Discussion
I need a new project over the coming weeks. My son wants a small wildlife pond dug into the garden, to be honest I’ve always fancied one as we have newts and frogs already in the garden. We are thinking 2m x 2m.
Should I bother, is it a lot of hassle to maintain, do people just fill them in after 1 year?
Should I bother, is it a lot of hassle to maintain, do people just fill them in after 1 year?
Do it. Have a deep end and step it it from one side to the other. Small collection of good plants and let wildlife take hold. Bit of maintenance in autumn and you're sorted. Maybe nab some frog spawn...
Greg_D said:
Just don’t.
Unless you have a fresh supply of water to tap into or are prepared to have filtration, you will just wind up with a muddy, stinky puddle in your garden.
OP did say wildlife pond, not ornamental.Unless you have a fresh supply of water to tap into or are prepared to have filtration, you will just wind up with a muddy, stinky puddle in your garden.
My wife wanted a pond in our first house but we didn't have the space.
As soon as we moved (1996) I dug a pond and almost immediately we had newts moving in (literally with a few days). Was quite big. The secret is to dig one part quite deep so the temperature is stable in the deepest part.
After three or four years we put a waterfall in. Not because it was smelly but because we just fancied one for the birdlife and it improved the diversity of the wildlife we saw drinking, bathing and swimming in it.
When we moved into current house it had a small pond and a fountain that didn't work. We've done nothing with it (apart from removing the ugly plastic non working fountain. It doesn't smell and attracts lots of wildlife.
Do some research about location, shape, materials and location (out of the sun if possible) and you can have a rewarding but non smelly pond with minimum maintenance.
As soon as we moved (1996) I dug a pond and almost immediately we had newts moving in (literally with a few days). Was quite big. The secret is to dig one part quite deep so the temperature is stable in the deepest part.
After three or four years we put a waterfall in. Not because it was smelly but because we just fancied one for the birdlife and it improved the diversity of the wildlife we saw drinking, bathing and swimming in it.
When we moved into current house it had a small pond and a fountain that didn't work. We've done nothing with it (apart from removing the ugly plastic non working fountain. It doesn't smell and attracts lots of wildlife.
Do some research about location, shape, materials and location (out of the sun if possible) and you can have a rewarding but non smelly pond with minimum maintenance.
Evanivitch said:
Greg_D said:
Just don’t.
Unless you have a fresh supply of water to tap into or are prepared to have filtration, you will just wind up with a muddy, stinky puddle in your garden.
OP did say wildlife pond, not ornamental.Unless you have a fresh supply of water to tap into or are prepared to have filtration, you will just wind up with a muddy, stinky puddle in your garden.
It wouldn’t be for me, but to each their own...
Greg_D said:
Evanivitch said:
Greg_D said:
Just don’t.
Unless you have a fresh supply of water to tap into or are prepared to have filtration, you will just wind up with a muddy, stinky puddle in your garden.
OP did say wildlife pond, not ornamental.Unless you have a fresh supply of water to tap into or are prepared to have filtration, you will just wind up with a muddy, stinky puddle in your garden.
It wouldn’t be for me, but to each their own...
I have a small wildlife pond, theres no filtration other than naturally seeded plants, the water is crystal clear, and its a key part to the large amount of native wildlife in my garden.
Ponds will find their own natural balance if left alone.
This was pond V2.0 as we had to move it when we decided to build an extension covering the area of the old pond.
The waterfall was only added after a couple of years and we deliberately tried to keep things a bit "wild" around the pond with rotting tree branches and lots of stones for the creepy crawlies to live so the birds and amphibians had food.
If I had a pond, I would name it Tony.
Out of respect.
https://youtu.be/MRY3wKeHaYY
He knew what he was doing.
Out of respect.
https://youtu.be/MRY3wKeHaYY
He knew what he was doing.
Edited by glenrobbo on Sunday 24th January 01:01
bazza white said:
I built a barrel pond this year and it stayed perfectly clear and still is actually. Don't bother with fish as the plants will struggle to keep on top. Ill be digging a wildlife pond this year though hoping to get newts.
when I put in a very small one in a few years ago I mentioned it to the 'environmental team' 
they went nuts saying take the fish out, they eat everything. They were also quite uncomplimentary about fishermen 'stocking' balancing pools etc. Even a tiny pond (but deep enough not to freeze) made a difference in the garden, I also noticed a lot more frogs going thru the mower
Turn7 said:
Greg_D said:
Evanivitch said:
Greg_D said:
Just don’t.
Unless you have a fresh supply of water to tap into or are prepared to have filtration, you will just wind up with a muddy, stinky puddle in your garden.
OP did say wildlife pond, not ornamental.Unless you have a fresh supply of water to tap into or are prepared to have filtration, you will just wind up with a muddy, stinky puddle in your garden.
It wouldn’t be for me, but to each their own...
I have a small wildlife pond, theres no filtration other than naturally seeded plants, the water is crystal clear, and its a key part to the large amount of native wildlife in my garden.
Ponds will find their own natural balance if left alone.
Greg_D said:
Evanivitch said:
Greg_D said:
Just don’t.
Unless you have a fresh supply of water to tap into or are prepared to have filtration, you will just wind up with a muddy, stinky puddle in your garden.
OP did say wildlife pond, not ornamental.Unless you have a fresh supply of water to tap into or are prepared to have filtration, you will just wind up with a muddy, stinky puddle in your garden.
It wouldn’t be for me, but to each their own...
As big as possible, 2m x 2m is the lower limit, but you need to be able to get to all sides. Also needs to ne 600mm deep in one half , shelved to the sides with a ramped access at one area for when the hedgehogs fall in and can't get out.
Line it with 50mm sand and old carpet then a proper butyl liner hold the edges down with large stone or bury the edge.
If you have dogs don't bother. They'll be in it and puncture the liner.
They are a lot of work to keep looking tidy, best not refilled with tap water. A pumped waterfall or fountain helps to oxygenate the water and stop it going stagnant but you tend to lose more water, mainly through evaporation, with waterfalls and fountains. Rainwater best for topping up. The bigger the better to avoid the stagnant puddle.
Did I mention dogs.
Dug one at one of my previous residences, lot of work to maintain, when I came to sell, the new owners filled it in. Also dug up the hundreds of pounds of plants and shrubs....
Oh and don't if you have dogs or your friends have dogs.
A mates pond hs leaked for the last 30 years after I called with a couple of Springer Spaniels........
Line it with 50mm sand and old carpet then a proper butyl liner hold the edges down with large stone or bury the edge.
If you have dogs don't bother. They'll be in it and puncture the liner.
They are a lot of work to keep looking tidy, best not refilled with tap water. A pumped waterfall or fountain helps to oxygenate the water and stop it going stagnant but you tend to lose more water, mainly through evaporation, with waterfalls and fountains. Rainwater best for topping up. The bigger the better to avoid the stagnant puddle.
Did I mention dogs.
Dug one at one of my previous residences, lot of work to maintain, when I came to sell, the new owners filled it in. Also dug up the hundreds of pounds of plants and shrubs....
Oh and don't if you have dogs or your friends have dogs.
A mates pond hs leaked for the last 30 years after I called with a couple of Springer Spaniels........
I love wildlife ponds and plan to install two in my garden this summer.
We have a dog but Im going to completely cover the liner with large smooth pebbles or paddle stones incase he wanders in, which I don't think he will.
The trick to making them look nice I think, is to completely hide the liner (both flat and on the vertical sides) around the edge, either with stones/pebbbles or bring turf down into the pond, with planting.
We have a dog but Im going to completely cover the liner with large smooth pebbles or paddle stones incase he wanders in, which I don't think he will.
The trick to making them look nice I think, is to completely hide the liner (both flat and on the vertical sides) around the edge, either with stones/pebbbles or bring turf down into the pond, with planting.
'Should I bother, is it a lot of hassle to maintain, do people just fill them in after 1 year?'
Yes you should bother, if it's just a wildlife pond then it doesn't take much to maintain and no, people generally don't fill them in after a year.
As others have said make it at least 60 cm deep, probably better a bit deeper if you can. Have ledges of different depths so you can put plants in the edges and slope to the edges so that if anything falls in (hedgehogs, mice etc etc) they can get out easily, don't put fish in if you don't want to (probably too small for fish anyway).
Use a decent liner (reservoir liner if you can get it) and dogs, even if they do go into it, won't harm the liner.
And finally, don't be surprised if you end up going bigger. We started with a little tank in a rented flat and then a small pond (a little bit bigger than the one you're planning) in our first house. 25 years later and I now have two ponds, one of 10,000 odd gallons with filter systems, a bridge, etc etc and another big pond (small lake?) about the size of a tennis court, which is clay lined, has an island, moorhens, about 20 resident ducks and is visited by herons and kingfishers on a regular basis. Just remember the bigger the pond the less lawn you have to mow!
Yes you should bother, if it's just a wildlife pond then it doesn't take much to maintain and no, people generally don't fill them in after a year.
As others have said make it at least 60 cm deep, probably better a bit deeper if you can. Have ledges of different depths so you can put plants in the edges and slope to the edges so that if anything falls in (hedgehogs, mice etc etc) they can get out easily, don't put fish in if you don't want to (probably too small for fish anyway).
Use a decent liner (reservoir liner if you can get it) and dogs, even if they do go into it, won't harm the liner.
And finally, don't be surprised if you end up going bigger. We started with a little tank in a rented flat and then a small pond (a little bit bigger than the one you're planning) in our first house. 25 years later and I now have two ponds, one of 10,000 odd gallons with filter systems, a bridge, etc etc and another big pond (small lake?) about the size of a tennis court, which is clay lined, has an island, moorhens, about 20 resident ducks and is visited by herons and kingfishers on a regular basis. Just remember the bigger the pond the less lawn you have to mow!
Enut said:
' about the size of a tennis court, which is clay lined, has an island, moorhens, about 20 resident ducks and is visited by herons and kingfishers on a regular basis. Just remember the bigger the pond the less lawn you have to mow!
That sounds epic but for future reference, the rules of comparative sizing makes it illegal to use tennis courts. It must be football pitches, or Wales(the place, not the marine mammal). So your pond is about the quarter of the size of a football pitch. If height, it's double decker buses, or the Eiffel Tower. TwigtheWonderkid said:
That sounds epic but for future reference, the rules of comparative sizing makes it illegal to use tennis courts. It must be football pitches, or Wales(the place, not the marine mammal). So your pond is about the quarter of the size of a football pitch. If height, it's double decker buses, or the Eiffel Tower.
Or 1.25x10-6 the size of Wales.We have a wildlife pond, had one in the last house as well. The one at the last house was about 1.5m x 1m. they take a bit of work to establish them but once settled just leave them to it and just remove some plants if it starts to get overgrown.
The one we have now is about4m x 2m, make sure you have a deep bit at least 2 feet, and a slope so animals can get out. I dug the pond about 7 years ago, it has taken about 3 years to settle and is now a great space. According to her indoors there are all kinds of wildlife in it.
Here is a pic from the height of summer.
The one we have now is about4m x 2m, make sure you have a deep bit at least 2 feet, and a slope so animals can get out. I dug the pond about 7 years ago, it has taken about 3 years to settle and is now a great space. According to her indoors there are all kinds of wildlife in it.
Here is a pic from the height of summer.
TwigtheWonderkid said:
Enut said:
' about the size of a tennis court, which is clay lined, has an island, moorhens, about 20 resident ducks and is visited by herons and kingfishers on a regular basis. Just remember the bigger the pond the less lawn you have to mow!
That sounds epic but for future reference, the rules of comparative sizing makes it illegal to use tennis courts. It must be football pitches, or Wales(the place, not the marine mammal). So your pond is about the quarter of the size of a football pitch. If height, it's double decker buses, or the Eiffel Tower. Gassing Station | Homes, Gardens and DIY | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff