Lovely photo Dovefromabove! The trouble with the preformed ponds is I can't put shingle in it for a slope, it does have different shelves for plants to go and I'll get creeping jenny for the edging and zebra bush for the pond. I did look at pond liner but at the time it was very expensive compared to the preformed ponds and as our old pond was leaking, we had to get another one quickly.
That's great - Creeping jenny will dangle down into the water, as will ferns which will all help insects etc to clamber in and out, but you need lots of 'cover' for quite a decent area of land around the pond - piles of stones, logs etc. Nothing will want to venture across bare earth where the herons and crows can spot them.
“I am not lost, for I know where I am. But however, where I am may be lost.” Winnie the Pooh
What a gorgeous photo dovefromabove. Do you find that you get a lot more bird activity? This is what I found in my father garden when he had installed a pond, more frogs and critters led to more birds
I'm going to put stepping stones, roof tiles in areas and lots of wildlife plants in the bare area, round the stepping stones will be lavender. Hope they will like it.
If you have space near the pond a log pile or just a pile of cuttings from a hedge or trees in the garden, will make a good 'habitat' pile. It will be used by everything that moves. It is a good way to provide 'instant' cover while the plants establish.
I have one of my log piles on the far side of our pond so I can sit on one of the logs and watch the pond. I have been known to sit there for several hours at a time.
Mr Pink - along with the pond we're increasing groundcover planting and low shrubs (we already have mature trees) and yes, a wider range of birds are using our garden.
Gemma - I think that last summer we spent more time on our tummies gazing into the water than we did in front of the telly
“I am not lost, for I know where I am. But however, where I am may be lost.” Winnie the Pooh
no not that one the top picture there is what looks like yellowy green slime at the side of the thing with the hole in . its a phenominum that happens sometimes when a preaditor eats a pregnant frog the spawn is expeld from the victom
Hi Stewart, no those deposits that get expelled have the little round black undeveloped egg embryo in the center of each jelly clump, seen it hundreds of times.
I think the top picture is either the remains of a spawn clump after the tadpoles have hatched, or a ball of filamentous algae. Or both. Or something else.
Looking again, I'm going for the remains of a spawn clump that already hatched. The same stuff floating about in my pond, one infertile embryo, the rest got out OK
Stagbeetle - water forget-me-not (myosotis scorpioides) is a great little waterside plant. I've had some nestling between the cobbles in shallow water all winter and its still coming up
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That's great - Creeping jenny will dangle down into the water, as will ferns which will all help insects etc to clamber in and out, but you need lots of 'cover' for quite a decent area of land around the pond - piles of stones, logs etc. Nothing will want to venture across bare earth where the herons and crows can spot them.
What a gorgeous photo dovefromabove. Do you find that you get a lot more bird activity? This is what I found in my father garden when he had installed a pond, more frogs and critters led to more birds
I'm going to put stepping stones, roof tiles in areas and lots of wildlife plants in the bare area, round the stepping stones will be lavender. Hope they will like it.
If you have space near the pond a log pile or just a pile of cuttings from a hedge or trees in the garden, will make a good 'habitat' pile. It will be used by everything that moves.
It is a good way to provide 'instant' cover while the plants establish.
I have one of my log piles on the far side of our pond so I can sit on one of the logs and watch the pond. I have been known to sit there for several hours at a time.
Mr Pink - along with the pond we're increasing groundcover planting and low shrubs (we already have mature trees) and yes, a wider range of birds are using our garden.
Gemma - I think that last summer we spent more time on our tummies gazing into the water than we did in front of the telly
no not that one the top picture there is what looks like yellowy green slime at the side of the thing with the hole in . its a phenominum that happens sometimes when a preaditor eats a pregnant frog the spawn is expeld from the victom
Hi Stewart, no those deposits that get expelled have the little round black undeveloped egg embryo in the center of each jelly clump, seen it hundreds of times.
I think the top picture is either the remains of a spawn clump after the tadpoles have hatched, or a ball of filamentous algae. Or both. Or something else.
Looking again, I'm going for the remains of a spawn clump that already hatched.
The same stuff floating about in my pond, one infertile embryo, the rest got out OK 
Stagbeetle - water forget-me-not (myosotis scorpioides) is a great little waterside plant. I've had some nestling between the cobbles in shallow water all winter and its still coming up