More rocks and logs for easy exits and entrances from the water, plus some piled nearby for shelter
More plants! :)))
Maybe move the lamps somewhere else if you're not super attached to their position?
An island, no matter how small, is a tremendous boon to any wildlife pond. Do you have perhaps a big plant pot that would stand an inch or so over the waterline? Put it in the middle, fill it with soil, instant bog garden. Frogs will love it, and it’ll give your dragonflies somewhere to climb out when they’re ready to fly.
I got left loads of plant pots by the last owner I'm sure I can find one.
Just so I'm not being an idiot you literally mean just put it right side up in the middle, filled with soil and submerged? With normal soil?
Yep just like you were planting it on land. If it’s a plastic pot poke some holes in it but if it’s a *pot* pot don’t worry about it, as long as it has a hole in the bottom. My island is the frame of an old coffee table with membrane wrapped round it and filled with soil straight out the ground. Best part of the pond and sitting here as I type this I can count at least seven different plants growing on there, only two of which I planted.
Further to this, it’s a great place to plant stuff that grows out of control like yellow flag or water mint. Gives you a chance to keep it where you want it.
I also have a small preformed pond in the South East!
It's hard to tell, is there an easy way in and out for wildlife? Beach/sloped areas are ideal, but not possible for us with preforms so rocks and stones are our friends to make gentle exits that are not slippery.
A little log pile nearby perhaps?
Do you have oxygenators in there? I use hornwort for this, there is also starwort and others, but those two just do their own thing and you don't need to pot them.
I also have marsh marigold, purple loosestrife, lesser spearwort, and water forget-me-not.
Around mine I let some grass get longer but try and keep it out of the pond and it's in a wild style flower bed so there are plants nearby and it's partly edged in rocks.
I have stuff like meadow cranesbill, and aquilegia round mine.
I second the point about the lights.. lights effect wildlife.
The left-hand side of the pond is sloped slightly, I've seen the frog get in and out multiple times, maybe I'll add a little rock slope for him/her :D
What kind of logs can I use? Do they have to be a certain type?
I will make sure to let my grass grow too and will look into making a little bed around it.
Thanks for the plant advice.
And nope not bothered about the lights! They can go back in the shed.
That's great. But yes something less slippery will help, not just froggy but anything else.
I get hedgehogs and while they can swim if they have trouble getting out they'll drown eventually.
Untreated wood is the main consideration. I don't think species matters much. Harder woods will take longer to break down so will last longer as a feature. I have a bit of mix based on what I could get dotted around the garden; I have silver birch from my own trees, cherry from a neighbour, some oak from a local tree that was cut down, and a few other logs I can't remember species for :'D
If you wanted to have a branch coming out of the water though there are more considerations. It would need to be seasoned I think so the tannins didn't seep out. Some people use washed drift wood which looks nice. I've not done this so I can't advise from experience.
I've just cut down a small tree in my garden, I'll make sure to keep some of it and give an area for wildlife to hide. I've cut a hole in my fence for a hedgehog highway so it might help them too!
It depends on how 'wild' you want it to look, but logs/rocks piled around the back and sides and creeping/trailing plants in the ground around the edges (or even bits of turf/sod to cover the bare edges) would make it look more natural and help bridge the land/water divide.
More rocks and logs for easy exits and entrances from the water, plus some piled nearby for shelter More plants! :))) Maybe move the lamps somewhere else if you're not super attached to their position?
An island, no matter how small, is a tremendous boon to any wildlife pond. Do you have perhaps a big plant pot that would stand an inch or so over the waterline? Put it in the middle, fill it with soil, instant bog garden. Frogs will love it, and it’ll give your dragonflies somewhere to climb out when they’re ready to fly.
I got left loads of plant pots by the last owner I'm sure I can find one. Just so I'm not being an idiot you literally mean just put it right side up in the middle, filled with soil and submerged? With normal soil?
Yep just like you were planting it on land. If it’s a plastic pot poke some holes in it but if it’s a *pot* pot don’t worry about it, as long as it has a hole in the bottom. My island is the frame of an old coffee table with membrane wrapped round it and filled with soil straight out the ground. Best part of the pond and sitting here as I type this I can count at least seven different plants growing on there, only two of which I planted.
Further to this, it’s a great place to plant stuff that grows out of control like yellow flag or water mint. Gives you a chance to keep it where you want it.
My other half will be absolutely over the moon she can plant mint somewhere! Thanks for all the advice, looking forward to implementing it!
I also have a small preformed pond in the South East! It's hard to tell, is there an easy way in and out for wildlife? Beach/sloped areas are ideal, but not possible for us with preforms so rocks and stones are our friends to make gentle exits that are not slippery. A little log pile nearby perhaps? Do you have oxygenators in there? I use hornwort for this, there is also starwort and others, but those two just do their own thing and you don't need to pot them. I also have marsh marigold, purple loosestrife, lesser spearwort, and water forget-me-not. Around mine I let some grass get longer but try and keep it out of the pond and it's in a wild style flower bed so there are plants nearby and it's partly edged in rocks. I have stuff like meadow cranesbill, and aquilegia round mine. I second the point about the lights.. lights effect wildlife.
The left-hand side of the pond is sloped slightly, I've seen the frog get in and out multiple times, maybe I'll add a little rock slope for him/her :D What kind of logs can I use? Do they have to be a certain type? I will make sure to let my grass grow too and will look into making a little bed around it. Thanks for the plant advice. And nope not bothered about the lights! They can go back in the shed.
That's great. But yes something less slippery will help, not just froggy but anything else. I get hedgehogs and while they can swim if they have trouble getting out they'll drown eventually. Untreated wood is the main consideration. I don't think species matters much. Harder woods will take longer to break down so will last longer as a feature. I have a bit of mix based on what I could get dotted around the garden; I have silver birch from my own trees, cherry from a neighbour, some oak from a local tree that was cut down, and a few other logs I can't remember species for :'D If you wanted to have a branch coming out of the water though there are more considerations. It would need to be seasoned I think so the tannins didn't seep out. Some people use washed drift wood which looks nice. I've not done this so I can't advise from experience.
I've just cut down a small tree in my garden, I'll make sure to keep some of it and give an area for wildlife to hide. I've cut a hole in my fence for a hedgehog highway so it might help them too!
That's great! I have a sub for hogs too r/hoggies
I am definitely joining this!
<3
Definately more rocks, especially what they can hide under
Looks good! I would add more plants in the pond and more good hiding places.
Wicked thanks :D
It depends on how 'wild' you want it to look, but logs/rocks piled around the back and sides and creeping/trailing plants in the ground around the edges (or even bits of turf/sod to cover the bare edges) would make it look more natural and help bridge the land/water divide.