Talkback: Wildlife ponds

You will Kate, it's hard graft and take a lifetime to acheive.The best bit is that you will enjoy creating it as long as you work with nature and remember that you are sharing your space with other LIVING things. Ask any oldie like me!

I have to share my year old pond with a 7 month old dog. He just loves to stand in it. I have tried to deter him with netting but to no avail. Hopefully I will still have some frogs next year. Fingers crossed but it may be that I will have to dig another pond or invest in a tin bath.

Hi Kate.  If I can do it anyone can!  This has been my third summer gardening as an absolute beginner in my new house which had not one flower...now 20000 at least.  I had a 50' X 20' extension which the previous owner/builder used as a builder's rubbish dump, which took 5 packed skips to clear.  Last Nov I started creating a brand new garden with a 19' X5' wildlife pond.  It was fully set up and fully planted by March, and has looked like it has been there for years.  It is full of life especially with dragonflies, damsel flies, newts and froglets (from tadpoles which I rescued from a true wildlife pond which had almost completely dried out and so was able to save them), which I keep finding throughout my entire garden, so I'm hoping I won't need any slug pelletts henceforth.  SO, don't be put off!  It's fantastic....and with all the plants in it the stagnant water has been crystal clear throughout, clearer than my large 10000 ltr ornamental fish pond which is serviced by a very expensive filter system!!