Wildlife pond

[BarrelOfOtters]

Just put a pond in, using a preformed liner. Any tips for making it wildlife friendly? I know we’ve got newts and frogs in The garden.

Don't put fish in it. And provide a means for wildlife to get in and out of the pond easily - e.g. a gently sloping shelf.

No I wasn’t going to put fish in….

do I need a pump or will plants do?

and I’ve put a bit of wood in on a slope….otherwise I’m not sure how to build a slope with it being preformed. I’ve also put bricks in to form steps.

A cheap solar fountain I’d a good idea to keep it oxygenated

If you’re on instagram take a look at lookinsidemygarden she’s put a wild life pond in her garden.

Try and add some large stones/pebbles and build a gradual pebble bank along one part so wildlife can get in and out more easily.
Have fun OP, you’ll be amazed just how quickly you’ll see signs of life!

We have a solar fountain and a solar bubbler.

It will go green and first and then settle. We have oxygenating weed and some marginal planting. Make sure there are places for creatures to hide and access for them to get out of the pond.

We've placed rocks and wood as hiding places and grown ferns around ours.

It may take a while for creatures to find it, but don't be disheartened.

Ours is lovely and we wish now we'd made it larger !

Yes I’m already thinking it might be too small!

You don't have to put a pump in as lots of oxygenating weed should keep your pond clear. However, it is cute to watch frogs sunning themselves on a floating solar fountain. I ordered some pond snails for my previous pond when I initially set it up. My current pond is only a few months old and I'm looking forward to seeing some frog spawn next March (usually 19th - 26th IME)

Having a grass snake or two take up residence would be pretty cool, except that they feed on amphibians!