foxy
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Post by foxy on Feb 21, 2017 9:07:44 GMT
I don't have a garden so in the back yard I've made some wooden planters. They are about 18 inches wide and total length of the 6 is around 22 foot. These have been planted with various fruit plants. As I've always been keen on wildlife (but not had the time for gardening), now I'm semi retired I'm creating a habitat I hope will be inhabited by frogs, toads, ladybugs, butterflies, solitary bees in particular. I have smaller planters & plant pots with insect attracting plants. In 2 of the wood planters I have cat litter trays with stones etc. hopefully for frogspawn if I'm lucky. As these are only 4 inches deep (filled with rainwater) I'm after suggestions for small pond plants (pond cover). Comments welcome. www.flickr.com/photos/152283125@N05/shares/5y9m19 |
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Post by Tringa on Feb 21, 2017 20:21:28 GMT
Hello Foxy and welcome to WABI.
Although frog spawn appears in some very shallow bits of water I think 4 inches could be a bit too shallow.
I see from your photos the planters are already in use but could you spare one? With some pond liner one could make quite a good small pond.
Many years ago we had a very small pond in our garden that was, I'm guessing from your photo, no larger than one of the bigger planters you have. From an aesthetic point of view this pond was a disaster but the frogs appeared to love it.
You would need to provide some way for the frogs to get in and out of a planter pond but that would not be too difficult and frogs are pretty good at climb/clambering. There are a lot of links online for small pond plants but, with the exception of some really big plants (eg yellow flag), almost any would do as you would be able to keep them in check easily.
Dave
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Post by teasel on Feb 21, 2017 22:05:14 GMT
I have mini ponds that used to be washing up bowls. My newts use them. They are very sheltered and have oxygenating weed and duckweed. Also some water cress but this is eaten by slugs so only thrives in the main pond. They have exit ramps for things that fall in, but I make sure they are filled to the brim too, to allow easier exits  |
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foxy
Junior Member
Posts: 61
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Post by foxy on Feb 21, 2017 23:05:46 GMT
There are means for frogs to climb with ease from the ground to the top of the planters. These consist of logs, log piles & stone piles. The pools are only 4 inches deep but many times over the years I've seen frogs & tadpoles in pools & tyre ruts 4 ins or less deep. Stones & logs are in place to allow frogs to enter & leave easily. There are damp, shaded areas scattered around the yard with more to be made, at present they total 10 with a further 4 to be added. The whole area is still 'work in progress' and much of what is there is basically complete. The planters are covered with bark mulch and the 'damp areas' contain a high proportion of the same.
At the moment I don't have space to make another planter and can't spare one of the existing ones but I'm not ruling out that possibility. The option to create what I have only came about late 2016 and while I don't expect much this year I believe it is better to get it established in time for this season so I can identify and shortcomings & rectify them, if possible, in time for next.
A rainwater butt filled with rain from the shed roof is the next main project so for now I'm collecting it by alternative means. There is a boggy area, a wildflower ares and soon to be an area with long uncut grass.
I appreciate this is a small & less than ideal set up but i'm trying to do the best with what I have, if I get 1 resident from it will be like winning the lottery, 2 & it's the euro millions and more than 2 an impossible dream come true.
In the words of Field of Dreams 'If you build it, they will come', I can but hope.
As a young lad I remember collecting tadpole, keeping them in an old bath tub & growing them to froglet stage at which point they would escape the bath overnight without anything to help them scale the sides, at least any that show up in my mine ponds won't have any trouble walking out.
I have scoured the web for as much info as I can get to create what I hope is a good habitat for them, the thing I'm struggling with is pond plants suitable for my small containers. Duck weed may be one answer although most comments are that it's best avoided.
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Post by rowanberry on Feb 22, 2017 10:03:05 GMT
No, you don't want duckweed, especially in a small container... it's a nightmare! During the summer we have to sieve the stuff out of our pond several times a week; it will cover the surface of any small pond in a matter of days. If you get some tiny pond baskets like these... (and they don't have to be square, there are also round ones) www.allpondsolutions.co.uk/pond/accessories/plant-baskets/square-small-19-x-19-x-9cm/?gclid=CITd_Pq3o9ICFYc_GwodZi4LyQline them with hessian so the soil doesn't leach out, and then plant with something small like Water Mint, or Water Forget-me-not (Myosotis scorpioides). www.pondplantsdirect.co.uk/photos/myosotis_palustris.jpgThen if they start to get too big, you can lift out the pond basket and divide them or cut them back. It makes it easier to keep them under control, because most pond plants can become overgrown very quickly! I always use pond baskets now- the frogs seem to like them, too... I often find them sitting perched in a basket amongst the plants. |
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foxy
Junior Member
Posts: 61
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Post by foxy on Feb 22, 2017 20:44:35 GMT
Thanks for the advice Rowanberry, plans are changing as our lass has OKed me converting one of the planters (4th from the left) in to a larger pond. It's 40ins by 15ins and 12ins deep (although I can possibly increase part to a debts of 16ins, won't know till I remove the soil). I may still keep 1 or both shallow ponds, time will tell. That will increase the range of plants I can use.
I will create a range of depths, what would you suggest? I will look at the plants you have mentioned.
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foxy
Junior Member
Posts: 61
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Post by foxy on Feb 23, 2017 19:24:02 GMT
Fitted up a 100lts rainwater butt yesterday, it filled up overnight. Today I emptied one planter & installed a pond liner, took the 100 ltrs to fill it. It has a max depth of 15 ins and is stepped to each end. Still some work to do to finish it off before I can start adding rocks, plants etc. but it's coming on.
I'm struggling to locate a local pond plant supplier with stock, some have stopped selling them, others won't have stock till easter. Can anyone recommend a good online supplier?
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Post by NellyDee on Feb 24, 2017 11:16:35 GMT
Think you are doing well Foxy - how exciting! Just a wee thought to add to Rowaberry's suggestion, not actually in the pond but at edges or by the rocks you are putting for frogs to exit, you could try wild thyme or bush thyme. It clings to the ground or rocks. It likes wet conditions and up here grows along the banks of the burns (streams), that way you would have something for the insects which love it and you can add it to your cooking. I have it growing from gaps in one of the stone walls (we get a lot of rain and the ground always seems to stay damp). My sister has some growing at the edge of her 'washing up bowl'pond and the newts seemed to like getting under it. She live in Cambridgeshire where as I am NW Scotland.
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foxy
Junior Member
Posts: 61
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Post by foxy on Feb 24, 2017 11:37:45 GMT
Think you are doing well Foxy - how exciting! Just a wee thought to add to Rowaberry's suggestion, not actually in the pond but at edges or by the rocks you are putting for frogs to exit, you could try wild thyme or bush thyme. It clings to the ground or rocks. It likes wet conditions and up here grows along the banks of the burns (streams), that way you would have something for the insects which love it and you can add it to your cooking. I have it growing from gaps in one of the stone walls (we get a lot of rain and the ground always seems to stay damp). My sister has some growing at the edge of her 'washing up bowl'pond and the newts seemed to like getting under it. She live in Cambridgeshire where as I am NW Scotland. Worth looking at and an option would be to use one of the 2 'cat litter tray' ponds when the new 'planter' pond is fully up & running. I do have a 'moss' cat litter tray as when the moss was near to the other ponds it was 'stealing' 1/3 of the water overnight |
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Post by rowanberry on Feb 27, 2017 20:39:29 GMT
Thanks for the advice Rowanberry, plans are changing as our lass has OKed me converting one of the planters (4th from the left) in to a larger pond. It's 40ins by 15ins and 12ins deep (although I can possibly increase part to a debts of 16ins, won't know till I remove the soil). I may still keep 1 or both shallow ponds, time will tell. That will increase the range of plants I can use. I will create a range of depths, what would you suggest? I will look at the plants you have mentioned. A good nursery that specialises in pond plants will often catalogue them according to depths... I think any of the deep water plants like hornwort would overwhelm a depth of 16ins pretty quickly, but there are plenty of others that just like having some of their roots partially submerged and would do nicely for you. Creeping Jenny does well around our pond- I planted in a shallow container only a little submerged, and it's spread out to cover the banks all around. It works best as edging and ground cover. image.top1price.com/dp7VhdYAe4Mt7FRs0jNLo0ACtHk=/product_images/full/3f8510b383f114ce727e635b84f0f3387cf84d91/25-creeping-jenny-moneywort-marsh-koi-pond-bog-plant-groundcover-sun-or-shade.jpgWatercress is about the easiest... you can buy a bag of it in the salad section at the supermarket, toss a few healthy-looking sprigs in a pond basket and they will usually root themselves. I replenish any of mine that's died off over the winter this way. Veronica beccabunga, (Brooklime) might suit your container ponds, too... it's easily contained, likes being in the pond as well as providing ground-cover, and it's easy to weed if it gets too overgrown. I did a search, and here is a link to a thread I started autumn before last, about which of my pond plants did the best... I took photos of them, so this might be helpful, (I'd avoid the water soldiers... they multiply rapidly, and can get to a pretty good size!) wildaboutthebritishisles.uk/thread/636/pond-plants-thrived*I've had to take the reeds out since I took these photos- they kept falling over.  I think they'd be happier in a larger pond than what I have. |
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I think they'd be happier in a larger pond than what I have.