Topic: container pond?

[GeordieVik]

Hi All,

we have a decent sized back yard, with raised bed borders, but not much free ground space, and a toddler, so need something safe.  I'd like to 'create' a small wildlife pond in a half barrel, lining it with some pond liner, to encourage slug-eating beasties into the garden (if it works well, I may do the same up at my lottie.)  I suppose it would be best to wait till spring, set it up, fill it with water from my butt, then go frog / toad spawn hunting?  When does spawning usually occur (we live in a village near Consett in Co Durham)

Any suggestions for plants, tips for getting it up & running successfully, anything really - this is my first water adventure, advice appreciated!

Thanks

Vik

[GeordieVik]

nobody got any suggestions?

  :(

Vik

[muddy boots]

Pond in a container is a little tricky if you're hoping to encourage frogs.  Only because they need to be able to get in and out and they like to hide.  It would be better if you could sink it.  I have seen barrels with very small goldfish in, together with a few plants. 

Sorry this isn't terribly helpful but, from your description, seems you don't really have space for a little sunken pond which you could cover with mesh to make it child friendly.  :-[

[GeordieVik]

Thanks MB.  Will maybe see if i can find a space in a bed for one...

Vik

[teresa]

Frogs always find a way to get into water, I had buckets growing water plants and they climbed down the stalks of plants to get to water cleaver things.
As long as they can climb out and in thats fine, a plank of wood from garden to barrell will do. Contact Bombas he has loads of duckweed this stops blanket weed from growing and frogs love it to hid under and keeps the sun off them in the summer. This plant is easy to control in small aeras and will keep the water from smelling no need for a pump.
Dont worry about looking for frogs they will find you, I had a old bath, soil bank one side and had the height the otherside if that makes sence it was a great water feature kids loved it.
Marsh marigold is lovely and cheap plus hardy.
set it up now so its established ready for them in the spring when there looking for places.
I am redoing mine down lottie any help with the slugs is a must good luck.

[GeordieVik]

Teresa,

great advice thank you so much

Vik

[teresa]

Your welcome Vik,
My still water feature ( bath) had a marsh marigold, water lilly and think it was loose strife not sure long pink flower cheap(no pump)   had it next to chicken run with the duck weed handfulls would go to hens frogs spawned in it. They found the bath in no time they can smell water ha ha. have fun

[boldielocks]

My pond is a large plant container, I sealed the holes in the bottom with fibre glass. It only has one goldfish due to the plague of cats that visit. Not great for widelife has its too high. But its plenty high enough to stop the kids getting in.

My waterfall I contructed out of local stone, behind that is a block and brick construction to retain the raised bed. The reservoir of water is contained in a plastic water tank and is connected to the mains water with a ball thingy, so it never runs dry. This is covered with a grid and then pebbles. In the raised bed is a 4 by 4 post which I hang baskets from, and a couple of climbing roses.

This was my first go at a waterfall, wish I had a slightly more powerful pump.

[wahaj]

looking good. I'm now regretting actually digging a pond in my garden. It is so difficult to dig in my garden. Makes me wonder how anything grows in it.

I did want to make a container pond by using baby bath but i'd still have to dig a space for that so...

i think what you could do with the container pond is that you could dig a hole wider than the container and put the container in the middle. Then your container isn't so high off the ground. The space that's left around the container you could turn into a bog. This way your wildlife has something to climb up and hide in, and you're also making a more complex ecosystem.

I know it's all much more difficult than it sounds. I'm actually finding it all very difficult to do. the making of shelves is proving a bit tricky. foolishly i dug the deep end first and now any shelves i try to dig just cave in and make the hole wider lol.

[euronerd]

My frogs spawn mid to late March (Yorkshire). And I didn't need to go looking when I dug the pond - they just appeared. Still baffles me because it was a tiny pond with no other for hundreds of yards.

Geoff.

[kt.]

Different idea due to limited space:
If you want the odd kermit then get a good fishtank and put a couple of frogs in it. You can buy small frogs that swim around the the fish-tank integrating with fish. Leaves your yard free for flower boxes or a barrel plant feature? ;)