4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[MedusA]

(Sorry if this should be somewhere else. Mods, please feel free to move it.)

 

I've not been around much for the last few days, for which I apologise. The reaon for my absence is that OH and I have been up the allotments making what we hope will be a wildlife haven and a pond. The pond is 3 metres X 2.5 metres and 80 centimetres deep with a gradual slope to a shallow pebble beach at one end. We've built a planting shelf which now has numerous native pond and marginal plants. We've surrounded it with old logs, which will hopefully provide lots of insect habitat. We're now planting up the area around it with native plants. We are so pleased with it. I can't wait to see the first creatures to take up residence. There is a brief photo gallery on Photobucket if you'd like to take a look.

 

http://s227.photobucket.com/albums/dd41/MedusA72/Allotments/Pond%20building%20May%2008/

 

I think I'd better get back to tending my veggies now. I'm sure some of the "old hand" allotmenteers think I'm everso slightly barking!

[Egluntyne]

It looks wonderful. Well done.

 

I like the "MedusA" touch.

 

Edited for typo. It's my keyboard, honestly!

Edited June 10, 2008 by Guest

[Guest]

wow Lin - that looks lovely - I know how much work it is to dig out a hole that big - but it will bring you HOURS of pleasure.

 

Me and Carys (youngest daughter) dug one out 3 years ago - a bit smaller than yours (well.. I dug it!) as a father-daughter project - and i used to sit for ages just watching the dragonflies - and she still loves pond-dipping in it years later....

 

like yours - it is a wildlife pond - no fish - zillions of newts - it is AMAZING how quickly life moves in!

 

here's how it looks now... (photos from today)

 

planted up a grass and hollyhocks bed on one side...

 

 

 

this is awesome stuff - water hawthorn - i can't reccomend it enough

 

 

 

is just a natural wildlife pond with no big predators - with the exception of the small crocodile in the shallow end.....

 

 

 

one thought..

 

I love the logs - but you might find them a hindrance when you have to lean in to remove barrow-loads of blanket-weed.....

 

you'll really love your pond - they are FANTASTIC things to have,

 

Phil

[chickencam]

We have a wildlife pond at our allotment too in a shaded area that doesn't really work for growing.

 

There are loads of tadpoles soon to be frogs in there at the moment

[Snowy]

Gorgeous pond Medusa, and so is your's Phil!

We have a fish pond in the garden, but I am now thinking of a wildlife pond on the lottie I wonder if it will be allowed?

[chocchick]

is just a natural wildlife pond with no big predators - with the exception of the small crocodile in the shallow end.....

Eek!

 

Your pond looks lovely Medusa

[Mrs Frugal]

That's a lovely pond, Medusa. The frogs won't take long to find it. We built one about 10 years ago now and within a week or so, we had a toad in residence. The wildlife will love it.

[Phonix]

wow beautiful pond MedusA and loving the croc Phil lol

xXx

[Tiggy]

I have a very small wildlife pool but it is constantly covered with blanket weed how do I get rid of it

[Tessa the Duchess]

I have a very small wildlife pool but it is constantly covered with blanket weed how do I get rid of it

 

You can buy chemicals to get rid of it. I don't use chemicals, I just try and fish it all out about every 2 weeks, I leave it in heaps near the pond so that

anything alive can jump back in Then I put it in the composter. We had terrible trouble with duck weed which is like tiny little green circular leaves which multiply really fast In the end we had to drain the pond and start all over again I planted some water aereating plants last year and the water seems to stay much clearer. We have frogs, toads, tadpoles which are half frogs and we get loads of dragon flies. I love wildlife ponds and think every garden should have one.

 

Tessa

[Egluntyne]

Funny how crocs creep into most threads.

 

I thought your crocs were orange revnev.

[Tiggy]

[. We had terrible trouble with duck weed which is like tiny little green circular leaves which multiply really fast

 

 

I think that is what we have the pond looks like a sunken lawn most of the time every time I drag it out its back again the next day

[keyhole kate]

Hi All

 

Best way to control Blanket weed is to get/buy some barley straw stuff into a leg of and old pair of tights try stuffing from foot to ankle secure and sink in pond this breaks down changing the chemical balance which allowed the blanket weed to grow, stops it in its tracks! you might have to sink a few depending on size of pond works for us and we keep fish!

 

Lynn

[Guest]

I have a very small wildlife pool but it is constantly covered with blanket weed how do I get rid of it

 

 

there are chemicals - but many doubt their efficacy - and they have to harm other stuff..b (aquaclean??)

 

Koi Carp people use ultra-sonic devices which are supposed to stop it - but seems a bit extreme!

 

 

tessa is right... the best way is to fish it out by hand. most effective method (I have found) is to grab some and then wind it round and round your hand - that way you pull up whole clusters of it in one go - you can be winding for ages!!!

 

if you just grab and pull - it breaks off...

 

i also leave it by the side cos there are always loads of newts and larvae and bugs trapped in it - they make their own way back.. often I spend quite a while picking it apart to look for them and set them free!

 

Phil

[Tessa the Duchess]

[. We had terrible trouble with duck weed which is like tiny little green circular leaves which multiply really fast

 

 

I think that is what we have the pond looks like a sunken lawn most of the time every time I drag it out its back again the next day

 

The only way to get rid of it is to remove every single tiny leaf a totally impossible task I saw a news item that said they were having trouble with duck weed in the ponds on Hampstead Heath, they were importing some little beetle thing from Asia which eats duck week. I phoned them and asked if I could have some beetles, they said 'NO" due to 'elf and safety

So we put all the frogs and things in a baby bath and drained the pond put a new liner in a started again. I hate duck weed

[abwsco]

Fantastic ponds. I'd love one in our garden but the chickens went where a pond could have gone -lol

[Yorkshire Pudding]

We just resurrected one - previous owners had filled it in and made a pebble pool for their toddler's safety.

 

Now it's a pond again with rushes and a lily in the middle. No frogs yet though!

[chelsea]

wow, both lovely ponds guys. stunning.

 

We have one, but it needs a refit - the liner is leaking. I will know who to contact to help me do the new one dont I?!

[Guest]

wow, both lovely ponds guys. stunning.

 

We have one, but it needs a refit - the liner is leaking. I will know who to contact to help me do the new one dont I?!

 

errr... I think I'm on holiday that week..

 

goodness! is that the time!

 

must dash.....

 

Phil

[chelsea]

wow, both lovely ponds guys. stunning.

 

We have one, but it needs a refit - the liner is leaking. I will know who to contact to help me do the new one dont I?!

 

errr... I think I'm on holiday that week..

 

goodness! is that the time!

 

must dash.....

 

Phil

 

Oi !!

 

I'd throw in cake and watching highlights of Chelsea for lunch

[Guest]

I'd love one but its too hard to dig in our garden - clay soil! I was going to use a tubtrug but having seen these great ponds I've gone right off that idea!

[Basset]

I love your ponds, they are beautiful.

 

We built a new pond a few weeks ago, unfortunately within a week the heron had stolen our fish and puntured the liner!!!! So, some repair work and a cover are required.

[gooner.girl]

wow, both lovely ponds guys. stunning.

 

We have one, but it needs a refit - the liner is leaking. I will know who to contact to help me do the new one dont I?!

 

errr... I think I'm on holiday that week..

 

goodness! is that the time!

 

must dash.....

 

Phil

 

Oi !!

 

I'd throw in cake and watching highlights of Chelsea for lunch

 

Errr. Now theres an offer he won't refuse Chelse...

[MedusA]

Thank you all for your complimentary remarks and words of encouragment. Your established pond looks brilliant, Phil.

 

I have already got barley straw in there in anticipation of the blanket weed. I can always use a long-handled rake-type gadget if we do get some. Failing that, it's wading in from the shallow end! I've got duckweed on my tiny garden pond - sieving it out is the only natural control method. I would never use chemicals.

 

I was really excited yesterday as we got our first creatures - a pond skater and a few diving beetly things. *woohoo*

 

It's pond number 3 at our allotment society, so there was a previous precedent. If anyone wants to make one and isn't sure, just remind the committee how many slugs a frog can eat!