Encouraging Wildlife: Build Your Own Wildlife Pond
Wildlife needs us to create more ponds, so where better than in your own garden where you will have a ring-side seat to observe all the goings-on, writes Helen Taylor.
On my journey to London the other day I looked down upon garden after garden but only saw one pond in the whole 40-minute journey. It made me realize just how far some poor creatures have to travel to get to a decent amount of accessible water that they can drink, bathe in, play in and for some live in and reproduce in. Water is the most important thing to any living creature. All it takes is a friendly gardener to spend a weekend digging a sympathetically shaped hole in their garden and filling it with water.
Frogs will quickly make use of your wildlife poind
A wildlife pond is good for us humans too. All gardeners seem to be at war with the dreaded slug but many do not realize that lurking in their neighbourhood are hundreds of slug-gobbling amphibians just waiting for a suitable pond to set up home in and a garden full of their favourite sluggy suppers.
Also what better way to unwind after a hard day at work or to escape the nagging wife/husband/kids than by whiling away time watching incredible creatures such as iridescent damsel and dragonflies, basking frogs, newts, bathing birds, thirsty mammals and if you’re lucky, at dusk, even bats swooping down to grab a mosquito supper.
So hopefully you’ve been persuaded to give up a bit of time, energy and space in your garden to build your own wildlife pond. Here’s how:
Your first consideration is where to put your pond.
- Choose a part of the garden that is quiet and undisturbed so that the wildlife feel safe
- Avoid putting it under deciduous trees and bushes as you will fight a constant battle with leaves blowing into it, polluting the water.
- Avoid placing it in the sunniest spot in the garden as the sunlight promotes the growth of algae. Too much algae can kill the natural ecology of the pond.
- Avoid constant shade as the pond will be cold and plants and pond animals will not thrive.
- If you have young children make sure it is in an area that can easily be fenced off.
- If you plan to have a moving water feature (bear in mind frogs don’t particularly like moving water) you will need electricity.
- Be sure about your chosen site before you start digging. Don’t do as I did; get your son to dig a big hole then change your mind and make him fill it in and dig another big hole somewhere else!
Beauties and beasts alike will flock to your wildlife pond
Size and Shape
- Your pond must have gradual shallow sloping sides so that pond dwellers can get in and out easily, birds can bathe and any non-swimming animal can escape if it falls in.
- It must have a deep area where hibernating creatures can sleep. The minimum depth required is 18” but the deeper the better. I wouldn’t go less than 24”. If your neighbour has a deeper pond than yours you will find that your slug gobblers will favour his pond, probably because the deeper pond will have better water quality and also be warmer in winter and cooler in summer.
- But before you decide to convert half your garden into a lake consider that the larger you make your pond the more pond liner will be required and consequently more money required to pay for it.
Wildife Pond Construction
What you will need:
- A pond liner of appropriate size. It is important to get this right and the easiest is to find an on-line calculator e.g. at http://www.blagdonwatergardens.co.uk. Don’t forget to include the gently sloping edges in your measurements. Liners come in different quality and price. Some stockists, including Argos, do starter packs. Another popular company with on line shopping is http://www.bradshawsdirect.co.uk.
- Some old carpet or sand to put between the ground and liner to protect it from stones
- Someone able and willing with spade and fork and a happy disposition to dig a big hole.
- A few big stones /logs to hold the line in place.
- A long plank of straight wood and a spirit level.
- A spade and fork.
At last time for action:
- Mark out your pond with a rope or hose-pipe
- Remove the turf and start digging the sloping sides. Incorporate some shelves about 12” down, making them about 12” wide (this is where you will put your baskets of marginals.
- Gradually dig down to your deepest area.
- Remove anything sharp that could damage the liner.
- Now make sure that all the edges are level by putting your plank of wood from one side of the pond to the other and checking it with the spirit level. Do this in several places.
- Line the hole with a 1” layer of sand or some old carpet or both if you live in a stony area.
- Carefully lie out the liner and put stones around the edge to hold it in place.
- Start slowly filling it up with water, moving the stones as necessary to allow the liner to stretch into place.
- Now leave overnight or longer to let everything settle. Then check the edges are level again.
Completing the Edges:
- Small flat stones or round pebbles are best for the beached area with grass or plants at the waters edge. This gives animals some cover and makes them feel safer.
- Put a few loosely piled logs near by for amphibians to hide amongst.
Now leave it for about a week to allow the chlorine in the water to disperse.
Planting for the pond:
Always remember to only use aquatic soil when planting in your pond
Pond plants are a very important part of getting the eco system right and can make the difference between crystal clear water or an algae choked pond, wildlife or a mosquito crèche.
You need to use native plants to attract wildlife
- Only ever use aquatic soil.
- Before planning what plants you would like to use, see what is available from your local stockist as it is very frustrating if you decide on a particular plant and then find that nowhere local sells it.
- Plant in the growing season, late spring onwards.
You will need:
Oxygenating plants: These, quick growing, mostly submerged plants, use up waste nutrients thus depriving algae and so keeping the pond clean. They also provide cover for all the pond residents and a place for amphibians to lay their eggs. Either plant in aquatic baskets or tie clumps to stones and sink them to the bottom.
Shade-giving plants: These plants reduce the amount of sunlight reaching the water which drastically reduces algae’s ability to reproduce. The most effective shade givers are water lilies.
Marginals: These are the plants that grow at the edge of ponds on the shelves you made. There is a tremendous variety to suit all situations. Try to include different shapes and heights; frogs will hide amongst the lower growing foliage and dragonfly larvae will migrate up the storks of tall plants like rushes and irises when they are ready to pupate. There is nothing so wonderful than catching the moment when the beautiful dragonfly struggles out of its ugly beetle like larvae shell and flies away to a new life.
How to get your wildlife visitors
Your wildlife pond will become an important breeding ground in spring
Make the area around the pond hospitable to all sorts of wildlife with lots of grass and low shrubs corridors through which they can travel without feeling exposed.
Avoid gravel as small animals do not like it.
Take a bucketful of water from an already established pond as this will have lots of the minute organisms in it that will start the food chain.
Create habitats e.g. log piles nearby. Do not use slug pellets.
Some Important Points:
- Young children and water do not mix. NEVER take chances and leave a child unattended in your garden if you have a pond.
- Plan your pond well before starting to dig. Get as much information as possible from the internet, books and aquatic stores so you know exactly what you want as it is very difficult to change things once you have started.
- Do not put fish in your wildlife pond because they will eat the wildlife.
- Take time to understand and maintain the eco system of your pond otherwise it will just become smelly and stagnant.
- Take time to just sit and enjoy it.
“In sweet water there is a pleasure ungrudged by anyone.” Ovid, 13AD
