The Activity Habit
Building a Wildlife Pond
When the world is in lockdown and the garden is in need of an overhaul, what better way of bringing it to life than building a wildlife pond?
Our Summer diary shows how we managed to turn a disused, overgrown and patchy grassed area into a small haven for local wildlife.
Building a Wildlife Pond
The Idea
March 2020
In March 2020 the Covid-19 pandemic forced the closure of businesses, places of interest and leisure facilities while the whole country was put into lockdown. Restrictions on movement and social distancing measures meant that families could not go out on day trips and spent the weekends at home.
During an episode of Countryfile, Matt Baker and his family had produced a film about the construction of a wildlife pond that inspired us to have a go at building one ourselves.
This is how we did it……..
May 2020 - Work Gets Underway
17th May.
We had made some planters out of wood reclaimed from our old timber decking that had been stored behind the conservatory for the past few years. These were placed in position, filled with soil and compost, and planted with the first of many flowers that would arrive in the coming days. Stripping of the turf commenced.
​
22nd May.
With the turf lifted and the ground levelled, we scored a basic shape into the soil and started digging.
​
Building a Wildlife Pond
Taking Shape
24th May 2020
Two days later the pond had been dug to a shape that included shelves at varying levels and a shallow beach area at one corner. This would allow easy escape for any animals that entered the water and fell into difficulty. With the base and sides packed with sand we placed the underlay and liner, securing temporarily with timber before filling with water.
30th May 2020
We had an idea that crazy paving might look good around our pond. We picked up some old paving slabs that had been lifted and were going to be taken to the waste tip from a friend’s house and took a sledge hammer to them. Once the slabs had been reduced to appropriate shapes and sizes they were layed on a sand and cement mixture. Paving to the side of the conservatory would add an additional walkway around the edge.
Building a Wildlife Pond
Almost There!
31st May 2020
The final bits of crazy paving finished off with a circular concrete compass slab.
​
14th June 2020
The crazy paving had been sealed with an epoxy joint filler and the first of the marginal plants had been placed on the top shelf of our pond. More plants had arrived in the planters and solar lighting was providing a nice effect as the sun went down.
A Summer By The Pond
The Garden Comes To Life
17th June 2020
What can we do to be able to watch the pondlife? Build a bench of course!! A home made bench made of leftover decking timber – cut, sanded, varnished and screwed together, then placed on the paving alongside the conservatory.
25th June 2020
Our new flowers seem to be attracting the bees, with the foxglove looking like their favourite, and the odd butterfly has been seen briefly in the garden for the first time in years. We’ve always had plenty of birds visit the garden but notably we have recently seen a lot of sparrows, blackbirds, bluetits, robins, wood pigeons, chaffinches, thrush and a solitary pied wagtail.
​
​
The Wildlife Moves In
The Water Plantain seems to like it’s new home and lots of pretty white flowers have appeared. We have seen two pond skaters, diving beetles, lots of mosquito larvae, a dragonfly and we were thrilled to see this beautiful damselfly visit today.
The Water Plantain seems to like it’s new home and lots of pretty white flowers have appeared. We have seen two pond skaters, diving beetles, lots of mosquito larvae, a dragonfly and we were thrilled to see this beautiful damselfly visit today.
The pondskaters seem to be enjoying their new home and abundance of mozzie larvae to eat.
Lots of Hoverflies are spending time around the pond and the new flowers. Lots of pollination going on….
We’ve also started growing veg, salad and herbs and the grape vine/tree has arrived.
The Bumblebees are loving the foxgloves.
The Wildlife Moves In
Look at this! A Long Jawed Orb Weaver ( a spider to you and me!). Living on our Water Plantain and spinning webs to catch the midges.
We’re brightening the planters and pots up with some nice painted stones. Artwork by Faye Hankin (with a couple of masterpieces by Mum too!)
Look what’s arrived!! A rather large frog! Super excited about this and later on we found a second smaller one sat on some of the sea grass we had planted.
The Wildlife Moves In
The large frog has gone but the smaller one has stuck around. He seems to like the water lettuce.
Originally named Shrek, he now seems to be referred to as Freddie – so much easier to say….
​
We’ve added some new plants today. A pygmy water lily, another fibre optic grass, a marsh marigold and golden buttons.
We’ve also added some more pea gravel to the beach to make a shallower escape for any animals that might need to get out of the pond.
The water lily has flowered for the first time and we have received a visit from a Small Tortoiseshell butterfly. We have also seen 2 Peacock butterflies today and a large dragonfly! We’ve tried to identify it and it looks like the Southern Hawker is the closest match we can find.
The Wildlife Moves In
We’ve spotted two different types of larvae in the pond today. A bit of research suggests that we might have both dragonfly and damselfly (or mayfly) larvae living in our pond!
Late evening a we spotted two frogs in the pond clinging together. They don’t look like the same two we have previously seen…..
Around the pond edge, the golden buttons are starting to flower as is the Cosmos and our Magnolia now has quite a few white flowers emerging. The Lobelia Queen Victoria is making a nice recovery after struggling in the pond edge and we are now seeing the start of bright red flowers
