Adding a pond to the garden for wildlife can be this year's project - for you and for children.
- Get them involved with nature by creating their own pond.
- Encourage children to help you and they will be fascinated to watch the pond wildlife arrive afterwards.
- Kids love pond dipping too but make sure it's done safely.
Add a pond to your garden however small it is - every pond is important to the wildlife!
- Too many ponds have been lost in recent decades with more roads, houses & paving for cars.
- Wildlife can struggle to find the wet sites they need to drink and mate.
- In urban & suburban areas it is important to recreate some wildlife zones in our gardens.
Many forms of wildlife are attracted to water at different stages of their life:
- Frogs, toads, newts and dragonflies all use it to lay their eggs.
- Birds, bees, butterflies and maybe even bats will come to drink.
- It is important to encourage pollinators to visit the garden and pollinate our plants.
Dig a pond or water feature in any shape or size:
- From a bucket sunk into the ground to a large field pond.
- Or if you are in a flat with a balcony or gardening on a roof terrace choose a container pond. Available in lightweight fibreglass in attractive colours and finishes.
- All ponds are useful.
Add a pond to your garden for wildlife by digging down:
- In a secluded part of the garden but not in complete shade & not under trees that will drop leaf into the water.
- Leave plenty of space around the water for plants (not hard landscaping) in a 'dug down' pond area so that the wildlife can come and go in safety and shelter.
- Perhaps have one side next to a fence of hedge for shelter. This also means the children have access to fewer sides of the water and are easier to supervise.
- Dig down in stages - 2 depths of shallow shelves near the outside first for the plants and for animal access - see Digging an informal wildlife pond for more details.
- Then add the deepest area of water down to the length of your arm (as a guide) so you can reach to the bottom to reach plant baskets.
- Keep the shape simple but allow a narrow end to be a sloping beach area back to ground level from the top shelf where the water gradually gets shallower through some plants and cobbles to allow wildlife movement.
Or you can dig a hole the size and shape of a container or preform pond in fibreglass or plastic and sink that.
- Make sure the pond finishes level to the ground or water will run off on one side.
- Hide the rim of the pond with planting on the outside of the preform structure.
Add a decorative 'above ground' pond:
- A container pond is even easier to add.
- You could achieve this pond in just a day or two.
- Choose your container and make sure it is watertight - you can choose anything that will hold water.
- Add a liner or trug inside if not.
- Avoid barrels that have had alcohol in them previously as this changes the pH of the water and pond plants will not grow well. Line or add a trug if necessary.
- Fibreglass and plastic options are fine.
- Find an old Butler sink.
- 'Above ground' ponds will mostly attract air borne creatures - bees, butterflies, birds and dragonflies. Not so many frogs, toads and newts.
When you add any pond to your garden to attract wildlife:
- Finish it off with plenty of plants that will make it a good planted habitat area:
- Plants for oxygen in deep water
- Surface cover leaf for hiding under & to keep pond water cool and shaded from too much sun
- Pond plants for shelf areas to grow up out of the water and others to raft gently across the water surface
- Plants outside the water but nearby for shelter, hiding places or additional pollen sources
Adding a pond is a great way to help the wildlife and get you and the family outdoors. Encouraging children to get involved with nature and their environment is great fun & of long-term benefit for them.