Renovating and extending my wildlife pond
Discussion
otolith said:
The trick to building streams and waterfalls is to line a much larger area than the actual watercourse, and then build your stream inside it, hiding all of the liner in the process.
Indeed, which makes it very impressive that there's such wonderful planting very close to that waterfall, including some quite large shrubs.They had someone build it about 30 years ago - and we can't remember the details, and I had zero interest at the age of 20! We think it was a liner, then built up on top of that with stone/cement. It has never leaked so must have been a good job done.
The water is pumped up to the top and there are series of small pools on the way down. On a timer, so it runs for about 4 hours a day intermittently.
It is fascinating and I can spend far too long looking at it and all the various wildlife that uses it. Frog spawn, fish, dragon flies, deer coming for a drink at night - even a lovely grass snake basking on the lilies in the summer. I want the same at my place - and need to start now, so that I can enjoy it when I'm retired in 20 years time!
It is likely that my parents will sell up in the next year or two and "my" pond will go with it so I need my own!
The water is pumped up to the top and there are series of small pools on the way down. On a timer, so it runs for about 4 hours a day intermittently.
It is fascinating and I can spend far too long looking at it and all the various wildlife that uses it. Frog spawn, fish, dragon flies, deer coming for a drink at night - even a lovely grass snake basking on the lilies in the summer. I want the same at my place - and need to start now, so that I can enjoy it when I'm retired in 20 years time!
It is likely that my parents will sell up in the next year or two and "my" pond will go with it so I need my own!
A bit more progress today; I did the “fingering” of the liner edge.
My idea with this is that the “fingers” will tuck underneath the edging bricks (three of which you can see in the picture). The fingers will be embedded in the mortar, and the mortar will be in contact with both the fingers and the earth, hopefully securing the bricks to the ground and securing the liner. That’s the theory.
I’ve been careful to ensure that all my scissor cuts have rounded corners, avoiding any notches that would create a tearing point (imagine the notch in the top edge of a bag of peanuts, with the words “tear here”). Butyl is very difficult to tear except if there’s a sharp cut in the edge, in which case it tears very easily.
I did the same thing with Pond v1.0, only there the fingers were tucked under the lawn turf, allowing the grass roots to grow down between the fingers.
My idea with this is that the “fingers” will tuck underneath the edging bricks (three of which you can see in the picture). The fingers will be embedded in the mortar, and the mortar will be in contact with both the fingers and the earth, hopefully securing the bricks to the ground and securing the liner. That’s the theory.
I’ve been careful to ensure that all my scissor cuts have rounded corners, avoiding any notches that would create a tearing point (imagine the notch in the top edge of a bag of peanuts, with the words “tear here”). Butyl is very difficult to tear except if there’s a sharp cut in the edge, in which case it tears very easily.
I did the same thing with Pond v1.0, only there the fingers were tucked under the lawn turf, allowing the grass roots to grow down between the fingers.
Edited by Dr Mike Oxgreen on Tuesday 3rd October 16:08
It has felt like slow progress the last couple of days.
I decided I should apply silicone to the folded pleats where they cross the ridge between the water and the bricks to keep them flatter, and I have also been laboriously siliconing a row of pebbles to the water’s edge. All this silicone work has necessitated periodic delays while I wait for it to set sufficiently for the next step.
Today I have lifted the edge of the liner and packed a bit of extra mortar under the liner close to the water’s edge, because there were some low spots. And of course it’s the low spots that determine the depth of the entire pond. I’m still half way through this.
But I have at last started laying the brick edging. I had a slight panic when I realised how deep the channel was, and how much mortar I’d need to mix (by hand). I could see myself mixing mortar for the rest of my life. But then I had an idea - having massively over-bought on the decorative stones (and having opened all the bags to wash the stones so I can’t take them back), I realised I could put a layer of them in the bottom of the channel to take up some of the depth.
So now, there’s a layer of stones, then a thin layer of mortar with the butyl “fingers” laid on top, then a further bed of mortar with the bricks on top. I’ve done about a third of the circumference so far.
Tomorrow, I need to finish packing extra mortar under the liner, and do the remaining two-thirds of the bricks.
I decided I should apply silicone to the folded pleats where they cross the ridge between the water and the bricks to keep them flatter, and I have also been laboriously siliconing a row of pebbles to the water’s edge. All this silicone work has necessitated periodic delays while I wait for it to set sufficiently for the next step.
Today I have lifted the edge of the liner and packed a bit of extra mortar under the liner close to the water’s edge, because there were some low spots. And of course it’s the low spots that determine the depth of the entire pond. I’m still half way through this.
But I have at last started laying the brick edging. I had a slight panic when I realised how deep the channel was, and how much mortar I’d need to mix (by hand). I could see myself mixing mortar for the rest of my life. But then I had an idea - having massively over-bought on the decorative stones (and having opened all the bags to wash the stones so I can’t take them back), I realised I could put a layer of them in the bottom of the channel to take up some of the depth.
So now, there’s a layer of stones, then a thin layer of mortar with the butyl “fingers” laid on top, then a further bed of mortar with the bricks on top. I’ve done about a third of the circumference so far.
Tomorrow, I need to finish packing extra mortar under the liner, and do the remaining two-thirds of the bricks.
Isn’t mortar a weird substance?!
Today I noticed that if you agitate it slightly by tapping the edge of your pointing trowel on it, it suddenly becomes much more liquid, which can be useful when you’re trying to encourage it into a narrow gap. And then it goes back to its semi-solid state a few moments later.
Does anyone know the science behind this? Is it one of those non-Newtonian fluids?
Today I noticed that if you agitate it slightly by tapping the edge of your pointing trowel on it, it suddenly becomes much more liquid, which can be useful when you’re trying to encourage it into a narrow gap. And then it goes back to its semi-solid state a few moments later.
Does anyone know the science behind this? Is it one of those non-Newtonian fluids?
You’ll be relieved to hear that the construction is more or less complete.
I’ve laid all the paving blocks around the edge, and thrown decorative stones over the butyl “ridge” between the water and the bricks. Before doing that, I decided it would be a good idea to spread a thin layer of mortar and throw the stones on top of that, in the hope that some of the stones will stick and reduce movement of the stones on top. But before that, I painted the exposed liner with PVA to help the mortar stick to the butyl, and I also added some PVA to that mortar to give it some water resistance.
There’s just one more little job to do: I need to go around the edge and pack some sharp sand into the gaps between the paving blocks. Maybe tomorrow.
I’m quite pleased with it. My idea of siliconing pebbles to the water’s edge seems to be working, for now at least - it keeps the decorative stones from falling into the pond. Don’t know how well it will last, though.
Once the mortar has had at least a few days to set, I can raise the water level another inch or so.
(Cat in background for scale!)
Edited to add: I might be tempted to let the grass grow unchecked between the pond and the bed behind it, to provide cover for insects and amphibians transiting to and from the water.
I’ve laid all the paving blocks around the edge, and thrown decorative stones over the butyl “ridge” between the water and the bricks. Before doing that, I decided it would be a good idea to spread a thin layer of mortar and throw the stones on top of that, in the hope that some of the stones will stick and reduce movement of the stones on top. But before that, I painted the exposed liner with PVA to help the mortar stick to the butyl, and I also added some PVA to that mortar to give it some water resistance.
There’s just one more little job to do: I need to go around the edge and pack some sharp sand into the gaps between the paving blocks. Maybe tomorrow.
I’m quite pleased with it. My idea of siliconing pebbles to the water’s edge seems to be working, for now at least - it keeps the decorative stones from falling into the pond. Don’t know how well it will last, though.
Once the mortar has had at least a few days to set, I can raise the water level another inch or so.
(Cat in background for scale!)
Edited to add: I might be tempted to let the grass grow unchecked between the pond and the bed behind it, to provide cover for insects and amphibians transiting to and from the water.
Edited by Dr Mike Oxgreen on Saturday 7th October 17:11
otolith said:
Good result, I think. Pleased with it? Will look great once you have some plants established to soften everything.
Yeah, it’s what I had in mind.Definitely needs softening with lots of plants. I’ve got more Pontederia lanceolata saved from the old pond that seems to have survived, one of which is already in the deep section, and I’m starting to order more plants.
And I do think it needs a link to the rest of the garden. Some long grass going towards the bed in the background will help.
The influx of wildlife has started, albeit on a small scale.
Today I saw a water beetle of some sort, which came to the surface (presumably to gulp air) and dived back down.
And there was a dragonfly flitting low over the water surface, making characteristic dipping movements with its tail into the water: a female laying her eggs!
I’ve picked the best bits of Pontederia lanceolata from the old pond that have been sitting in pots for the last month or two, and I’ve planted them into proper pond soil and baskets. Despite being out of water completely for quite a while, they look absolutely fine.
Today I saw a water beetle of some sort, which came to the surface (presumably to gulp air) and dived back down.
And there was a dragonfly flitting low over the water surface, making characteristic dipping movements with its tail into the water: a female laying her eggs!
I’ve picked the best bits of Pontederia lanceolata from the old pond that have been sitting in pots for the last month or two, and I’ve planted them into proper pond soil and baskets. Despite being out of water completely for quite a while, they look absolutely fine.
I’ve been busy planting plants!
So far I’ve got:
Overall, here’s what it’s looking like. The seed trays on the right are full of purple loosestrife seedlings in case the old plants don’t recover:
Undoubtedly the star performer so far is the Myriophyllum brasiliensis:
So far I’ve got:
- Eliocharis acicularis (hairgrass)
- Anagallis tenella (bog pimpernel)
- Typha minima
- Typha shuttleworthii *
- Pontederia lanceolata (giant pickerel) *
- Caltha palustris (marsh marigold)
- Ludwigia palustris (water purslane)
- Myosotis palustris (water forget-me-not)
- Ceratophyllum demersum (hornwort)
- Myriophyllum brasiliensis
- Lythrum salicaria (purple loosestrife) *
- Calla palustris (bog arum)
Overall, here’s what it’s looking like. The seed trays on the right are full of purple loosestrife seedlings in case the old plants don’t recover:
Undoubtedly the star performer so far is the Myriophyllum brasiliensis:
Edited by Dr Mike Oxgreen on Sunday 22 October 17:34
How's the pond looking now that we are well into spring OP?
It's been 10 years since you made your first wildlife pond thread and I decided I wanted to build one too.
I didn't have a suitable place for a pond until I moved house a couple of years ago. I started digging last weekend
I really wanted to keep grass edging for the natural look. Does it invade from the edge? Can I just pull it out periodically?
It's been 10 years since you made your first wildlife pond thread and I decided I wanted to build one too.
I didn't have a suitable place for a pond until I moved house a couple of years ago. I started digging last weekend
Dr Mike Oxgreen said:
- Having the lawn come right up to the edge was also a bad idea. I hadn’t reckoned on how invasive the lawn grass would be, and it started to invade the pond. I couldn’t believe how well the grass grew as an aquatic plant!
Dr Mike Oxgreen said:
Isn’t mortar a weird substance?!
Today I noticed that if you agitate it slightly by tapping the edge of your pointing trowel on it, it suddenly becomes much more liquid, which can be useful when you’re trying to encourage it into a narrow gap. And then it goes back to its semi-solid state a few moments later.
Does anyone know the science behind this? Is it one of those non-Newtonian fluids?
More or less; this effect is exploited by concrete workers to ensure consistent concrete using vibrating pokers to remove trapped air and consolidate, although overuse can cause segregation and weaken the resultant concrete.Today I noticed that if you agitate it slightly by tapping the edge of your pointing trowel on it, it suddenly becomes much more liquid, which can be useful when you’re trying to encourage it into a narrow gap. And then it goes back to its semi-solid state a few moments later.
Does anyone know the science behind this? Is it one of those non-Newtonian fluids?
AlexC1981 said:
How's the pond looking now that we are well into spring OP?
It’s not looking bad, and I’ve made further changes.Some of the plants I saved from Pond v1.0 have survived - most notably the Typha shuttleworthii which is growing well. The Pontederia lanceolata looks to be alive, although it seems slow out of the starting blocks in terms of growth. Sadly I don’t think any of the purple loosestrife has made it, but I’m still trying to grow some more from seed.
Of the new plants, many have done quite well. The water forget-me-not and marsh marigolds, both reliable plants, are doing well - and I’ve got more of those arriving today. The bog arums are coming up fast. Sadly the Myriophyllum brasiliensis, which romped away initially, hasn’t survived the winter terribly well - it’s still alive though, so I’ll give it a chance. I also bought a bag of water cress from Sainsbury’s and have rooted some of it in the gravel in the shallow section; it survived the winter but hasn’t really taken off yet - might buy another bag.
No frogspawn at all, but to be honest it wouldn’t have lasted five minutes - it would have been devoured by the newts, of which there are a ridiculous number. Smooth newts I think, and I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s well over a hundred in there. They are very active, males in their fancy breeding colours and females fat with eggs.
I alluded to letting the grass grow long to provide a link-up to a nearby bed to provide cover for creatures going to and from the pond, but I’ve gone further than that. I decided the pond visually looked a bit isolated, so I’ve extended that bed and wrapped it along the rear edge of the pond. I’ve planted more of the same variety of Spiraea, plus some Pulmonaria.
Here’s what it’s looking like:
AlexC1981 said:
I started digging last weekend
Awesome! Keep taking pictures as you go. I found it quite motivating to be able to look back at where I was a week or two ago, and see the progress I was making. And I’m sure we’d love to see your progress too!AlexC1981 said:
I really wanted to keep grass edging for the natural look. Does it invade from the edge? Can I just pull it out periodically?
Perhaps I overstated it, saying that it’s a “bad idea”. But if you take the lawn right up to the edge you will need to keep it under control, otherwise the grass will invade the pond. Also, the grass roots will dip into the water, and a surprising amount of pond water will wick out. So be prepared to keep the lawn edge carefully managed.Edited by Dr Mike Oxgreen on Wednesday 3rd April 11:01
Thanks for the update. The new flower bed was a good idea. Looks better and good for wildlife too. I love that you have newts! I haven't seen a newt for years, I'd be delighted to have them in the garden.
There's not much to see of mine yet. I spent two days over the last weekend doing other work in the garden that I wanted to do before starting on the pond. I'm going to turn one area into a mini Mediterranean style rockery built up using material from the pond excavation.
Before I dig further I need to clear some larger plants, including one of those pesky ornamental grasses from the side of the garden where the pond will be. I'll need to research what to replace them with that does not have long penetrating roots/rhizomes.
I've bought underlay and liner, however I am going to return the liner I bought because it is PVC, and get an EPDM one instead.
I'm not 100% sure about the grass border. It looks nice when it overhangs into the pond and covers the liner completely. I suppose if it is a pain, I could put down some pavers at a later date. I'm going to get a water butt fitted up so I can top up the pond with rain water, which should help with the wicking problem.
Do you still have the pump fitted up to make a nice water trickling/bubbling sound? Is it a faff to keep it unblocked?
There's not much to see of mine yet. I spent two days over the last weekend doing other work in the garden that I wanted to do before starting on the pond. I'm going to turn one area into a mini Mediterranean style rockery built up using material from the pond excavation.
Before I dig further I need to clear some larger plants, including one of those pesky ornamental grasses from the side of the garden where the pond will be. I'll need to research what to replace them with that does not have long penetrating roots/rhizomes.
I've bought underlay and liner, however I am going to return the liner I bought because it is PVC, and get an EPDM one instead.
I'm not 100% sure about the grass border. It looks nice when it overhangs into the pond and covers the liner completely. I suppose if it is a pain, I could put down some pavers at a later date. I'm going to get a water butt fitted up so I can top up the pond with rain water, which should help with the wicking problem.
Do you still have the pump fitted up to make a nice water trickling/bubbling sound? Is it a faff to keep it unblocked?
Edited by AlexC1981 on Wednesday 3rd April 22:15
AlexC1981 said:
I love that you have newts! I haven't seen a newt for years, I'd be delighted to have them in the garden.
I love them too! They’re way cooler than frogs. There’s a good chance that you do have newts in your garden, especially if you have “untidy” corners with lots of places to hide. They’re very elusive. And of course they spend at least two-thirds of the year out of the water - they’ll start leaving the water by about May/June time. I’ve read that they prefer deeper water - and they certainly seem to like the security of being able to dart away from the shallow edges into deep water when they see you coming. But if you stand still they’ll come back very quickly.AlexC1981 said:
Do you still have the pump fitted up to make a nice water trickling/bubbling sound? Is it a faff to keep it unblocked?
I do, but it’s not very powerful. Really just a trickle of circulation with the outflow in the shallow section to keep the water fresh. I have had to strip it down just once, which isn’t bad considering it’s been running since October. I was distressed to find a dead newt with its tail caught in one of the slots of the plastic cage that the motor is mounted in, so I’ve put it inside a filter bag to prevent that happening again.I might consider getting a beefier transformer so I can run a second identical pump using the same cable that runs from the greenhouse to the pond. The pump I’m using is 24V AC because I couldn’t be bothered to bury the cabling deep enough to make it safe to run a mains voltage pump.
Gassing Station | Homes, Gardens and DIY | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff