Inspiration required for replacing a pond

Kamo

Hi

I'm thinking of replacing our pond as it is leaking, the pump has stopped working and it may be too small for the fish. I can move the fish to a friends pond but need ideas on what to put in place of the pond. I was thinking of maybe a bog garden and small wildlife pond but was not sure if this would fit in with what currently surrounds it, which is grass on one side and stones and alpines on the other.

Other idea's I had were extending the alpines or taking up the grass and growing some more veg (I only have a small area where I'm growing salad vegtables). I would be gratefull for more ideas or any opinions on my ideas.

I have put images in below!!

 

 

 

 

auntie betty

Easiest thing is a bog garden - just chuck in some soil and you're away. I can imagine you sitting there watching frogs and critters do their thing in some miniature bullrushes (typha minima) and astilbes. I do also think it'd look nice and increase your sense of space if you did away with the liner, imported some topsoil and just turfed it - kind of finishing off the kidney-shape of the lawn. Grass doesn't need much depth of soil, so you could even use some of the unwanted edging to fill out the bottom of the hole, helping with drainage. If you want to turn it all into a veg patch you'll need to get rid of it properly because they'll need good deep diggable soil. I assume its sunny enough for veg otherwise you wouldnt be considering it... I do think some sort of focal point would be good opposite you bench - maybe a small ornamental tree if you turf, or a climber on the fence, or even a nice birdbath in amongst the plants it you go for a bog garden. Something to enjoy when you're sitting there. Really does depend on how you use your garden, but you have lots of options.  Bx

Dovefromabove

A bog garden could look gorgeous there and you'll really help the wildlife - you'll need to put a few more holes in the liner then you'll be fine - some helpful suggestions here http://apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/Profile.aspx?pid=356 .  Unless the area is naturally boggy (and it doesn't look it) you will need to keep the liner (albeit perforated). 

If you could run a hose from guttering/downpipe on your shed and along the base of the fence, or to take overflow from any waterbut you have there, that'll help keep it nicely marshy.  

Lovely garden by the way    I really envy you that sunny wall!

Fairygirl

Why not put some new liner in and create a beached edge for wildlife Kamo? You could keep a boggy area as well and add the planting as suggested above. My last pond was completely edged with grass along one side and had a path and a planted bank on the other. The smaller pond was the same but without a path. You have a nice place to sit there and look at the wildlife too.Perfect! 

Kamo

Thank you for the suggestions, it looks like I will go for a bog garden, I may take up all of the grass as well and have a small wildlife pond, and create a beach area between the existing alpine area then the small pond and surround that with bog plants. I will miss our fish but hopefully we would get frogs and other wildlife instead 

Dovefromabove

At our last house in an inner city terrace we made a tiny pond - within 12 months we had a frog cooling off in there on hot sunny days, and dragonflies hovering above it - not to mention the birds visiting the edges for a drink and a bathe - you'll certainly get wildlife if you have a pond and bog garden 

auntie betty

I'm so cheesed off - we've (read I'VE) just put in a mahoosive new pond for OH, which was meant to be for wildlife, and the rotter's gone and put 8 small rudd in it. Every time I import frogspawn and surface insects from my pals pond, they scoff the lot! And I'm transferring them by the bucketful because her pond is so hugely overcrowded!! I'm FURIOUS! Who knew tiddlers (like finger-sized) could fit so much in!!! So they just spend their days basking in the sun looking all stuffed. Which is funny, but still... Gonna have to create an area the pesky varmints can't get into and hope the next batch of taddies have the sense to stay in there. So yeah - don't add fish if you want critters. Maybe I'll get a nice little pike, see how they like them apples.. Bx

Dovefromabove

Don't worry Auntie Betty, as soon as the herons find the pond they won't last long