Some of the staff and residents asked if i could build a wildlife pond in the grounds. Manager said ok but very little funds available,so if you can do it for under £250 ? Then ok. So I've made a start. I think I can make something nice in this area with the budget ,I'll just need to be sensible, brick edging and some slate ,pond liner and a few plants for now . Then add rocks and knomes later . I'll add progress pics as I go. Start of dig ,150 mm of soil and then it's very hard compacted sub base ,bricks and a load of crushed rubble and ballast Nice. So I've brought my breaker in today to help loosen this. I used it for years to break concrete drives and paths,but it's great with a tarmac cutter fitted for loosening hard ground especially after a long dry spell. Photos loaded at the top ..grr
Just one concern. You say 'staff and residents', what kind of establishment is this and does the pond need any safety precautions to prevent any vulnerable/less capable residents falling in and coming to harm? You might also want to cut a few discreet holes in the bottom of the fence (9"x9" should do it) to let any 'wildlife' to pass through. I remember reading somewhere a while ago that the tightly fenced garden network that is so common nowadays is a huge problem to wildlife.
health & Saftey I got a large rubber ring at the ready when we started to fill ours, we diddn't need it in the end but it was reassuring that it was there.
You have one of the basics very wrong. You need a gnome now.....not when its established He has to get settled in and be there to welcome the wildlife. Is there a hose nearby? Its amazing (and annoying) how quickly it evaporates in summer. Have you got electrics for a basic pump.......just to help oxygenate it.
You really don't need a pump if it's enouigh volume of water. We have a biggish pond which is full of fish and newts and the odd grass snake, and it's fine. We never put the fish in there, but apparently the eggs arrive on herons' feet. And the herons do an impressive job in keeping their numbers down as well.
My parents asked me to dig a pond one summer holiday, but they were a bit sketchy about what size they wanted it - my instructions were to dig a pond-sized hole where the old greenhouse had been. When they came in from work I'd dug a hole roughly 6 foot wide, 10 feet long and about 5 1/2 foot deep in the middle where I'd tried to get to the water table.
True.......that is why I said "helps oxygenate". Didnt realise that about how fish eggs can get there.
You need to put a fence round that even if its just chicken wire on posts because someone will slip in and either have an accident or drown.All it takes is for someone to fit near it and their in.
It's a wildlife pond Not fish. I'll put a little chain fence up . This pond is tucked away so not really a danger to our residents. The grounds are quite large and have picket fences and open areas @I like Skol so no prob for wildlife. It will be about 450-500 mm deep so just enough for frogs newts and plants. If any small fish move in they may or may not survive. My own pond is the same and that seems to work fine oxygenating wise,just needs the right plants
