Water Forget Me Not looks exactly like the woodland type, but it's too early for it to flowering yet. The same with Brooklime. Any good aquatic store will stock both. Maidenhead Acquatics are good and well priced. I put a smallish tree branch in my pond and wildlife likes that too as the frogs use it as a sun bathing platform. I had loads of frogspawn and a good number of tadpoles until recently, but none now and as the pond is teeming with newts, I think the tadpoles got eaten. Oh well. Still lots of mature frogs there.
If the baskets on the ledge fall off into the deeper centre, it may be worth thinking about transferring the plants to soft mesh holders weighed down by gravel on top as these will sit more comfortably on a rigid ledge. If I were you I'd try and make sure you have entry and exit points at both ends of your pond, as frogs need to get in and out easily.
A lovely ornamental pond plant is the white arum lily - really looks good and shines out in the dusk in summer. To attract dragonfly, you need some plants with taller spikes that they can lay their eggs on. Water mint is a good one for this and smells lovely too when brushed.
Phillippa - I think your slow worm may have been about to shed it's skin - they shed the covering of the eye with the skin and it goes milky before that happens. Great observation.
“I am not lost, for I know where I am. But however, where I am may be lost.” Winnie the Pooh
If you spend long enough laying on your tummy on the lawn looking into a pond, you're bound to see something interesting sooner or later .... I snuck indoors to get the camera walking soooooooooo carefully so I didn't make any vibrations, then crawled low on my tummy with the camera - I couldn't believe my luck
An old school friend of my son's is one of the cameramen on Springwatch - he was dead impressed
“I am not lost, for I know where I am. But however, where I am may be lost.” Winnie the Pooh
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We do - or rather we lay on our tummies peering into the water for hours and hours ... bliss ... who needs telly
Water Forget Me Not looks exactly like the woodland type, but it's too early for it to flowering yet. The same with Brooklime. Any good aquatic store will stock both. Maidenhead Acquatics are good and well priced. I put a smallish tree branch in my pond and wildlife likes that too as the frogs use it as a sun bathing platform. I had loads of frogspawn and a good number of tadpoles until recently, but none now and as the pond is teeming with newts, I think the tadpoles got eaten. Oh well. Still lots of mature frogs there.
If the baskets on the ledge fall off into the deeper centre, it may be worth thinking about transferring the plants to soft mesh holders weighed down by gravel on top as these will sit more comfortably on a rigid ledge. If I were you I'd try and make sure you have entry and exit points at both ends of your pond, as frogs need to get in and out easily.
A lovely ornamental pond plant is the white arum lily - really looks good and shines out in the dusk in summer. To attract dragonfly, you need some plants with taller spikes that they can lay their eggs on. Water mint is a good one for this and smells lovely too when brushed.
Phillippa - I think your slow worm may have been about to shed it's skin - they shed the covering of the eye with the skin and it goes milky before that happens. Great observation.
OK - if you're squeamish look away now .........
Going down head first .............
Dove from above - that looks like a really well designed wildlife pond. Well done!
.... of the snake's lunch?
If you spend long enough laying on your tummy on the lawn looking into a pond, you're bound to see something interesting sooner or later .... I snuck indoors to get the camera walking soooooooooo carefully so I didn't make any vibrations, then crawled low on my tummy with the camera - I couldn't believe my luck
An old school friend of my son's is one of the cameramen on Springwatch - he was dead impressed
Duh! I misread ... sorry
I know Phillippa - over 21C in the shade today - the under gardener wore his sunhat while digging the new bed!!!