Wildlife Pond Benefits| Create A Wildlife Pond In Your Garden
Wildlife Pond Design & Location
If you are intending to create a wildlife garden pond in your garden then you should have at least one side of the pond that slopes, slightly, so as to create a ‘beach’ effect. By doing this you will make it easy for small animals (frogs, toads etc) to gain easy access. The damp area will also make an attractive location for Marginal Bog Plants and insects to thrive. When choosing the right location it is best to avoid areas that have plenty of natural sunshine, so as to avoid suspended algae problems. Ideally you should select an area that is semi in the shade.
Always make your pond as large as you possibly can with a minimum depth of 18 inches and as many sloping sides as possible! When it comes to the choice of construction material then the easiest to use and most practical is a Pond Liner of some description because not only can you mould it into the desired design but you can also easily disguise the edges with rocks, pebbles or soil. If you only want to create a small wildlife pond then a Preformed Pond Liner is your best choice; least likely to suffer from a leak or puncture.
Wildlife Pond Plants To Use
Ideally marginal pond plants such as marsh marigolds and irises make good choices for a diverse wildlife pond. Inhabitants such as frogs, toads, snails and insects such as dragonflies, water nymphs and boatmen will find the wildlife pond irresistible. Oxygenating pond plants make an excellent choice; not only because of their beneficial properties but also because they provide a perfect home for the insect population to live and breed in.
Wildlife pond maintenance
As your wildlife pond establishes itself you will need to carry out routine maintenance to ensure that your pond doesn’t become over run and unsightly. From time to time you will need to undertake ‘thinning out’. This applies particularly to Oxygenating Plants because they grow very quickly, given the right conditions: good water quality and plenty of sunlight. As stated earlier it is best to locate your pond so that it receives some sunlight, but not too much.
The last thing that you need is for your wildlife pond to become a swamp, so ensure that only 2/3rds of the surface contains vegetation. Leave the remainder free from growth. When “thinning out” be careful not to harm the inhabitants. Insects like to hide in the foliage.
Initially you may find that your pond suffers from excessive pond algae (green water). As the wildlife pond establishes itself this will subside because the plant life consumes the nutrients in the water. You are in effect creating your very own Bog Filter (Vegetable Filter) avoid using pond algaecide chemicals if the green water doesn’t want to go way. The chemicals are not only eco-unfriendly but detrimental to the wildlife inhabitants. Instead use a Barley Straw product.
What type of wildlife will your Wildlife pond Attract?
You will be pleasantly surprised at the plethora of different creatures that decide to make your wildlife pond their home or a place for visiting. Expect to see the following: frogs, toads, snails, birds, dragonflies, various beetle species and boatmen. In case you war wondering it is best to avoid putting pond fish (Koi, goldfish, orfe, tench etc) in your pond because not only do they eat other inhabitants but also because they can seriously affect the pond water quality and encourage green water to develop.