Topic: Wildlife pond

[netty]

Hi I want to put a wildlife pond onto my lottie should I wait till spring or can I go ahead now? What plants should I grow in and around the pond and what materials would you advise me to use. Thanks in advance  :)

[star]

Hi Netty :D,

It would be better to get your pond done, so that the frogs will find it established before spring ready for spawning.

Its best to have a little shade if possible by tall plants, otherwise plenty of pond weed to cover a good 2/3 of the water surface to slow down the growth of algae and the dreaded blanketweed.

Here's a couple of links for native water plants, I dont know what you know already about ponds. But if you are like I was and know nowt.........fire away with your questions ;)

http://www.mimmacks.co.uk/index.asp

http://www.essexwt.org.uk/tables/pond_plants.htm

[grawrc]

Now is fine. We built ours in August and thought nothing much would happen till the spring. It took the frogs less than 24 hours to move in.

I don't know what size you have in mind, but whatever you plant in it be prepared to thin ruthlessly every couple of years. There are irises, reeds and mints and loads of other things you can plant in the pond. For me the crucial thing is the oxygenators that go under the water and the marginals that go round the edge. I am about to take out practically all the plants in my wildlife pond e.g flag irises that self seed and take over.

[netty]

Thanks for the replys really looking forward to having some frogs move in. ;D