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Special Offer: Buy your pond liner from us and get
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Making a wildlife pond is probably the single biggest thing you can do to increase the amount of wildlife in your garden. Ponds provide a home for a multitude of animals and plants that can survive nowhere
else, as well as a food and water resource for many other species. Ponds needn't be expensive, difficult to maintain, or dangerous for children and other animals. Just give your pond some thought before you build
it, site it carefully, design it sensibly, and you will have a wonderful feature for your garden that will provide you with hours of pleasure, for many years to come. There are 3 basic rules to consider when designing and building a wildlife pond. Firstly, make it as big as you possibly can, as this makes everything much easier. Secondly, your pond needs to be saucer-shaped, not saucepan-shaped, so there should be gently sloping sides and ideally a maximum depth of about 1 metre. The third rule is very simple: only add native species of plant, and no fish!! Rule 1: Make it Big!! You will obviously be constrained by the amount of space you have available, as well as the funds you have to pay for your pond, but do try to make it as big as you can. One reason for this is that it will look much smaller when all the plants are growing. Also, it is much easier to make a saucer-shaped pond if it's a reasonable size. Rule 2: Saucer-shaped, not Saucepan-shaped!! If your pond is saucepan-shaped, it will have vertical sides, making it harder to plant your wildflowers along the pond edge. It will also make it very difficult to hide the pond liner, and almost impossible for small children and other animals to climb out. With a saucer-shaped pond, with shallow slopes, you can cover the liner with soil or turf and plant the edge with wildflowers. Any children or other animals will get wet feet long before they get to the deeper section, and can climb out easily. Rule 3: Native Species & No Fish!! By only planting native species of wildflower, you provide maximum value for the wildlife, and avoid any nasty invasive plants. Fish will just eat the wildlife, and if you feed them you'll be increasing the nutrient level in the pond, possibly to the point where you can't even see the fish!! Pond Liners Your pond will need to be lined, unless you are digging it in ground that is permanently wet. We can supply the liner and underlay for your pond, wherever you are in the UK, as well as all the plants you will need. Just click on the Contact Us link at the top of the page, and send us an email or give us a call. We'll give you impartial advice, and make sure you get the right materials for the job - we can even do all the hard work for you, if you wish. |
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Now Available: Pond camera, wildlife cameras, etc!!
Go to our Plants & Sundries section
Click here for your free ebooklet 10 Easy Ways to Make a Wildlife Garden!!
Click here for your free ebooklet 10 Easy Ways to Make a Wildlife Garden!!
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