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Siting and Design
Careful pond siting and design will maximise the pool’s wildlife potential. There are various approaches, but the ones considered most appropriate from our experience include:
- Siting the pool where it will obtain a fair amount of summer sunshine
- Not too much shading from overhanging trees or shrubs; but a little shade from poolside plants
- A moderately deep centre to help stabilise pond temperature and reduce green water algae
- Shelved contours (for planting), and shallows or a beach area to encourage wildlife and ease access
- Plant into baskets/containers to restrict excessive plant growth and limit loose soil
- Provide a link with the rest of the garden e.g. adjacent plant borders and not a complete ring of paving
- Provide nearby perches and shelter (piles of logs or stones) for e.g. birds and amphibians
Stocking
Take care when adding plants to avoid introducing unwanted weeds. Amphibians generally turn up of their own accord. Don’t move spawn from other places as this can sometimes spread disease.
- Aim for a good balance of plants: underwater, marginal, floating
- Avoid invasive plants (whether exotic or native)
- Avoid adding many fish, if any at all
- Definitely avoid large messy fish like koi/carp © www.watergardensolutions.co.uk
Management
The pond may be wild, but it will still benefit from some routine maintenance:
- Avoid feeding too much fish food or using plant fertilizers
- Avoid using stronger pond treatments or pesticides around the pond
- Net over in the autumn to keep out excess leaves
- Pull out blackened, decaying plant materials in the Autumn.
- Trim back taller plant remains in the early Spring, just as new growth begins.
- Ensure some of the water surface (ideally at least a third) is kept free of plants
- Remove and compost excessive plant growth and prevent surrounding soil from washing into the pool
- Top up with clean rainwater when possible (beneficially lower in nutrients than most tapwater)
- If you need to top up with tapwater, use an appropriate water conditioner
- Save as much pond water as possible when the pond finally requires cleaning
- If your pond has Great Crested Newts (legally protected) you should leave major maintenance to the winter months (Government advice)
WaterGardenSolutions has designed wildlife-pools to incorporate the best varieties of water plants, giving a balance between being attractive to wildlife and being attractive to owners. By using native plants where appropriate and avoiding invasive plants, balanced conditions can be obtained that are most beneficial to wildlife. copyright www.watergardensolutions.co.uk
If you would like a wildlife pond in your garden, or want to alter an existing pond to be more wildlife friendly, Contact Us to discuss our design services.
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