Hi Irish-Digger,
Great idea - frogs are terrific slug-eaters.
One or two tips: make sure the sides are gently sloping so that anything that falls in can get out easily; add some water from someone else's pond to get things going (but no invasive plants or, especially, duckweed - though it may come in anyway on frogs' legs) and don't add fish - they eat tadpoles! It's also best to site a pond in an open, sunny position if possible to avoid leaves falling in and rotting.
The jury's out on whether you should introduce frogspawn from elsewhere in early spring if you haven't any of your own. I think it's probably OK as long as the original pond is nearby and there's been no sign of disease.
I've just dug a little pond on my plot and have bought some Polyex liner from
www.BradshawsDirect.co.uk. If you buy the stuff with a 35-year guarantee it comes with free underlay, and it's also reversible with a nice earthy shade of brown on one side (actually much better than it looks in the picture).
You've probably already done yours so all this is too late. Good luck anyway! Once the pond is there the wildlife will arrive as if by magic - dragonflies and damselflies, beetles, frogs, toads, birds and bats as well as small thirsty mammals. Make sure you have a seat close by to watch the action.
