Garden ponds

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I'm finally able to make space for a small pond. I'm thinking of buying a pre-formed pond liner, around 1m x 2m, around 50cm deep.
Is this big enough to attract some wildlife?

I've seen some quite successful wildlife pond projects in old kitchen sinks and bath tubs, which are smaller than you are proposing.

More important to ensure that the water isn't stagnant I would think.

Yes! You'll get loads of wildlife. Make sure you plant a variety of plants in and around the pond, and don't be too fastidious with it.

Well "wildlife" is a broad term. I'm sure mosquitoes will find it! Make sure you have a gentle slope at one end so that birds can drink and bathe easily. Add some aquatic plants to help with aeration and for insects to lay their eggs on and you may well get dragonflies and damsel flies, pond skaters and water boatmen.

Even a washing up bowl will attract frogs😀but like Claudia says, it's all about the water quality. As a rough guide, you need about 3 bunches of oxygenating plants for every square meter. If you can get a pump & filter even better. I made the mistake of introducing golden orfe to my pond & they are beautiful, but the buggers have developed a taste for tadpoles.

Our pond is TINY! Definitely smaller than 1m x 2m. But it's at ground level so birds can get and out easily, and they hop around it all the time looking for things to eat, and use it to take a bath. We also get lots of dragonflies, damselflies, and a frog once in a while. We've even seen the odd bat overhead, I think they're eating the bugs that are attracted to the water.

Ours is about that and we have loads of wildlife! Newts and frogs, and most years a beautiful coppery toad. No frog spawn though as the fish eat them. :) Also loads of water snails which i have never figured out how they got there.

Also, we have 'steps' made out of rocks on one side. One year we had a hedgehog fall in the pond so after rescuing it we made the wildlife their steps so they can get out. No issues since.

If it's fairly shallow, then it might need to be sited where it will get at least some shade for part of the day. During hot sunny weather, shallow ponds can get very warm and that wouldn't be good for aquatic life.

Yes definitely I've got one on my allotment and it wasn't allowed to be deeper than 30cm and is around 1metre across and I have lots of frogs, and tadpoles at the moment. I put in lots of oxygenating plants for them and mine is in the shade. Birds bathe in it, I once spotted a hedgehog drinking from the pebbly side, and the bees love the flowering aquatic plants. Also aquatic snails have turned up out of nowhere (probably on the plants) and I often see spiders tiptoeing over the water surface tension to grab the flies. It's fascinating.

Placemarking for ideas! I installed a very small bucket pond a couple of years ago, but it ended up very neglected due to pregnancy and then lockdown malaise. Finally got around to getting some new oxygenating plants and the water has cleared up a lot already. Thanks @BlueLobelia for reminding me to put steps & rocks in!

You are welcome! We are just so glad we got the hedgehog before the worst happened.

Wildlife ponds don't need pumps and filters, and definitely no fish.

My understanding is also that wildlife ponds should not have pumps or filters - they will not help the wildlife. Oxygenating plants will clean the water sufficiently. And no fish for the tadpole eating reasons mentioned above.

I have a wildlife pond, it’s probably around 60cm deep, it’s an a funny shape but probably roughly 1 metre length, maybe a bit more.

It has a thriving population of newts!
But very little else I’ve seen...

I have read wildlife ponds shouldn’t have pumps or filters and shouldn’t be in a sunny spot and will sort themselves out in a few years but I have to say, my little pond (in the sun) is at least 5 years old and it is always absolutely choked in algae with lots of mulm at bottom.
It’s a miracle anything manages to survive in it!
The planting around it makes it look beautiful but it’s really quite a state up close!

I have tried that bacteria stuff to eat mulm but it made no difference.
I’m going to buy tonnes of it this year and if it doesn’t work I am considering buying a pump and filter.

Did you watch GW last night (21 May) beautiful wildlife pond made in a half barrel ( only cost £60 plus a mass of good size plants, but that’s GW for you ) . But it was very lovely. He used some sort of dye in the water to discourage pond weed which was interesting. Suggested using bricks with holes to raise plants to different levels and provide hiding spaces for creatures.

Yes it is! As PP have said, do make sure you have a “beach” to allow birds and animals to get out if they fall in.

I love having a pond, it’s wonderful seeing the birds drink from the edge. Also the chickens, who prefer delicious weedy pond water to the nice clean water I give them!

I have a biggish pond in my back garden but only an old Belfast sink in my front. The sink is teeming with frogs! It's in a perfect spot. Part sun part shade, lots of plants around it. No oxygenating plants in it though apart from some floating ones. Bricks in the bottom and making steps as we often see hedgehogs nearby.
Back garden pond had newts and a few frogs, plus lots bugs and flying insects around it. No fish or pumps. Fish need much better quality water.

He used some sort of dye in the water to discourage pond weed which was interesting I wouldn't do that in a wildlife pond. You'd have to be very sure that it was non-toxic to all the creatures tht go to make up a healthy food chain.

And no fish for the tadpole eating reasons mentioned above. Newts also eat tadpoles (and spawn). But blackbirds eat newts.