The history of my Ponds

10 comments

I made a small pond years ago from a small liner. Despite lining it with old carpet, my soil was so stoney that the sharp flints eventually punctured it, so I bought a small preformed one. As per instructions I placed it away from trees in the front garden. Unfortunately, the local cats started scooping out the fish and leaving them desiccated on the ground. A little fence around did not solve the problem, so I dug it up and re sited it in the back garden. This pond is full of Bogbean, Menyanthes trifoliata.

The ground slopes very slightly towards the bungalow, and I had a small veg patch here. Tired of feeding slugs my miserable veg, I decided to buy another larger pond.
A 12 volt pump, powered by a battery, which is charged by a solar cell circulates water from the bottom pond to the top through the frog fountain. From there it goes down the cascade to the bottom pond.

The heron fountain was a later edition.

Along the way I added a very small pond to put fish fry to prevent the parents eating them. This has been taken over by common newts now. I did have toad spawn but haven’t seen any for a long while.

The plant photos from here on are from 2014.

Last year I bought a pygmy water lily for the little pond to replace this Nymphoides peltata, which has gone into the big pond.

Waterlily ‘’Frobeli" is to the left and the pale pink came from my mother’s pond years ago, but was too big for even my largest pond, so I discarded it. I have since retrieved it until I find a home for it.

On the shelf of the small pond I have put 2 cut down tubs for Candelabra Primula as they dry out in the surrounding soil.

Any seed pods stalks will be pegged into the damp soil for germination.
I look forward to the Damselflies and Dragonflies although I did see one last week.

4 May, 2015
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Comments

Mariamasom

Lovely photos

4 May, 2015

Siris

Thank you Maria
Hb, Sometimes moved the pond weed with the eggs on it to the little pond and found as the water was warmer in the small pond the fry grew quicker. I am pleased with how the ponds have evolved, although I usually clean out the big and middle ponds alternate years.

4 May, 2015

Lincslass

Wow they are really lovely and you 've made a grand job of linking them together, it must be so relaxing in your garden watching the life in and around your ponds whilst listening to the water...

4 May, 2015

Siris

Thanks L lass. The piece of stone in the cascade is to break up the sound of the flowing water, because OH said it sounded like a horse, read horse not hose. Romantic isn't he.

4 May, 2015

Lincslass

LOL, tell him he's got no heart, its magical, has calming qualities....

4 May, 2015

Simbad

Wow beautiful ponds so natural looking, lovely pictures.

7 May, 2015

Siris

Thank you Simbad, but it is difficult disguising the edges.

7 May, 2015

Simbad

Know what you mean, Rob had the bright idea of turf round ours but I'm the one who has to get on my hands and knees with the shears to cut it, if I ever fall in he'll be sorry lol, looks quite pretty at the moment I planted cowslips in it, I've been trying to take a picture but they're so hard to photograph.

7 May, 2015

Siris

That sound so nice, Simbad

7 May, 2015

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