Wildlife pond planting

[HaveYouSeenHerLately]

I'm nearly ready to dig a hole to sink my preformed liner (1m diameter).

Does anyone know if I can get away with not planting until the spring? The RHS info says plants will go dormant over winter and spring is the best time to plant up a new pond. They also say that autumn/ winter is the best time to install a pond

I was hoping to Freegle a few plants in the spring when people divide them.

Should I get an oxygenator in immediately to stop the pond going slimy and provide some habitat?

[Oldraver]

Oh I see. I only decided on mine a few weeks ago when I had a brainwave.

DS has a large 2x2 metre wooden sandpit that he hasn't used much this year as I think he is getting too old for it (surprised it lasted this long) and its been batterned down to stop the cat getting in it. I had the pebble pool from years ago but its been languishing about since I did my back in.

I had to dig a hole for the deepest bit where the pump goes but the other cutouts sit in the base of sandpit with the sand pushed up around the rest of the base and some planting soil at the corners.

I think I may fill it with stones and water for the winter and see how it settles and think of plating in the spring.

[HaveYouSeenHerLately]

Hi Oldraver

I'm actually using a large octagonal planter that I won on eBay while looking for proper preformed liners

It's really thick plastic, almost solid.

Mine has no shelves but I'm going to create levels using bricks and gravel. I've been reading up and it's suggested to add a bit of plank or whatever covered in chicken wire to encourage wildlife in and out (I can only think of hedgehogs off the top of my head!)

I only wanted a smallish project to test the waters, so to speak If I get the pond bug I'll no doubt do another using a proper liner. I was inspired by people using old baby baths and all sorts to create water habitat

[Oldraver]

OP...What is your pre-formed liner like ? I have a old sort of pebble pool that I have just put in place where DS's sandpit used to be.

It is a sort of kidney shape with three hollows for what I think are plants then the hollow in the middle for the pump. I was going to fill it with stones and just use a water feature/pebble pool and hadn't thought of all the frogs in our garden

[HaveYouSeenHerLately]

I left you out Trethew, thank you for the levelling tips

Shove the sunflower's awesome isn't it! The other 40 (!) I planted got munched by slugs. I was away one weekend and came back to carnage. Not sure how this one survived but it's making up for the loss

I love the arch I hope it survives the winter and the winds. It's reinforced with dowel and screwed on, fingers crossed! Might even fleece it over the worst of winter The passionflower's still growing like crazy here in the SE so I'm relying on it getting a bit bushier to cover the pipe and securing itself to the trellis on the left for added stability

[HaveYouSeenHerLately]

Thanks for the replies everyone!

I'm glad to hear I can leave of planting until spring CocktailQueen. I think I'll feel more inspired by then and it helps to break the process into two
I'll try and follow your advice and get an oxygenator in there asap (will google appropriate ones for a baby wildlife pond, I think the RHS lists some).

I can see this is going to be addictive. I have a feeling I'll end up adding another pond adjacent and/or ultimately swapping to a larger, deeper liner (don't mention the digging )
I've always loved ponds and never lived anywhere with one. I thought a wildlife pond could be a good compromise due to lack of garden electrics to support fish. Fish sound complicated in any case!

On my shopping list for spring: marginal plants and iris, dwarf pond lily, floating solar fountain (ebay!), bits of slate/ attractive broken paving to cover the edges and rocks for a bit of rockery.
I'm hoping local eBay and freegle may come up with the last two, fingers crossed

LIZS I managed to get mine on eBay for 99p local collection. Worth keeping an eye out. Otherwise if you search somewhere like Amazon for preformed liners the likes of the Bermuda appear. Loads of other shapes available too, hope that helps!

[Trethew]

You might want to consider filling it with water and leaving it to settle over the winter. However well you have levelled it and settled it onto a base of sand/gravel/earth, they do sometimes shift and end up tilted. If you have already planted it you will not want to empty it and start again to get it level, even though 1m diameter is not big.

[shovetheholly]

That arch looks absolutely bloody lovely! Good job, you! You'd never guess the gate wasn't designed that way.

Your sunflower is MIGHTY. Mine is half that size!

[LIZS]

Can I ask where you got your liner from? Local garden centres don't see, to stock them or only in large sizes.

[CocktailQueen]

planting, not plating!

[CocktailQueen]

I'd pop some oxygenating plant in now so it can work over the winter, but I'd leave my main plating till spring. Let the water mature a bit first.

We did put in a bucket of water from our fish pond to our nature pond, but it does colonise pretty quickly on its own. Enjoy!

[HaveYouSeenHerLately]

Good point shove!

I'd also heard about collecting a small tub of water from a different pond to start things off, micro-organismwise. Though I don't know if this is strictly necessary, apparently it will colonise on its own...

I'm planning to create a little bit of bog habitat alongside by laying old compost sacks (and forking holes in them) at depth for the frogs to hide amongst

I successfully installed my passionflower arch using a piece of plumbers pipe liberated from a neighbour's skip (classy!) Now I can open my gate again Thanks for everyone's suggestions

[shovetheholly]

Oooh, now, that is a good question. Honest answer: not sure.

I think it ought to be OK over the winter - thinking about it biologically, it should just sit there. I don't think plants will be producing as much oxygen in the winter anyway - and things shouldn't be able to grow to the point that they create problems. If you can, maybe leave filling until after leaf fall, or you'll just be fishing the damn things out for weeks...