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Original poster

GARDEN PONDs To keep or to fill...?

58 replies

jmum6 · 31/03/2006 13:10

We've a gardenpond right outside the back door. Ds is 7months but as yet not crawling.

We've been discussing what we should do with it, whether to fill it in, cover it with a grate or leave it as it is and teach ds to stay away from it.

What would you do?

OP posts:
littlerach · 31/03/2006 13:15

We inherited one when we moved here.

We have covered it with decking for now, though we can reove it as and when we want to.

You can get soem very good covers for them, think we found some on a nature website.

I didn't dare leave it as it was, as one of the girlks I'm sure would have ended up in it.

Neighbour suggested filling it with sand for them to play in.

daisy1999 · 31/03/2006 13:16

without a doubt I'd fill it in. Kids love water and you can't watch them 24/7.

Original poster
jmum6 · 31/03/2006 13:17

Dp thought of sand but I thought about the neighbourhood cats!
Would like to cover it with decking - that sounds nice - was it expensive?

OP posts:
katyp · 31/03/2006 13:18

Personally I would fill it in. I would never feel safe leaving a small child alone in a garden with one, even when they are a lot older - it would be nice if he could play outside without you worrying about popping in to the loo, for example, when he is more mobile. Even if your ds can be trained to stay away, what about when you have friends around with their kids who might not be used to the potential dangers?

Surfermum · 31/03/2006 13:26

Fill it in (or deck it) without a doubt. Garden ponds are death traps.

\link{http://www.dti.gov.uk/homesafetynetwork/dw_intro.htm\Drownings home and garden}

littlerach · 31/03/2006 13:30

DH measured the pond, then bought soem lengths of decking.
He then cut it so that it was bit bigger than the pond, and fixed it underneath on other lengths of decking.
It fits completely over the pond, but is raised by about an inch.
DDs have their playhouse on top of it.

spidermama · 31/03/2006 13:31

Can't you put a mesh over it? We have a small pond and the kids absolutely love it. It already has frog spawn and a newt in there.

If I were you I'd put wide wire meshing over it hammered into bits of wood or sleepers all the way round. Then you can take it off again in a couple of years.

Original poster
jmum6 · 31/03/2006 13:35

Ohh just read surfermums link - right thats decided then. Will defiently fill it in, but do like the idea of putting decking where the pond is now.

Thanks for the clarification girls. :)

OP posts:
NomDePlume · 31/03/2006 13:35

Fill. Ponds are so dated now, anyway.

Kelly1978 · 31/03/2006 13:36

I filled one in, too big a risk IMO. We had a mesh over it liek spidermama described, but I still worried that a child could go through it. I paved over the top of ours so that the kids had somewhere to ride bikes. I chucked the frogs over to next doors, who also had a pond! Grin Blush

Nbg · 31/03/2006 13:37

Jmum6

You could meet up with feistybird and fill it with those eggs of hers.

Grin
Original poster
jmum6 · 31/03/2006 13:39

pmsl Nbg

OP posts:
spidermama · 31/03/2006 13:39

What has the date got to do with it NDP?
Don't tell me you design your garden depending on what others deem to be fashionable. Shock

NomDePlume · 31/03/2006 13:40

rofl, no, but all the garden ponds I've even sen have been either a) full of algae and godknowswhat or b) very twee little things with fishing gnomes etc

NomDePlume · 31/03/2006 13:41

rofl, no, but all the garden ponds I've ever seen have been either a) full of algae and godknowswhat or b) very twee little things with fishing gnomes etc

Original poster
jmum6 · 31/03/2006 13:43

Mines the grunge variety so no great loss really, except I'll be making the 100 odd frogs that are currently residing in it homeless.

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Original poster
jmum6 · 31/03/2006 13:44

Kelly1978 you fancy some frogs?

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joelalie · 31/03/2006 13:48

Mum and Dad have one - they had a metal grille made for it which is too heavy to be moved and keeps it completely covered. It's perfectly safe. My children love it. They spend hours feeding the fish and watching the tadpoles, frogs and newts. Very good for the wildlife as well. The youngest is 3 now so in a few years the grille can go.

Couldn't give a t*ss if ponds are old-fashioned TBH.... I'd have one if I had the room for one. Smile

Kelly1978 · 31/03/2006 13:49

lol, no thanks. Was horrible, had to be so careful when I went to put the washign out or anything, or squeLch...dead frog!

Original poster
jmum6 · 31/03/2006 13:52

Our frog problem was solved when we had 2 jack russells - they used to catch and eat them - yuk!!!!

Cue lots of green foaming mouths and dogs retching - obviously poisonous but dogs didn't care!

Since the dogs are no longer with us we're over run withthe bloody things.

OP posts:
littlerach · 31/03/2006 13:53

But when we moved the frogs from ours, they kept coming back.

Original poster
jmum6 · 31/03/2006 13:55

WHAT? They come back? Even if ponds not there? Shock

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Kelly1978 · 31/03/2006 13:55

ours gave up when their pond was concreted over. I guess they saw the fate of their little froggy friends that came back and got buried alive. Frogs really are a pest though, don't knwo why anyone would want them.

Original poster
jmum6 · 31/03/2006 13:58

Really must do something this weekend before they start laying too much frogspawn

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Kelly1978 · 31/03/2006 14:00

it bloody hard work too, took forever to fill ours!