Should I or Shouldn't I?

[Jesse]

Hi all, have been reading all about your ponds and get really excited to hear about the froggies and insects that are attracted by ponds. I would love to have a pond but know I definitely don't have the space. But on one of my last shopping trips to the garden centre I saw an oak barrel type of water feature, I wouldn't really call it a pond! It got me wondering if something small like that would be enough to attract frogs etc. What do you all think. Something else I would really like to grow is water lillies, I just love to see a lily pad on the water and their flowers are so pretty. What conditions do water lily plants like, deep water, shallow water, sun, shade? I'm wondering if I can grow a lily in the oak barrel type pond I mentioned.  

[Margaret]

Hi there.I would not use the barrel as a nature pond for frogs,or even for fish.But if it does not have a pump you could have a water lily in it,use the depth as a guide to which water lily as there are many types,all requiring different depths.

Amphibians need a gentle sloping pond with a depth of at least 18 ins to 2 ft and need lots of plants and oxygenating weed ,with plenty of cover around and behind the pond.This will help attract the insects they need to live on.Fish need a pump,a decent size and depth of water and careful planting to get the right balance.Oak barrels are definitely far from ideal conditions.

However it would get you started in water gardening and give you an idea of just what is involved.My water lilies have been better than ever this year and at present i have 9 flowers out.  

[Jesse]

Thanks for your reply Margaret. I really wanted to encourage frogs into my garden to help with the war on slugs and snails. Will have to give it some more thought, don't think the oak barrel idea will work for me afterall.

[Doris_Pinks]

Jesse, we have a oak barrel which we put our frogspawn in from our pond. Have put rocks in it, and rocks down the side like a ramp, so they can get in and out! Have put lots of plants in,(oxygenating weed included!) and they seem happy enough over the years! Another option could be to sink the barrel? With rocks again so the level is higher at one point. DP

[Jesse]

DP that's good news. I thought the barrel idea was out because it wouldn't be deep enough and too small. But if your frogs are happy then it can't be all too bad. I did consider a way of them getting out by putting aquatic plants in pots so that there are varying levels. The best spot would be near my hedgerow which has a bank, this would mean on one side of the barrel the ground would be at the same level as the top of the barrel. But would aquatic plants grow in the shade of the hedgerow, they would only get about 1 hour of morning sunshine in summer and no sun in winter.

[Val]

 :)Hi Jessie I've got a tiny preformed water feature, the frogs love it, its about 18 ins deep, not very long or wide, I've put a plant in a pot in it, dropped some water cress in and a couple of bricks. Round the edge I've got mind your own business ajuga and some primulas, also a hardy geranium.It only gets sun for about an hour a day but with the heat we've had lately its been good. Having said all that I've had a frog for 4 days sat in the birds bath, nothing in that except water, which I couldn't change , the frog wouldn't move.