Our Wildlife Pond - Part 2
In the last edition of this blog, I explained how our pond was built by my partner Dan during Lockdown 1. I would not have known where to start with constructing a pond specifically to support British wildflowers and fauna, so here is a step-by-step guide from Dan on the physical build for our pond. Here’s what we needed to make it happen:
Due to limited space we used a pre-formed pond mould but a pond liner can work well.
Heavy-duty spade
Large (1 ft length) chunks of Welsh blue slate (or a stone of your choosing available from local builder’s merchants)
Gravel substrate
Pre-formed waterfall
Submersible electric pump,
Wildlife mesh net bag for the pump (to prevent small invertebrates from being drawn into it)
Lots and lots of digging!
Method:
Measure out the size of the pond mould and excavate the turf and earth. I found listening to music or a good audio book specifically helpful. Keep hold of the excavated earth!
Place the pond mould in the hole and use the excavated earth and turf to create an elevated end. This will serve as a rockery area and section for a waterfall. Ensure the pond is as level as possible.
Pour the pond gravel substrate into the bottom of the pond and fill with water; this can be rainwater or be sure to treat tap water with a de-chlorinator to remove chlorine and other toxic elements, harmful to aquatic life. We also used various treatments to establish a healthy nitrogen cycle and balance.
Place the pump into the mesh wildlife bag and lower into the bottom of the pond. To be extra safe, we also placed an upturned aquatic plant pot on top of the netted pump to make double sure the wildlife is protected.
Attach the pipes from the pump to the waterfall with a flow adjustor tap to control the flow of the water to the waterfall.
We’ve recently added an oxygen pump connected to the mains (we did have a solar one but it was not reliable enough) to agitate the surface waters and ensure oxygenated water.
We also used smart plugs to control the waterfall and oxygen pump, setting a timer (to prevent late night switching off) and the ability to switch on and off from our phones.
Ensure there are platforms and ramps to allow all wildlife to easily get out of the pond. Bricks or a rock can be placed near the edge for birds and invertebrates to drink.
During the summer months, you will need to top up the pond with either rainwater (if you have some stored) or treated tap water. We selected native pond plants including marginal and fully aquatic species.
In terms of pond care, the dual action of the waterfall and oxygen pump help to disperse duckweed; this is a huge help with pond maintenance and saves so much time scooping it out which can feel like painting the Forth Rail Bridge! We also use Pond Bombs once a year to ensure suitable PH. Other than that, the pond should be a self-contained ecosystem which pretty much regulates itself.
The main thing to remember is that any water, even a washing up bowl or bucket, can be re-purposed to make a pond. Having a pond of any size is the single best change you can make to increase biodiversity in the garden. It’s such a pleasure on a spring day to spend a few minutes lost in thought at the pond’s edge.