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[CLKD]

Right, where was I 

We built the first and stocked it with a water lily which died  , they are quite temperamental about depth.  Making sure that frogs, hedgehogs etc. can climb out is also the other important consideration.

We put lots of fish in over the years, the remaining golden orf is not 3 ft long and 25+ years old.  There are other goldfish with it, some that are 18+ years, or younger, some from eggs.  In the middle pond we have 9 more gold fish of varying ages.

For years we've had frogs courting and laying spawn which this year we put into the top pond so that it wasn't eaten.  We are seeing young frogs around the garden as they have left and found damp spots around the garden.  They have to avoid cats and the hog  .  We also have damsel and dragonflies visiting, blackbird will take a dip at the end ...... basic plants have been various reeds: mace took over  : as well as self-seeded plant with pink flowers, name escapes me  .  One water lily has thrived in the top pond which isn't in the sun all day.  Pots stood on the edge have mimmulus, hostas.  In a separate deep plastic tub we have various reeds so that they don't take over the main pond.

The important issue is whether to have a pump or not and how deep it needs to be, with regards clearing it out.  Several times a year I need to pull great quantities of oxygenating weed out so that I can see the fish  .  It is also a great time waster in that we sit for hours watching, listening etc. 

[CaroleM]

CLKD, thank you for starting this thread.

The area for the pond is the only flat part of our garden, right at the bottom on "the North Face of the Eiger" as it was once described! It is 30 metres in distance, sloping precipitously down and away from bungalow. The back faces due North and I plant to put in edible hedging around the perimeter, so adding some shelter.  Not good for running electric cables, so no pump or fountain, as was suggested by a friend.

The plan is to reinstall the mini orchard, apples, pears, plums and a cherry tree or two. The planting is going to be English meadow in style. The root stock for the trees will be M27, so not too high.  The pond will be stepped to around 4 feet in depth, with a 'beach' area for easy access and egress for any creature wanting to visit. I'm thinking of it having a perimeter of around 50 feet in total, the actual shape being irregular.

I aim to bring the greenhouse back into regular use too.

The planting: water lillies, bog irises, some well contained bull rushes, a reasonable amount of oxygenating plants, just for starters. We can add as time passes. No fish though.

Somehow I have to work a route which will be safe for DH to navigate. He wants us to be able to spend time just relaxing, away from the cares of life, so seating will need to go in.

Others have suggested we use a landscape gardener, we did consider that and even got as far as making an appointment for one to come. Reaction, "B....y hell, that's not a garden, it's a climbing school".  Umm, we weren't impressed either.

One bonus about our garden, no need to bring in rocks, just dig them up!

I want the pond area to be for all of us ladies. Somewhere we can see in our minds, to try letting go of some stresses, even if it is only for a short period of time. Somewhere I hope we can share together and find a relaxing, positive experience, away from meno.  All input is 100% welcome, please.

Brighteyes.

[CLKD]

What do you plan to line it with?  We put a thick layer of sand down followed by newspaper then two layers of Butyl with lots of newspapers in between the layers.  Maybe have a look at a good pond specialist web-site to see what shapes are available for plastic moulded ponds to get an idea as to where the shelves are for standing pots on.  We used a thick rope to lay out the shape B4 we even began digging.

Will it be filled from the mains and then topped up by rain water or do you have a spring running in?

Do you mean 'mace' i.e. bull rushes which are different ;-).  Irises spread too  . 

There are lots of lovely purple flowering plants that like their roots in water, loosestrife springs to mind.  Maybe build up a level seating area above one side with slabs and a solid wooden fence between you and the water? 

[CaroleM]

Plan is to remove as many stones as is humanly possible and put in a thick layer of sand. One top of that we are considering felt.  Then the butyl liner in 2 layers, making sure to leave plenty of room for the liner settle when we put the water in.

The plan is to use mains water and rain water to top up. We're not on a water meter as yet and won't be until this pond is up and in good order. Unfortunately no handy spring.

The idea of a rope to lay out a shape is brilliant, thanks. As is the thought of looking on line for shapes etc. We've look at some of our local garden center.

I've always connected mace with nutmeg, so will be investigating that.  Would iris remain manageable if it was in an aquatic basket and the correct planting medium? I know water lillie's require different depths during the settling in period, as well as having the right sized plant(s) for the size of the pond. 

A really good book is required reading, so a call into the garden center tomorrow and get some ideas of plants in their water garden section.

Providing a fence is an idea we discussed, hens cannot swim!  The girls will all be given the chance to have a supervised exploration sometimes. I suggested not only seating but a table which would give us our own quiet place, totally away from electronic interruptions. No phone, tablet or lap top , where we could eat, read, just watch the pond. A place to recharge our batteries.

Being really silly several years ago I had one of those stupid ideas we all have. I suggested turning the whole area into one very large pond and put a rowing boat on it, along with a jetty. I will leave it to your imagination the reaction I got from DH. He wasn't exactly impressed

Lots of reading and research about to start.

Thank you.
Brighteyes

[CLKD]

 . recently I suggested turning more of our garden into a pond area  ......... 'but where would I grow my veggies?' 

Reed mace and nutmeg/mace - I think that nutmeg is the nut and mace the grated bits that we buy or the other way round.

Any extra iris can be pulled off the main stem and re-potted or thrown into the compost, we had to do same this afternoon in order to get to the over-flow which was clogged up with roots  - all flowing nicely now.  Water will need to settle for at least a week/10 days after filling B4 introducing any plants.

Water World was a good company to browse round, don't know if they are still in business  . 

[Taz2]

We put in our wildlife pond in March. It's settling in well. We only have a really small garden so the pond isn't huge but it's an interesting thing to watch. Obviously being a wildlife and not a fish pond it's not as pretty but the plants are establishing themselves and the water lily has done brilliantly considering it's only it's first year. The frogs are enjoying it. We are hoping for some newts maybe as OH had those in his last pond. Like most people we had no idea they were living in the garden!

Taz x

[CLKD]

Frogs migrate to where there is water.  They also leave the ponds as it gets colder: I can't remember though whether it's the males that do so or the females: which ever are left, bury themselves into the mud which is why it is important to make a gap in any ice that forms.

Newts will eat spawn as well as tadpoles.   I found a toad a few months back ........ and we have a sick frog in the top pond 

Dragonflies here again 

[Hurdity]

I'd LOVE to have a pond!!! Problem is where to put it....front garden is small and has flowers. Back garden is longish and has veg, fruit and greenhouse. Side bit has washing line and piles of wood and is too narrow. Back wild grassland with trees - a bit far from cottage to pop out and look at....and the bottom section of this area has apple trees which are too shady!!

Exactly CLKD - I like the veggies too!!!

Your plans sound amazing Brighteyes - what a lovely large area of ground! What has the area been used for up until now - as you say you've been there a few years?

Taz - interesting how much wildlife you can get in a small area isn't it?

Hurdity  x

[Taz2]

Yes - my garden is twenty feet deep and forty feet wide. It has trees which make it too shady but I like them. Various shrubs etc. It's visited by a couple of foxes each night a badger from time time (hence no hedgehogs) squirrels and so many birds. It's the insects I really like so it is a bit untidy in places which encourages insect visiting.

I was watching one of the wasps nests the other day and was fascinated by some visiting belted hover flies which lay their eggs on wasp larva. This hover fly looks just like a hornet so the wasps, although they rush out to defend their nest, don't actually take much action. I hadn't seen any in action before. http://www.uksafari.com/volucellazonaria.htm

I'm sure you have room for a pond Hurdity. A wildlife pond would fit well in your wild grassland with trees and although it would be a bit of a trek to have a look just think of what you are doing for the local wildlife population. 

Taz x

[CaroleM]

Hurdity, you can make a pond in a washing up bowl or similar. It wouldn't take up much room and you could place it in the best position for you.

You asked what the area had been used for. A lovely mini orchard, 3 eating apples and a good cooker; a cherry that the birds could get to before me; pears and plums. Also a small veg area and the greenhouse. Also, we had a handkerchief tree and a tree peony.  It was lovely. There were fruit trees already in with further up the garden.

DH used to do all the hard physical work, then he had a stroke. I had to take over that part of it. He got so hurt and upset to watch me doing my best to do the jobs that he used to do. He'd get frustrated and angry. So to keep the peace, I let the heavy stuff go.

After being so ice cold angry with the wanton distruction done by our neighbour, to our garden, I took a very heavy deep breath and knew something positive had to come out of it all.  Having your contractor dump 200  tonnes of your rubble in someone's property, despite the area not being in the best condition is just plain nasty.  The site meeting held the next morning saw me, surprising both householder and contractor who didn't expect me to be there, waiting for them. I kept quiet. I actually felt for his landscape gardener, who had told him his actions were wrong and plain illegal. The deal reached meant that householder and contractor removed all the rubble and cleared the rest of the garden, so that we could start again.  Then I informed both that I had already taken legal advice and our solicitor had pen poised to write to them both, informing them, if needed, legal action would be started.  The landscape gardener, I agreed, had no hand in any of this and had withdrawn his services when he saw what had been done.

Poor Stephen was distraught, blaming himself for not being able to keep all the heavy work in hand. When alone, I broke my heart. My amazing husband felt a failure, that made me even more angry. Not with him, but for him.

When he'd got his emotions together I suggested that we should take the opportunity to start over.  We sat down and decided what we want to go where.  Everything will take time, but we'll get there.  His chief jobs are keeping the kettle on and the hens entertained so they don't follow me too closely. He also does as much as he can cutting up the waste to go into the compost bins. Doing it left handed is hard, he's naturally right handed. However, he has no use of that arm and his walking is compromised. He has a special splint and shoes.

That's the story of how I came to have thoughts that positivity had to come out of a horrible mess. Making the pond will be slow but positive. Reading how dark some of you feel, I thought that by sharing this project with all of you, it might help a light appear at the end of a very dark tunnel.

Brighteyes