MAIN POND The outline and position obviously are the first stage of planning a pond. Here you can see a separate circular zone shown to the right of the picture bedded in with turf and made from logs and sticks. Situated close to the water I hoped to encourage a variety of creatures and increase biodiversity. Grass turf was used to stabilise the log and stick construction. The whole process designed for minimising the work and maximising surplus from the dig.
Trees were planted and positioned so parts of pond would be in shade some or all of the time.
At this stage it is relatively easy to change the shape or depth depending on what the hole reveals. Lots of various sized rocks were found on this project deposited by melting glaciers. High levels of clay with a wide variety of partially or fully rounded rocks from the process of erosion emerged. Some 30 cm or more and others down to gravel size.
SMALL POND The digging is the most time consuming aspect of wildlife pond creation. I have tried to create lots of nooks and crannies here using old broken slabs. The viewing area has slabs and eventually a wooden bridge positioned to enable closer observation of pond life and shelter for wildlife. The only cost for this pond was the membrane the rest was sourced from waste on skips etc. The reeds and other plants were liberated from the Double Pond shown further below.
SMALL POND The reeds form an essential habitat for creatures like dragonflies and the cherry trees planted at the top of above picture now provide some shade at midday, especially important in the Summer. Today the pond is full of frogs and various species of water beetles including water boatman. It does require some work to keep some clear water areas.
MAIN POND The main pond has room for lots of different microhabitats. An attempt at providing a home for amphibian's like newts has been created with a slab on top of logs and twigs.
The nature of the soil means that trees and plants take a while to get established. On the left hand picture I protected an area (top left) from hungry rabbits. They make it difficult for seeds to grow into flowers likely to attract pollinators like bees.
DOUBLE POND The was my first attempt at a large pond and was ambitious with two interconnected sections deep and shallow.
I used a plastic membrane which at some point developed a leak in the small shallow pond.
The pond itself however is full of wildlife although only the main pond has enough water in it. The small pond has silted up.
DOUBLE POND A channel between the two sides enabled run off and ensured a variation in water depth in the shallow smaller pool. The pool sides were sloped so all rainfall found its way into the pool. The ledges also create damp areas where rainfall accumulates under rocks at the edge of the pond. An essential micro habitat for amphibians' like frogs and newts.
I regretted the grass effect membrane and will be rectifying that this winter 2023/4. It has not stood the test of time and is always damp.
DOUBLE POND (above)Rain water gradually accumulated in my first construction - placing tarpaulin so rain was channeled into the two ponds took a while but eventually filled them both. Rain water from the sheep shelter was also used to add water to these ponds.
FIBREGLASS POND (below) The biggest challenge here was digging to the shape of the preformed pond which is designed to provide varying depths. With a membrane the shape is less critical as it sits on any bumps and unlevel areas. With this however I had to do a lot of levelling and measuring. It however is a very robust pond and has matured and is useful monitoring the arrival of migrating birds and first frogspawn.
