wild life pond

caravanlover

i was give a quite deep butler sink friday

while deciding what to do with it in the garden, my daughter suggested a wild life pond

has anyone else got one ??

would it work in a butler skink ??

have done a bit of research, and most say you can do one in an old sink

but thought i would check with you guys first

thanks again

jo x x

Froglet

It will be hard in such a small body of water to get a good balance.The more water you have the better the plants will grow,and attract insect life.If it is small and is then invaded by frogs and newts,which is very likely as their ponds are drying out in the wild,it may soon become polluted.It also is not deep enough to sustain life in the winter.Frogs in particular like to burrow into the mud at the bottom of a pond and in a harsh winter it will most likely freeze so far down it will suffocate them.

The other problem is the steep sides,which means the amphibians will find it very hard to get out.Wildlife ponds are dug out with a gentle slope so that they can exit safely.Likewise any mammal that falls in can also get out.Hedgehogs are a prime example and people have found them drowned in a pond with steep sides,which is all the more distressing because these endearing little creatures are fast becoming endangered.

Wildlife ponds are not hard to set up and can be so much more interesting and beneficial than a small amount of water in a butler sink that will sooner or later become smelly and a real eyesore.

In my opinion you and the children would have more fun with it by planting some small veg in it ,or flowers and watching them grow.Mushrooms or strawberries?

Rummer

Hey

I am setting up a pond this year and I am undecided as to whether I should buy a pond liner or a rigid pond. Any ideas on which would be best?

Froglet

A pond liner wins hands down,for me.You can then have a deeper,more natural looking pond,whether it is for wildlife or fish.For amphibians they need a very gentle sloped exit,so a rigid,preformed one is not suitable.And for fish,unless you get an absolutely HUGE one,they will not be deep enough for the fish to survive comfortably in a cold winter,

A good liner will last longer,and you can then plan what ever shape suits your garden..Do lots of research before you start and it will become a thing of beauty.I have seen several preformed ponds and they are just that,hard and cold looking.Here is a link to some tips from a company i use all the time,helpful and reasonably priced too.

http://www.watergardeningdirect.com/Advice-Pages/PondDesign.html

Llyllyll

I would suggest a pond liner. It can be made to fit pretty much any design you want and it is important, as Froglet has already mentioned, to have a very gentle sloped exit for amphibians.

Ste_C

Also, if you use a liner and design your own you can create a very shallow part at one edge which allows birds to drink from it and use it as a bath.

saffiedale_2

we got one, we get frogs. we just put couple of water plants and boulders at edge. we just top up bit ofwater in hot weather. the more you mess the more it smells. we just leave ours.

Froglet

Yes,for a pond to stay fresh you need lots of plant life that will attract insects and provide food for the amphibians,especially their young.Never be tempted to install a pump,they are lethal to newts and the delicate legs of a frog.

tanith

Llyllyll wrote: »

I would suggest a pond liner. It can be made to fit pretty much any design you want and it is important, as Froglet has already mentioned, to have a very gentle sloped exit for amphibians.

We have an above ground pond its approx 2' out of the ground and 2' in the ground and every year I am amazed how numerous frogs , toads and newts find their way in and out of our pond... I still don't know how they do it but I regularly see them jumping in and out , my guess is they crawl up the ivy which overhangs and then use the surface weed and plants as a spring board to jump out.. last year I netted a lump of spawn and put it into an old butler sink with rocks and plants and my grandaughter had enormous pleasure watching the tadpoles evolving . We do have a pump in the pond but its inside a small mesh laundry bag so nothing can get sucked in...
I would give it a try if it doesn't work then no harm done really

wallbash

Well I disagree :rolleyes: have a rigid pond, with a pump and water fall.

Fairly steep sides, with a dwarf wall , and the frogs Still use the pond, they have no problem getting in and out.


Beaten by seconds by tanith , same setup.

HariboJunkie

I have a half whisky barrel which is set into a bank in the corner of the garden so only the front is completely exposed. I have built stone steps up to it on one side and have several branches set up as ramps for wildlife to get in and out of the pond. (We have a hedgehog that I don't want to drown;) ) Around the pond I have made a small log pile and have submerged broken terracotta pots for wildlife to hide under. It is planted with lillies and bog irises. Since we set it up 4 years ago we have far more birds in the garden, 2 resident, very friendly toads who overwintered in it, and far fewer slugs.

Unless it's a really big butler sink I would keep it for planting instead. I have one as a herb garden and another filled with hyacinths in the spring and lillies in the summer.