Ideas for a pond please

fionaquinton

I'm overwhelmed by ideas from Pinterest! I have a new area at the back of my garden where I'm thinking of a pond or area for maringinal plants. I'd particularly like a Gunera. However I don't want to have to dig down too far and wondered if anyone has some innovative ideas for a shallow - or raised - water feature? I don't want any stream or fountain. 
Thanks 

fionaquinton

It's the back section of the garden I'm looking at - where the black plastic is. It's bigger than it looks here. I want a water feature to encourage wildlife and plant acquatic or marginal plants. 

Astraeus

fionaquinton said:

It's the back section of the garden I'm looking at - where the black plastic is. It's bigger than it looks here. I want a water feature to encourage wildlife and plant acquatic or marginal plants. 

Where the compost bins are? I'd be tempted to build a natural rock waterfall up into the corner. It wouldn't look like such a mound as it would if it was in the centre of the garden and, done properly and naturalised, they look wonderful. The choice is yours when it comes to the pond itself - you could have a pondless waterfall, which drains into pebbles and then pumps it back up to the waterfall. You could have that but with a shallow pool for birds to wash in. For aquatic plants, many will be fine in as little as 10 centimetres of water but a true pond, 40cm plus deep with shelves, will be the best for attracting wildlife and giving you the widest choice of aquatic plants.

What soil do you have? I am in fairly heavy clay but, picking the right time of the year, it isn't too difficult to dig down to 50cm.

Posy

It isn't difficult to make a bog garden or small pond with a liner, although pre-formed ponds can be tricky to level, but your problem is that you have to make a decision. Any wet area or water will attract wildlife of one sort or another and most will look attractive, too. Marginal plants need boggy conditions so if you have a raised area you won't be able to blend your planting. I would advise against gunnera. They are lovely but much too big for the space you have, even if you have no other plants.

KeenOnGreen

We had two ponds at home, and had to dig down to get them to ground level, it was hard work.  We moved one of them to our allotment, but instead of digging down, we kept the pond sat on the surface of the ground, and used cut logs to support the surround.  We filled in between the logs and the pond with soil, and have planted with alpine plants/sedums, etc.  Much easier, and we think it looks good.



It's early days, but the planting will soon cover the edges of the pond.  This is often a problem with pre-formed ponds, it can be tricky to hide the edges.  

fionaquinton

KeenOnGreen said:

We had two ponds at home, and had to dig down to get them to ground level, it was hard work.  We moved one of them to our allotment, but instead of digging down, we kept the pond sat on the surface of the ground, and used cut logs to support the surround.  We filled in between the logs and the pond with soil, and have planted with alpine plants/sedums, etc.  Much easier, and we think it looks good.



It's early days, but the planting will soon cover the edges of the pond.  This is often a problem with pre-formed ponds, it can be tricky to hide the edges.  

That looks really nice. I always think it's hard to hide the edges of pond liner but I see your point about preformed ponds. I see you are well tucked up for winter on the allotment!

fionaquinton

Astraeus said:

fionaquinton said:

It's the back section of the garden I'm looking at - where the black plastic is. It's bigger than it looks here. I want a water feature to encourage wildlife and plant acquatic or marginal plants. 

Where the compost bins are? I'd be tempted to build a natural rock waterfall up into the corner. It wouldn't look like such a mound as it would if it was in the centre of the garden and, done properly and naturalised, they look wonderful. The choice is yours when it comes to the pond itself - you could have a pondless waterfall, which drains into pebbles and then pumps it back up to the waterfall. You could have that but with a shallow pool for birds to wash in. For aquatic plants, many will be fine in as little as 10 centimetres of water but a true pond, 40cm plus deep with shelves, will be the best for attracting wildlife and giving you the widest choice of aquatic plants.

What soil do you have? I am in fairly heavy clay but, picking the right time of the year, it isn't too difficult to dig down to 50cm.

Astraeus said:

fionaquinton said:

It's the back section of the garden I'm looking at - where the black plastic is. It's bigger than it looks here. I want a water feature to encourage wildlife and plant acquatic or marginal plants. 

Where the compost bins are? I'd be tempted to build a natural rock waterfall up into the corner. It wouldn't look like such a mound as it would if it was in the centre of the garden and, done properly and naturalised, they look wonderful. The choice is yours when it comes to the pond itself - you could have a pondless waterfall, which drains into pebbles and then pumps it back up to the waterfall. You could have that but with a shallow pool for birds to wash in. For aquatic plants, many will be fine in as little as 10 centimetres of water but a true pond, 40cm plus deep with shelves, will be the best for attracting wildlife and giving you the widest choice of aquatic plants.

What soil do you have? I am in fairly heavy clay but, picking the right time of the year, it isn't too difficult to dig down to 50cm.

Astraeus said:

fionaquinton said:

It's the back section of the garden I'm looking at - where the black plastic is. It's bigger than it looks here. I want a water feature to encourage wildlife and plant acquatic or marginal plants. 

Where the compost bins are? I'd be tempted to build a natural rock waterfall up into the corner. It wouldn't look like such a mound as it would if it was in the centre of the garden and, done properly and naturalised, they look wonderful. The choice is yours when it comes to the pond itself - you could have a pondless waterfall, which drains into pebbles and then pumps it back up to the waterfall. You could have that but with a shallow pool for birds to wash in. For aquatic plants, many will be fine in as little as 10 centimetres of water but a true pond, 40cm plus deep with shelves, will be the best for attracting wildlife and giving you the widest choice of aquatic plants.

What soil do you have? I am in fairly heavy clay but, picking the right time of the year, it isn't too difficult to dig down to 50cm.

Astraeus said:

fionaquinton said:

It's the back section of the garden I'm looking at - where the black plastic is. It's bigger than it looks here. I want a water feature to encourage wildlife and plant acquatic or marginal plants. 

Where the compost bins are? I'd be tempted to build a natural rock waterfall up into the corner. It wouldn't look like such a mound as it would if it was in the centre of the garden and, done properly and naturalised, they look wonderful. The choice is yours when it comes to the pond itself - you could have a pondless waterfall, which drains into pebbles and then pumps it back up to the waterfall. You could have that but with a shallow pool for birds to wash in. For aquatic plants, many will be fine in as little as 10 centimetres of water but a true pond, 40cm plus deep with shelves, will be the best for attracting wildlife and giving you the widest choice of aquatic plants.

What soil do you have? I am in fairly heavy clay but, picking the right time of the year, it isn't too difficult to dig down to 50cm.

Astraeus said:

fionaquinton said:

It's the back section of the garden I'm looking at - where the black plastic is. It's bigger than it looks here. I want a water feature to encourage wildlife and plant acquatic or marginal plants. 

Where the compost bins are? I'd be tempted to build a natural rock waterfall up into the corner. It wouldn't look like such a mound as it would if it was in the centre of the garden and, done properly and naturalised, they look wonderful. The choice is yours when it comes to the pond itself - you could have a pondless waterfall, which drains into pebbles and then pumps it back up to the waterfall. You could have that but with a shallow pool for birds to wash in. For aquatic plants, many will be fine in as little as 10 centimetres of water but a true pond, 40cm plus deep with shelves, will be the best for attracting wildlife and giving you the widest choice of aquatic plants.

What soil do you have? I am in fairly heavy clay but, picking the right time of the year, it isn't too difficult to dig down to 50cm.

It's clay soil. It's not the bit by the bins but the middle section behind the pergola. I'm so loath to dig that I thought maybe a shallow raised pond but haven't found anything I like. Most sites say at least 15 cm deep. 

fionaquinton

Posy said:

It isn't difficult to make a bog garden or small pond with a liner, although pre-formed ponds can be tricky to level, but your problem is that you have to make a decision. Any wet area or water will attract wildlife of one sort or another and most will look attractive, too. Marginal plants need boggy conditions so if you have a raised area you won't be able to blend your planting. I would advise against gunnera. They are lovely but much too big for the space you have, even if you have no other plants.

I know what you mean about gunnera but I do like big leaves! 

Astraeus

Two things to bear in mind with that site:

1. It has a large overhanging tree which, in summer, may leave it in shadow for much of the day and, in autumn, will drop its leaves into the pond. Buy a net and prepare to use it judiciously in autumn and winter.

2. It is along the line that someone would take when walking through your gate. I'm not sure whether you have children or visitors but it may be that a raised pond is better in that site to avoid people accidentally stepping too far into it. Even a couple of courses of brick or stone would suffice to bring it into eyeline and avoid it being a hazard.

Some hostas have large leaves and can be accommodated far more readily than a gunnera. Another option would be to look at a phormium; whilst the leaves themselves are not 'large', it gives a lot of presence from its foliage and can look very striking next to water.

Fairygirl

A gunnera would easily cover an area the size of that paving - assuming it would have the right conditions.

fionaquinton

Astraeus said:

Two things to bear in mind with that site:

1. It has a large overhanging tree which, in summer, may leave it in shadow for much of the day and, in autumn, will drop its leaves into the pond. Buy a net and prepare to use it judiciously in autumn and winter.

2. It is along the line that someone would take when walking through your gate. I'm not sure whether you have children or visitors but it may be that a raised pond is better in that site to avoid people accidentally stepping too far into it. Even a couple of courses of brick or stone would suffice to bring it into eyeline and avoid it being a hazard.

Some hostas have large leaves and can be accommodated far more readily than a gunnera. Another option would be to look at a phormium; whilst the leaves themselves are not 'large', it gives a lot of presence from its foliage and can look very striking next to water.

Both good points, thanks. The tree does drop leaves. I think if it's a sunken pond then some very large stones would be useful to stop accidents. 
Everyone seems to be advising me against gunnera so I'll take that on board. Good advice about phormium, I think I'll avoid hostas tho as we have plenty of slugs.