Thought I'd show you my humble offering. Usually edges of pond and fence arent visible, but have ha to ddo a lot of clearing of overgrown plants this year.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v699/DawnSmith/mypond1.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v699/DawnSmith/mypond2.jpg)
;D That is so nice Dawn, good shape, liner or your shape lined? It will look really good by the end of the summer I should think. You should post a then & now picture at the end of the summer. ;D ;D ;D
Dawn your garden looks lovely, a little haven for you in this busy world. I love your passion flower, I must find a place for one, and I would love a pond. Well done.
Hi tulippa - I must admit, its my little sanctuary. Passion flower is lovely, but does go a bit mad in a short space of time. Worth it though - and I get colourful orange fruit that last most of the winter.
Thanks Marley Farley. Its a rigid pond - although wished I'd used a liner now, so more gradual slopes - although it does have a 6" deep 'ledge' around the edges, for more natural planting, stones, etc.. Will post a pic later on when the edge plants have grown again.
Lovely, tranquil setting Dawn - do you have fish in it?
Grass around a pond certainly sets it off beautifully, gives wildlife easy access too. The fence with it's pretty planting also adds perspective.
A spot to relax and enjoy.
Tricia
Hi Tricia
Rosie minnows and rudd. Started off with 12 minnows and 2 rudd, now seem to have nearer 100 minnows and 50 rudd !!! :o Frogs too.
Dawn
That looks lovely Dawn.I know what you mean about rudd.I too started off with 2.They breed with alarming speed.They also grow quite big so don't be tempted to keep them all or you will soon have a disaster on your hands.I have given a lot away but there are only so many friends and neighbours you can find with ponds!!
Margaret, any advice on excess fish is welcome - it's going mad in there! do they make fish contraceptives?!! Am offloading some to brother in law who has recently created a pond, but i think i could supply half of south east england with fish!! ;D
really nice pond dawn , i love ponds brings so much wildlife into the garden, bet u wont stop at one ,i started with a small pond made it bigger and then bigger again also i have a wildlife pond and raised pond , even have an old tin bath as a water feature and a barrel and pump ,and a stock tub i made into a water feature , the bug just gets a grip,
Oh Dawn,the day they bring out fish contraception,believe you me i shall be at the very front of the queue ;D . My fish don't seem to know the meaning of restraint .I have just this week spotted the latest batch of fry.The more plants and weed i have in the pond to stop the blanketweed the more the fry are protected from their cannabalistic relations !!
Apart from being utterly brutal and cruel,and destroying all the babies(which of course,i can't ) i don't know the answer either.
A lovely pond Dawn. Do you spend time sitting on the log? I think that I'd spend hours just sitting there and watching the fish.
;D That's a cool pond Dawn 8) and a cool Banana plant too 8) has it survived a winter outside yet? 8)
Yes, I do sit on the log, sippng a nice cool drink, watching the fish. (If you put trail hand in the water they come and 'nibble' at your fingers - can't imagine my fingers are very tasty though ;D)
Banana just had its first winter outside. Was quite a mild winter mild here, so I just wrapped a bit of fleece round the top of it on a couple of nights, then chopped a couple of the brown leaves off in the spring. Did wonder if I might lose it over the winter though - not sure how it will do with real heavy frosts for a period of time  :-\
You must protect the stem from tip to toe if it freezes at the base you will have lost the entire stem, a good thick mulch is needed at the base and plenty of fleece around the whole of the stem from December to end of April.
Do that and you will be rewarded with a giant banana plant shading your pond that the fish will appreciate. ;)
(http://img300.echo.cx/img300/5020/backgdn0405ln.jpg) (http://www.imageshack.us)
Wow :o Lovely! Thanks for this info - thought I was OK just protecting the top. Good job it was a mild winter this year. Will get its wooly vest and bedsocks at the ready for the coming winter!