Seasonal 'puddling'.To Pond or To Drain?

beebeautiful
New Member

Posts: 6

Seasonal 'puddling'.To Pond or To Drain? Apr 8, 2016 21:47:14 GMT via mobile

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Post by beebeautiful on Apr 8, 2016 21:47:14 GMT

Hello all, Im looking for some advise please.
Any advise greatly appreciated be it related to drainage of land or creating a pond from a natural source or any other suggestions you may have

? .

We're buying a little plot of land to build our new home, a small 3 bed cottage. There's not going to be much 'garden' as such due to a stipulation that half the land must stay as a paddock and only be used for 'agricultural' use. That's fine by me, I've always dreamed of having the space for vegetable patches and we already have a few chickens, so they will love having a bit more space.
The one snag is, half the year there's a wet patch smack bang in the middle of the paddock. It goes from an innocuous rut in the ground, to a soggy puddle in the grass, to a small pond.
We'll be putting French drains in to safeguard water ever reaching the house. But WHAT DO WE DO WITH THE WET PATCH?

Is there any way to turn it into a permanent pond?
Is there any way to fill it to stop it from 'puddling'?
Is there another option?

Sorry for being so long winded - look forward to seeing your suggestions. Xx
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rowanberry
Global Moderator

Posts: 3,177

Seasonal 'puddling'.To Pond or To Drain? Apr 9, 2016 10:33:50 GMT

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Post by rowanberry on Apr 9, 2016 10:33:50 GMT

It sounds like you are going to have a lovely place- and space to grow your own veg and keep chickens! What heaven, I am thoroughly jealous.

As to the puddle... have you been able to find out why the water is collecting there? Is it draining off of a hill, or someplace like that? I don't know much about things like this, but it would seem to me that if you try and dig it out to allow for a pond you might end up with the entire paddock being a swamp. Can your builders give you any professional advice about it?

A photo of the puddle and the surrounding area around it would be good, if you have one. Hopefully someone here with more knowledge about drainage than what I have will be able to give more useful advice!

Last Edit: Apr 9, 2016 10:34:25 GMT by rowanberry

Tringa
Supreme Member

Posts: 2,630

Seasonal 'puddling'.To Pond or To Drain? Apr 9, 2016 10:50:46 GMT

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Post by Tringa on Apr 9, 2016 10:50:46 GMT

I replied in the oyjrt thread; copied here -

Hello Bee and welcome to WABI.

A few questions -

Do you want a pond or would you rather the wet patch was not there.

When it becomes a small pond, how big is this pond?

If you want a pond digging out the area might provide access to the water table and give you a permanent, or more permanaent pond. Alternatively you could excavate the area use a pond liner to make a pond. If the area is big that could be expensive.

Using damp loving plants could create a semi-bog area that might help to control the soggy pudlle nature of this area. There are also some trees that could help and will cope well with wet conditions, eg alder, aspen.

If you want rid of the wet patch altogether then I think professional advice would be needed. It might be that without quite a lot of expense making sure the patch doesn't puddle will not be possible.

However, would changes like these be acceptable under the stipulations placed on the land?

Dave

faith
Senior Member

Posts: 274

Seasonal 'puddling'.To Pond or To Drain? Apr 9, 2016 11:11:53 GMT

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Post by faith on Apr 9, 2016 11:11:53 GMT

I had a wet patch in my (very small) garden. The whole 'lawn' area is very damp – at the moment it is growing moss and golden saxifrage rather than the grass it is supposed to have – but there was a concave bit where a lot of water collected in the rainy season (about 11 months of the year . . .) So I made it into a pond by digging a hole and putting an old Belfast sink into it with slates all round for paving, rocks at the back with various (native) mosses and ferns planted on them. Now it is a real feature rather than just an eyesore, I can watch the birds (and occasionally a squirrel) drinking from it, and I am hoping that the frogs which grew up there last year will return to spawn any day.

Your chickens could drink from it too, so long as you plant stuff to keep it fresh – I expect they would eat any frogs though. I recommend a pond for fun, utility and entertainment, rather than an 'improvement scheme' to get rid of the wet bit.

beebeautiful New Member Posts: 6	Seasonal 'puddling'.To Pond or To Drain? Apr 9, 2016 20:10:09 GMT via mobile Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by beebeautiful on Apr 9, 2016 20:10:09 GMT Hi rowanberry & faith - thank you for your comments, we've got the conversation going on in ponds & water-life if you want to carry on joining in xx just to confuse things :-)

Post by beebeautiful on Apr 8, 2016 21:47:14 GMT

Post by rowanberry on Apr 9, 2016 10:33:50 GMT

Post by Tringa on Apr 9, 2016 10:50:46 GMT

Post by faith on Apr 9, 2016 11:11:53 GMT

Post by beebeautiful on Apr 9, 2016 20:10:09 GMT