Hello girls.
The best medium for a nature pond is just good ordinary garden soil,dropped in after filling up.When things clear you can then plant direct into the soil,but it takes a while for them to take root,and the mud hold them in place.Some oxygenators you can just drop in and they will find their own way to the bottom and root.The hornwort does not root but don't put in much as it grows like mad.Others you can thin out as needed.The more you have,the less probs you will get with blanket weed and green water.In 12 years of nature ponds I have NEVER had either.Wish I could say the same of my fish ponds.Newts like a heavily planted pond,and as they and frogs spend more time out of water than in,it is not that important to leave too much free swimming space.
Yes I too find it fascinating how creatures just appear overnight,especially the ones that can't fly!!The beetles that appear are generally fine,but the biggie,the great diving beetle can be very ferocious,so watch him!!
