Siting a pond on a sloping garden

Discussion in 'Water Gardening' started by Sian in Belgium, Mar 9, 2018.

  1. Sian in Belgium

    Sian in Belgium Total Gardener

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    Lots of tadpoles - sometimes they clump together, sometimes (like when I went to take the photos) they have spread out to feed.
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    • Loofah

      Loofah Admin Staff Member

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      Good time to net the pond while they develop as the birds like a tasty snack!
       
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      • Sian in Belgium

        Sian in Belgium Total Gardener

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        Thanks for your suggestion, @Loofah
        However, I think I’ll leave it un-netted. It’s a wildlife pond, not just an amphibian pond. We have regular visits from foxes, hedgehogs (as evidenced by droppings) as well as birds ranging in size from a wren to a heron. Netting is far too risky for all those feet/toes/paws to get tangled in. Frogs and toads lay hundreds of eggs, taking into account how many will become important tasty morsels for other wildlife. We have hundreds of tadpoles, so the loss of a few can be borne....
        9ECD3A2B-624E-4009-8D36-D057BCACAAE5.jpeg
        This vertical column of hundreds of tadpoles went a good 20-25cm down in the water. They seem to do this mass-grazing technique from midday on....
         
      • Redwing

        Redwing Wild Gardener

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        Looking good @Sian in Belgium ! I think our tadpoles got eaten. A pair of Mallards have been regular visitors and are the chief suspects. Plenty of damselfly and dragonfly larvae too....but as you say a wildlife pond is only that if there is food for animals/birds up the food chain.
         
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        • Sian in Belgium

          Sian in Belgium Total Gardener

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          There are probably one or two taddling-poles still hiding somewhere....
           
        • Redwing

          Redwing Wild Gardener

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          That’s what I was thinking. Did see an adult frog when I was weeding the iris; it literally popped up from just next to where my hand was and plopped into the water.
           
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          • Redwing

            Redwing Wild Gardener

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            Your plants look further forward than mine, apart from the iris which are racing away. Will post some pictures when there is more growth.
             
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            • Sian in Belgium

              Sian in Belgium Total Gardener

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              Here is the “new” bench. Stable, a lovely height, nice to sit side-by-side to unwind at the end of the day.

              So now we know the dimensions of what we want, it will be easier to source, hopefully!
              3A0D949C-B5A0-45DF-B3EE-DD9494C3417B.jpeg
              B8315AC7-5A1B-4E8C-BC1D-BA77CE84AAC7.jpeg

              Now to extend the flower border, to wrap around the bench...!
               
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              • Sian in Belgium

                Sian in Belgium Total Gardener

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                Just lost nearly two hours of my afternoon, going steadily cross-eyed, as I tried to follow the newts in the depths of the pond, whilst small red damsels tried to distract me by bobbing over the surface of the water!
                 
              • Redwing

                Redwing Wild Gardener

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                You've inspired me to update my pond thread, @Sian in Belgium . And what a good use of old blocks; I might do that too if I can persuade someone to lift them for me.
                 
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                • Sian in Belgium

                  Sian in Belgium Total Gardener

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                  :yay: Yayy!! :yay:

                  Tomorrow morning, I’ve a visit from the local wildlife agency, to advise me on what I can do to encourage more wildlife in my garden; in particular, midwife toads!!
                   
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                  • Loofah

                    Loofah Admin Staff Member

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                    You need those for all the lady toads? ;)
                     
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                    • Sian in Belgium

                      Sian in Belgium Total Gardener

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                      Well, that was a very interesting hour’s discussion.

                      Feeling slightly brain-dead, as I’ve just been speaking dutch for the duration! Very frustrating, as I don’t have the vocabulary for plants, etc. Lots of running around, plucking flowers, leaves, stems, etc, to say what we have, what I’m encouraging, etc.

                      I’ve done well with the pond, especially the stone “waterfall” bank, made of old granite sets. Apparently that’s what they always recommend people to do - but they don’t normally see people have done it without prompting. [pats herself on back!]!

                      What ideas have I come away with?
                      - Although we have lots of woodpiles, it would be a good idea to site one in the sun, as will encourage different insects, etc. Also important for the midwife toads. We are on the northern edge of their range, so they look for warm spots. In Spain they favour shady areas.
                      - I need to be more punctilious in not cutting my grass (yayy!) as we may get some interesting wildflowers. We already have mouse-eared dandelions (sorry, direct translation from dutch), [mouse-ear hawkweed - following a little googling] which is good. And the more serrated leaved one, which forms a bigger clump, with longer stems. We couldn’t work out what the field scabious was in Dutch, and of course the plants aren’t in flower yet, so not easy to find.
                      - The sandy half of the garden, to allow to go a little wild (I have a long-grass area in the lusher lower end, but not at the top). Again, this will help the toads...
                      - over time, to replace the laurel hedge with native plants. The local council distribute bundles of plants for this, in late summer, so I might get some to fill in the dead areas of laurel, and work outwards from them...

                      But generally, I’m doing a good job, which is good to know!

                      They are trying to do a breeding program for the midwife toads, as the populations are getting isolated, and so are less fertile. So they are gathering from here, the German border, and the Dutch border, and trying to “mix up” the genes a little. If they can’t find some in the protected area below us (marsh had been allowed to silt up, so habitat diminished), they might contact it to see if we have any.

                      All in all feeling exhausted, but pleased!!
                       
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                        Last edited: May 17, 2019
                      • Redwing

                        Redwing Wild Gardener

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                        • Sian in Belgium

                          Sian in Belgium Total Gardener

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                          A little update on the pond this year
                          (Last Saturday we had the regional naturalist for the midwife toads inspecting the health of the pond at 10 o’clock at night; catching frogs, spotlighting newts, and generally rather impressed with the health of a young pond - and saying that the fish weren’t too bad a problem, as we have so many safe areas:pathd:)

                          An overhead shot - I’m experimenting with a few plug-plant impatiens, for colour)
                          2BBE5083-015E-4915-93F1-7F74C53BE779.jpeg

                          Izzy is still interested - she actually fell in, later in the afternoon! EA7C6292-D7CC-4E07-9270-0D7521A8E919.jpeg

                          The bench seat has a little light oak stain oil on it. I’m hoping it will soften with time. D1B5B5FC-8B55-48D1-8078-4D73F5EFA0A6.jpeg

                          The view from the vegetable beds.... 755D9395-3595-45BA-AD98-F0110A8D036C.jpeg

                          After Ronnie’s visit, I’ve tried to list the plants that I’ve put in (not necessarily still there of course). Apologies, but it’s just easier to list here, so I can refer back later!
                          juncus spirallis - corkscrew Juncus
                          Iris pseudacorus - yellow flag
                          Water forget me not
                          Mentha aquatica - watermint
                          Water lilies (three different varieties)
                          Marsh marigold
                          Lythrum salicaria - purple loosestrife
                          Ponderderia cordata - pickerel plant
                          menyanthes trifolia - bog bean
                          Hottinia palustris - water violet
                          Filipendula ulmaria - meadowsweet
                          Butomus umbelatus
                          Typhus latifolia
                          Some form of water plantain...
                          and of course, Elodea crispa
                           
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                            Last edited: Jun 1, 2019
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