Comments on: How to make a really good wildlife pond (3): the pictures

By: jonspond

jonspond — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 12:24:15 +0000

The carpet has to be made of ‘natural materials’ as this sort of material is often used as a ‘mulch’ on gardening plots for example – the natural fibres will eventually bio-degrade under a mulch – while the chemicals found in synthetic fibres would possibly leech out into any water –

Not sure how much carpet is actually ‘natural’ fibre nowadays – The preservatives, and other treatments in the carpet may be a worry.

I am planning a new pond at my allotment where I am going to create a larger version of my garden pond – I may try carpet or hessiah sacking under the sand or washed gravel.

By: Penny Shouler

Penny Shouler — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 21:29:37 +0000

Hi Jeremy,

I’m currently in the planning stages of a wildlife pond for my garden and came across your blog, which is full of very helpful advice and information. I’d love to see a photo of what your pond looks like now, two years on.

By: Jeremy Biggs

Jeremy Biggs — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 09:17:45 +0000

Hi Pamela

Sounds like a good idea – making a natural base over butyl seems to me a challenge we haven’t quite sussed yet.

My only worry might be (I’ve no evidence) nasties in the carpet. But I don’t know what carpet is made of.

Jeremy

By: Pamela Simpson

Pamela Simpson — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 21:08:34 +0000

Dear Jeremy

Something important you did not mention or do when you built your pond, & many book & web sites do not mention it either: put an old carpet OVER the liner as well as one underneath. This is to:
a) hide the unnatural-looking rubber;
b) protect the liner from UV light, cats’ claws, etc;
c) give small plants something to root into;
d) allow algae to grow & make a natural-looking lining.

Pamela Simpson

By: Dalibor

Dalibor — Tue, 17 May 2011 18:35:00 +0000

That would be great – I’ll e-mail you my contact details to Pond Conservation. Many thanks, Dalibor

By: Jeremy Biggs

Jeremy Biggs — Fri, 13 May 2011 08:16:15 +0000

I know at least one small nice pond in a front garden in Abingdon so it’s quite do-able. I could put you in contact with the owner if that would help – I’m sure she wouldn’t mind showing you the pond.

Jeremy

By: Dalibor

Dalibor — Thu, 12 May 2011 19:15:40 +0000

Hi Jeremy, I live in Abingdon and have a small front and back garden – do I have any chance of fitting in a pond that would work sustainably? The place I have most space is in the front garden, but it’s by a public footpath…

By: Alastair Davidson

Alastair Davidson — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 22:07:31 +0000

Hi, Jeremy (and everyone else). My pond is into its third year. It was filled with tap water and within 24 hours of filling, there were insects swimming around under the surface. The first year it went green with algae and then went brown. This year, it tried to go green with huge whisps of algae, but I twisted it out with a garden tine rake and so far the water’s stayed remarkably clean. I have a great diving beetle that looks like a small turtle, and some of the same species’ evil looking larvae. (Boy are they wicked things or what?) Also got waterboatmen of various sizes, and one damsel fly last year. Starlings and sparrows bath at the shallow end. Sorry, no educational information here, I just love talking about it.

By: paul

paul — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 15:25:41 +0000

Hi Jeremy i put in a pre formed plastic pond last year as a wild life pond and in the autum the water ended up stinking from what i think was the amount of leaves in it which fall from a nearby huge oak tree, so had to empty and fill with tap water and make sure not to many leaves fall in was up there every day with a net to remove them. Anyway havent had any frog spawn yet so one day when i was out walking the dog i went past a local natruel wildlife pond which always dries out in the summer but seemed to be drying out already with little puddles with spawn and tadpoles in which were surely going to die in no time so i went back with a tin and took them for my pond where they seem to be doing fine i even spotted a fully grown newt in there yesterday, my question is was what i did ok for my pond and also having used tap water will this be a problem forever in my pond or will the negatives of tap water go over time, i also introduced some snails i collected they are quite strange two pence coin shaped and size will these be ok

By: Jeremy Biggs

Jeremy Biggs — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 05:08:34 +0000

Hi Liz – oils and films appearing on water when there’s an obvious source of pollution are usually natural bacterial or algal films and, though it’s hard to be certain, will probably turn out to be harmless.

Jeremy