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A New Wildlife Pond (Finished...at last)

Hi folks. My newest project is building a Wildlife Pond in the garden so I thought it might be fun to document the progress as I go about this. I realise that this should maybe have been started a bit earlier in the year but better late than never I suppose. We’ve been thinking about a pond for a while now but the only place we can really put it is quite close to some trees down the left hand side of our garden. I think this may raise some concerns with the root system puncturing the pond liner but I’m thinking if I can line the pond with maybe a thick piece of old carpet, sand and pond liner insulation, thing should be fine. The trees that are close to where the pond is going are conifer types so aren’t actually too deep rooted. I’m also considering building a small Hibernacula next to the pond in the hope that this may encourage Frogs and Toads to take up residence here. The pond itself is not going to have any pumps or filter systems, I’ll be relying on the correct plants and creepy-crawlies to carry out the task of keeping the water clean and oxygenated. I’ve been looking at a lot of other threads on here in regards to other peoples Wildlife Ponds so I’m hoping that I may get some good advice along the way, this is all new to me so any and all suggestions and help would be very much appreciated. There are another few issues in regards to the slope of the garden but I’ll get to these as we go along. The first step was to decide on the size and shape of the pond which wasn’t as easy as it may sound. I didn’t want a rectangular pond nor did I fancy a teardrop shaped pond. After about an hour or so of messing around with a hosepipe on the ground, we decided on the shape that you can see in this first photo.

Once this had been decided upon, the first cut went in...

And the job of removing the turf began...

I've been doing most of the work in the evening after I come home from work and I managed to capture this sunset at the end of the first night.

This next photo shows the area where the pond is going to be, taken from the upstairs window in the house.

The roots from the trees are actually quite small and shallow so hopefully things should be fine in regards to this. I suspect that the further down I dig, the less roots I'll come across.

Anyone who's taken turfs off a lawn will know that it's actually quite hard work, they're much heavier than they look to be.!!

I'll maybe add some photos of the birds that visit the garden as well, like this male Blackbird. I've been spoiling him a bit by feeding him pastry and now when I go out into the garden he almost always appears and follows me around until I've given him his pastry fix. On the upside, he comes really close to me at times, within a foot or so although I always throw the pastry balls into the middle of the lawn in case any of my cats are lurking around. I saw him feeding a youngster the other week but I haven't seen the youngster since. He always takes the first load of pastry away, then returns and eats the second lot himself.!!

At last, the turfs are all removed.

The pond doesn't actually look as if it'll be too large and I know that it'll 'come in' a bit once it's planted up, but when you look at the area that the removed turfs cover, I think the entire surface area is in the region of sixty square feet. I've laid the turfs aside for now as I'm still not sure if I maybe need some of them during the build.

I do actually have the basic outlines of a plan for all of this. I've made this up on the PC as I didn't really want to show off too much with my excepionally neat handwriting....!! Like all plans though, it may change as time goes on.!!

As you can see from the plan, the shape of the pond on the left hand side is also to accomodate the Hibrenacula, plus I need access down that side for trimming the trees now and again. You'll have noticed that I intend to put a wall at the bottom end of the pond although this is only going to be a few inches high. I still have lots of stones left from my recent wall building project as you can see from this next photo. I have plans to use a lot of the stones in the pond but more about that later.

I thought ity would maybe be fun to have a wander round the garden at times so I'll start off with a wee look at what's going on in the Greenhouse at the mpment. Mrs A has been gathering bedding plants as you can see from the next few photos.

A few more...

She's also got four hanging baskets planted up although they've still to be hardened off before being put uot at the start of June maybe.

The first two...

And another two....

The only thing that I have in the Greenhouse at the moment are these Carrots. (Ignore the scruffy handwriting, a deranged five year old child must have snuck in, erased my perfect handwriting and replaced it with his own).!!

Whilst we're on the subject of vegetables, I've got a few things going on in containers and bags. From left to right at the back we have five bags of Potatoes, Mint, Rosemary, and a stone container with Herbs in it. I know there's Chives, Parsley, Thyme,Fennel and a few other things that escape me at the moment. In the containers at the front from left to right we have Peas, Spring Onions (which I've only put into half of the container, the other half I'll sow in maybe a month's time), Onions and Cabbages. I'll maybe keep you posted on the progress of these as the Pond build goes on.

Speaking of the Pond, I've begun the process of digging it out.

I'm starting off by going down to around one foot in depth althought this won't apply to all the way round as I intend to have a few gradual slopes going into the water. I'll dig a one foot deep shelf all around the back of the pond (the edge furthest away from the path). The soil was actually quite dry so the digging hasn't been too difficult (so far).!!

And a bit more progress...

A few more birds have been in the garden as all this is going on, like this handsome Jackdaw....

And one of the first young Starlings to appear although their numbers are starting to take off now.!!

A quick dash out to the front of the house now to show you this Lilac tree/bush in the front garden.

And what may be my first ever sighting of an Orange Tip Butterfy? Mrs A spotted it.!!

Since I'm still on the subject of plants, here are one or two others which are starting to come out at the moment. This Aquilegia has started to show (I think that this may be one that I grew from seed last year but I'm not 100% sure of this).

I've no idea what this is.!! It's really pretty though.

Getting back to the pond again, one issue that I have is that the garden slopes away the further down you go. This next diagram shows the difference from one end of the pond to the other.

This leaves me with what I think may be two possibilities. I could build up the surronding area of the pond to have the wall at the far end raised about eight inches as is shown in the next diagram.

The problem I have with this idea is that the new wall that I built recently would be hidden from view along the front of the flower bed when viewed from up the garden. The front of the new wall is only around four inches high. I think I may have decided to raise the wall at the end of the pond to around two inches and then when digging back to the other end I'll actually sink the pond's maximum level around six inches into the ground, if you follow my meaning. The next diagram may help explain this a bit better.

You can see in the diagram where the Hibernacula is possibly going to fit into all of this but more about that another time I think. I've got a few summer/autumn flowering Heathers to plant on the Hibernacula as you can see from this next photo.

As you can see from this next photo, the weather got quite wet for a few days.

This led me to erect a small Gazebo above the pond area, after all, I'm not quite ready to have it filled with water yet.!!

The final photo of this particular post shows the progress made to date. I'm not hopefull that too much will be achieved in the next week as I've come down with a stinker of a cold and I'm also on holiday for a week and had two or three days out planned. (The stones in the hole are just in case a Hedgehog manages to fall in, allowing it to get back out more easily).!!

Thank you if you've read all of this and I'll update it once more progress has been made. I do know that I still have drainage/overflow issues to look at but I have a basic plan for that as well. Until the next time, I hope you've enjoyed.

Paul

  • Well done G, you may have seen by now that I've put P(ww)A out of his misery on his other thread ... decided to reinstate myself on his CC List!!

  • You're getting soft in your dottage Wendy, LOL  Glad you did or we'd all have beeen batty by now.

  • It's great to have you back Paul, I've been really missing your updates, although I've been in & out a bit myself. You pond is coming on amazingly & look forward to your next update.

    I'm so sorry to hear about Ceilidh, I've tears in my eyes just thinking about it. 9 yrs isn't very old for a cat but we've lost several cats at around that age, either by illness or disappearing. I'm sure it was a very sad time for you all, she was a lovely cat.

  • Thanks everyone.

    TJ: I’m looking forward to next spring, as you say. Most of the plants in the pond are of the floating or sinking variety, I didn’t want to overdo things as the pond is quite small. I’ve also done some planting in other areas, as you’ll see in a later update.

    Catlady: I wasn’t going to leave the community, I’ve just had a lot of other stuff going on for a while which have been keeping me busy. I’m so sorry to hear about your own loss of a wee cat earlier in the year, it is hard to get used to them being away, each one has a totally different character.

    Gaynor: I’ll post some photos of Mrs A’s baskets and garden in a later update. If you’re planning to do stuff in your garden, please take some photos so we can see what you’re up to. As I said to TJ, there’ll be a bit more planting involved in this thread before it’s done.

    Hazel: I hope you’re settling into your new house, do you have any plans for a pond there yourself? I’m also sorry to know that you’ve lost your own cats. Ceilidh was a great wee cat, mad as a brush at times though.!!

    Wendy: You were never off the Christmas card list, although when I checked it this morning, you seem to be a wee bit further down it than I thought you were…..very strange.!! Plenty time for adjustments though.!!

    Thanks again to everyone for your kind sentiments about Ceilidh, it is very much appreciated.

    Paul

  • Hi folks, as promised, this next update will cover the building of a Hibernaculum. Just in case you didn’t know, a Hibernaculum is a place where things spend the winter in hibernation. I’m not sure if Hibernaculum is even the correct word, my spell checker always tries to change it to Hibernacula; Perhaps someone would know the correct word (maybe Bente if she reads this, with her knowledge of a bit of Latin), or maybe not. I’ll keep calling it a Hibernaculum for now though, until I’m advised not to.!! If you seen the original plans back at the start of this thread, you’ll know that a Hibernaculum was always intended to be part of the pond build. I mentioned before that I’d like somewhere close by, where possibly amphibians would choose to hibernate. I believe that many other wee beasties and things will also find their way into the Hibernaculum, a readymade take-away for potential amphibians as well. This first shot shows where the Hibernaculum is to be sited, at the far side of the pond and under the shelter of the trees. This area also tends to be quite dry due to the trees using up the water in this area, also a consideration in the building of a Hibernaculum. I wouldn’t want it to be flooded out, although a bit of dampness inside is to be expected, probably even desired.!!

    The new Hibernaculum site, before being cleared.

    The job of clearing the undergrowth begins, you can see my Hedgehog box in the back (at the left), underneath the pile of wood.

    A closer view of the Hoggy Home, the entrance is to the left. Although the Hog House has been in situ for over a year, when I cleaned it out in the summer it didn’t appear to have been used in any way. We have seen Hedgehogs (and plenty of their ‘calling cards’) in the garden though. I refilled it with nesting materials and re-buried it back under all of the sticks again. Hopefully they’ll use it this winter.

    Whenever I'm doing things in the garden, expert advice and supervision is never far away. Possibly due to the proximity of his box, Harry was taking an active interest in the proceedings.!!

    The Hibernaculum is going to be built using various materials, but the main structure is to be made with some old wooden pallets. This shot shows the bottom pallet in place so that I could mark out an area to dig down to the required depth. It has to be dug down into the ground due to the limited space that I have at the far side of the pond. The Hibernaculum will be buried under the soil, and if I was to build it from ground level up, the overspill from the soil pile would take up too much space and overflow into the pond. This may sound a wee bit confusing to you at the moment, but I promise it will all become clear soon.

    The lower level pallet, so I know where to start digging.

    I decided upon three pallets for the Hibernaculum, the upper two being the same width as the larger lower one, but also narrower. Using three pallets of the same size would once again mean a much larger pile of soil to cover them up, also it just so happened that I got a hold of the pallets for free (always a bonus).!! The hole for the pallets has now been dug out (it took me hours to dig it out, lots of old roots to get through). I dug it deep enough so that with two of the pallets inside the hole, the structure would still only be level with the surrounding ground. The first pallet is now placed into the hole, (a good six or seven inches below ground level).

    Various different things are going to be put into the recesses within the Hibernaculum, I want to have plenty of varied habitat and ‘hidey holes’ for things to get tucked into. This next shot shows the things that’ll be going in. We have dry leaves, moss, old flower pots, bits of bamboo, twigs and wee bits of old wood, and various different bits of stone. A good variety of materials will hopefully attract a good variety of new residents.!!

    A decent amount of the excavated topsoil from the pond hole will also be going into, and over the top of the Hibernaculum. Don’t let the single wheelbarrow of soil fool you, it’s going to take maybe nine or ten barrows before it’s finished.

    We begin by putting lots of the materials into the recess below the pallet. There are lots of ‘nooks ‘n’ crannies’ for things to get into, even the old flower pots could easily accommodate a large Frog or Toad.!! I’m also making sure that there are plenty of spaces so that it’s not ‘jam packed’ with stuff.

    A closer view of the lower level.

    In this next photo, you’ll see that I’ve used some of the spare pond liner insulation to cover the lower layer of the Hibernaculum. I’ve cut a few holes in the top (all will become clear), and I’ve made sure that I’ve completely covered all the surrounding areas at the sides. Covering the areas at the sides means that when I fill it in with soil, the soil won’t spill into the lower level and completely fill it up. The pond liner insulation will also let moisture through, which I wanted it to do anyway.

    The layer is now filled in with topsoil, (packed down around the outside edges of the pallet), with a thin layer of soil placed over the top of the lower level.

    This shot shows how the topsoil has fallen down through the hole I had cut in the liner insulation, creating sloping ‘ramps’. This provides access, and allows things to move between the different levels within the Hibernaculum.

    The next pallet is then placed on top of the first one. You may have noticed that I’ve cut a few holes into the top of this one; the planks of wood were too close together to allow any access for larger things, such as Frogs and Toads.

    Once again, the process of creating habitats within the second level begins.

    Again, I've used the pond liner insulation to seal things off. Please notice that I've also cut holes in the top, this is to allow access between levels two and three. You may also have noticed that I've left a gap at the front this time? Level two is to be the entrance (and exit) to the Hibernaculum.

    The next step is to begin the construction of the entrance.

    I’ve made the entrance using some decent sized stones. Once the top level of the Hibernaculum is finished, with all the topsoil and other stuff, there’s going to be a lot of weight pushing down on it all. The lower level had strong blocks of wood between the planks of the pallet, and in the second level I put some thick stones under the planks to support the weight. It’s a wee bit like a mini Stonehenge type of access, I could maybe start charging 'new age hippie types' to come and dance naked around the pond….but upon reflection….(heh heh)……perhaps it would be better if I didn’t.!! Please notice also that the two levels are still slightly below ground level.

    Everything is then (once again) filled in with the topsoil. I packed the soil around the entrance very firmly to help prevent the lower levels from flooding, although as you’ll see in a moment, I’ve also taken extra precautions against this. You may also have noticed that the entire structure (so far) is now sitting level with the surrounding ground. Please also notice the access holes from level two to level three. Anything entering the Hibernaculum will have the choice of going down another level, up another level, or staying put in the second level.

    The third level is now filled with bits and pieces (note the large stone in the middle) this is to help support the weight, as I mentioned earlier. The access holes are still uncovered though.

    A closer view of one of the access holes between levels two and three. All of the access holes have the sloping earth ramps, as I described back at the beginning of this update.

    The final pallet is placed on the top and covered over. Even though this is the top level, I’ve still cut a few holes in the liner to allow access to things that may burrow down through the soil, rather than gain access through the ‘official’ entrance.

    A thin layer of topsoil is applied, just to hold the liner in place for the moment. More work needs to be done at the entrance before the whole lot is buried under lots more topsoil…and rocks.!! The entire structure from top to bottom is around two and a half foot in height, so as you can see, burying the lower two levels has still only left around eight inches or so of structure above ground level. Excellent, I love it when things go to plan.!!

    During all of this, I actually took very few photos of the birds, although this passing Gull did insist upon having its photo taken.

    In my garden, you rarely look up without seeing a Starling.!!

    My Sparrow tree was still bearing fruit.!!

    Albeit with the occasional shy one.!!

    Anyway, where were we? Oh yes, the entrance, time for a bit of fun.!! When I dug the hole for the pond, I dug out lots of really heavy clay from the deeper parts of the hole. The warm weather had dried it out, so the use of a hammer was needed to break it up a bit.

    With the basic ingredients, clay and water, we get to make some mud.!! Oh the joy of it all, what wee boy didn’t enjoy playing in the mud.?? If I’m to be honest, I still like playing in the mud, just don’t tell anyone.!! Anyway, we end up with a fantastic, heavy, sticky, clay based mud.

    The clay is then used to make a watertight entrance to the Hibernaculum. Once it dries in, the clay will be very hard and dense, so should be a decent material to use in the prevention of too much water getting into the Hibernaculum.

    This shot, taken from the side, shows that the clay has been shaped so as to have an upward slope at the entrance, before sloping back down into the Hibernaculum. This will prevent any heavy rain from running straight in. The two large stones (one at either side of the entrance) have also been placed there for a reason.

    I had kept this big flat stone back for the specific purpose of acting as an overhang, or ‘cap stone’, for the entrance. The stone is sealed in using the gloriously sticky mud mixture, and also at a reasonably steep angle, angling down towards the pond, and away from the entrance to the Hibernaculum. The two big stones in the previous photo are used to support the weight of the overhanging stone. All of these measures will ensure that even in the heaviest of rain, the entrance to the Hibernaculum will never have water running straight into it.

    The job of covering everything up then begins. It’s surprising just how much material is actually needed to do this.!! As you can see, I’ve used a mixture of soil and stones, the idea is to create a rock garden (of sorts) on top of the Hibernaculum.

    More stones and soil.!!

    Although the topsoil doesn’t look too good, it’s actually only really dry, and is very good topsoil indeed. I don’t suppose that a wee bit extra compost mixed in will do it any harm though.!!

    A final shot for this update. If you look at the size of the mound of stones and soil now covering the Hibernaculum, you'll now realise why I built the first two levels underground.!! If I had built it from the ground level up, the whole thing would have ended up around five feet high and around fifteen to twenty feet in diameter.!! There just wasn’t enough space to do it any other way. I’m happy how it’s turned out though. The temperature within the Hibernaculum should be reasonably stable throughout the winter, and in the very unlikely event that it floods, anything in the lower levels will be able to move up through the higher levelss to where it’ll be drier. So, there you have it, a Hibernaculum. The next update will cover the planting of it, and there’s still a bit of finishing to be done around the edges.

    Oh, I nearly forgot to ask; did you notice anything different in the last few shots? The pond had lost its brown muddy colour, and is beginning to turn green…..It lives….my creation lives.!! (Psychotic mastermind’s laugh)……..

  • Where do you get your ideas from Paul? That's absolutely amazing. I've never heard of anyone doing a hibernation home before, but what a kind & thoughtful person you are!

    Your pond is looking good too & the grass is also staring to grow, although it's cetainly not growing under your feet!LOL!

  • My reply posted twice in succession so deleting this one !!

  • Fantastic update Paul - these threads are an education in themselves lol,  totally fascinating stuff and full of ideas for the rest of us to encourage more wildlife :)   what a lot of work you have carried out in your beautiful garden by you and Mrs.A, its an absolute haven for all creatures great and small and do hope you get a hoggy this winter along with new visitors and residents.   Great stuff, look forward to the next thread  lol

  • Thanks so much the two Hazels, for your very kind comments. I would like to say that the idea was all mine, but I actually seen a man on Youtube building a Hibernaculum. The pond idea had been on the backburner for a few years, and it was a while ago when I came across the guy on Youtube building one. He built it from the ground up though, and only with two levels in it. He had also used a few bits of plastic piping for access from a few different directions. I had actually bought several feet of plastic tubing to use for different entrances, but in the end I decided to build the entrance as you've just seen. Whether anything will use it is a different thing though, I don't suppose I'll ever know for sure, unless of course I'm actually staring at it when something goes in or out.!! The main thing is, it's there if it's needed. The next part is the planting of the area, this is like the glue that brings all the pieces together and finalises it all. That's for another update though. I'm looking forward to see how it goes next year, it was very late in the season before it was planted up this year.!!

    Paul

  • You will have to get one of those inspection cameras that you can shove down the different entrances  - a bit like undergoing a Hibernaculumoscopy  LOL !!

    post edit:  found just the thing .......but its a bit expensive !   CLICK HERE