumoftwo;432377]

I just need ideas of what plants to put in the pond - the internet is great for information but there's too much - I'm confused,[quote]

The absolute minimum requirement is for submerged plants which will oxygenate the water. It's important that you use native species - many of the exotic species sold as oxygenators by garden centres are extremely invasive and will rapidly take over your pond and can cause serious ecological problems if they escape into the wild.

Suitable species include:
Water Milfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum),
Curled pondweed (Potamogeton crispus),
Water Starwort (Callitriche stagnalis).
There are others.

It is also a good idea to include emergent and marginal species, and this is where it gets a bit more complicated. I see from the photo that the eges of the pond are quite shallow, particularly on the left hand side. This is good, as it means you can include these plants quite easily, but you'll need to do a bit of preparation first.

You need to sort out a low-nutrient planting substrate ("substrate" means, literally, "bottom layer"). This could be subsoil from your excavation, clean sand, or pea-shingle; definitely not topsoil or compost. Place a quantity of this round the edges, particularly on the left, so that some of it will be below the water level and some above; basically, creating a shallow gradient from deep water to the edge. Once you've got this done, and the pond is filled, you can plant into it. April is a good time for planting.

Suitable species include:
Marsh marigold (Caltha palustris)
Greater spearwort (Ranunculus lingua)
Brooklime (Veronica beccabunga)
Water mint (Mentha aquatica)
Again, there are others.

There are plenty of online suppliers.


[quote=wornoutmumoftwo;432377]
Also I have one of those fences where it is sticks attached by wires, great for our passing hedgehog but unsightly, I don't want to replace it but would like to plant something to cover it that is also wildlife friendly.
[quote]

If you're referring to the fence in the background of your pic, the proper term is "palisade" or "picket" fence. Personally, I think they can be quite attractive, but there's certainly no harm in growing a few climbers up it. I'd suggest native Honeysuckle (Lonicera periclymenum) and perhaps a Clematis (Clematis montana is a reliable plant with a long flowering season). These will take a year or two to grow, so if you want something quick for colour this year, consider Sweet Peas and Morning Glories.

[quote=wornoutmumoftwo;432377]
It is pretty much a blank canvas but in a very small garden, also I have children (5&6) - I put in a very small pond last year made from their old paddling pool and after the novelty wore off they weren't interested in it, although I think I need wire or something over the top as this one is deep in the middle but I also don't want to trap any frogs etc etc
[quote]

You can get safety mesh to put over ponds, but it's expensive. Personally, I wouldn't worry too much, I think your kids are old enough to learn pond safety rules.

Any more questions, just fire away
T2

[dampflippers]

At all costs, please avoid invasive alien species. These cause big problems by growing very fast and have ruined many wild water courses and ponds.

1 Azolla or fairy moss. It looks like frilly duckweed, but will soon grow out of control and starve underwater plants of light. It can be netted out but never got rid of completely.
2. Australian swamp stonecrop/ Crassul helmsii/ Newzealand Pygmyweed. Looks nice and green with fleshy stems. But will grow out of control and start growing out of the pond. Will grow from a single node. I know of several wild pond near me where this is a problem.
3. Marsh pennywort. This has old half penny sized leaves with have the stem in the middle, and the edges are a bit frilly. Again, grows out of control.
4. Myriophyllum aquaticum/ Parrots feather. Again, very pretty with feathery leaves that come out of the water. But invasive.

This is a good link to pictures of them: http://www.plantlife.org.uk/uk/asset...tland-2006.pdf
and this: http://www.wildlifetrusts.org/files/...ster_final.pdf