In May 2020 it was lockdown - the sun was shining, I was on furlough, Sheena couldn't run her classes, and we had that most precious gift, time! OK, I was undergoing cancer treatment, but from May to July we had time to focus on our garden.
Our lawn was huge - a big expanse of grass with nothing to break it up. Would be great if we had lots of kids with footballs, but we don't. We thought about a border, and decided on a figure of 8 shape. Then we decided that one half of the 8 should be a pond. So at the beginning of May, we started out pond.
Once we had marked it out and marked our border and the pond area, we hired a digger. The result - after a lot of hard work - is our beautiful pond and accompanying border (full of home grown cosmos). We're delighted with the pond and spend our mornings eating breakfast on the bench, even when it's a bit chilly. Apart from it looking lovely, it is fascinating.
Apart from plants we bought from a garden centre, we were also given some grassy reed and 15 snails from a friend's pond. This grassy introduction proved extremely productive!
Although we wanted a wildlife pond, we put our three tank goldfish in the pond too - they deserved it! After just a few weeks the goldfish started to grow, and they are roughly double the size they were when we first introduced them. Not only that, we have two baby goldfish too!
Even with the fish, the pond attracts wildlife. The reed must have introduced some of the life in the pond, but we have:
- water boatmen - I love watching them but I've yet to hear them 'sing'
- pond skaters - they confused us! We had one and it died quite quickly, but within a week there were 20 mini skaters. And we've had several generations since
- great diving beetle - I was delighted to see this as I remember taking my son on a primary school trip to Fowlmere and them being so excited about finding one
- whirlygig beetles - these little guys zoom around the pond like little manic jewels
- dragonfiles - usually southern hawker, but also common darters, brown hawker and I'm sure I saw a golden ringed once! They are a delight, swooping over the pond and eating the gnats. We also have larvae in the pond too
- pond snails - brought to us from another pond, and they've settled in and had babies too
- toads - some large, some small! Frogs as well.
For a pond we only started in May, we're pretty pleased! Sitting by the pond is a great time waster - but it's a lovely way to relax and watch nature up close, in our own garden.
Sometimes you have to get a bit too close - for example when Sheena has to get the pond pump out so we can clean the filter. This does give you an idea of how deep the pond is, though.
I will attempt to take some photos of the wildlife, but as soon as you get a camera out it's as if they know and do a rapid disappearing act!
The pond also brings in other wildlife - for the first time ever in the forest we have had a hedgehog in the garden; I know we have a lizard living under the summer house, and with any luck we'll have newts as well in due course. There is a 'bog garden' at the edge of the pond which will no doubt harbour other life, and should be good for when the larva of the dragonflies hatch in the spring. The pond in winter is a delight yet to come.
Spending time by the pond is my favourite mindfulness passtime at the moment. There are things we could have done better in building the pond, but we're both pretty pleased with the way it looks, and most of all the wonderful wildlife that have chosen to make it home.
Liked this? Try...
No comments:
Post a Comment