Search - Articles

Chris Beardshaw demonstrates how to remove blanket weed from a pond and offers advice on adding marginal plants and oxygenators to reduce excess nitrogen.summerMore water gardening advicePlanting marginals in a containerGrowing marginal pond plants

sides, as in ambidextrous) and bios (life), meaning that these wonderful creatures are equally happy on both sides of the water/land divide.Very shortly, pond or no, gardens are more likely to see frogs and toads than ever, because now is the start

rectangular or square pond can still be wildlife friendly. Straight edges can easily be disguised with plants, both in and outside of the pond.To attract the widest range of wildlife, create areas of shallow water (around 2-3cm deep), which are essential

Birds not only use water to drink, but they also bathe in it, helping them fluff up their feathers to insulate themselves against the cold. Experts have also found that clean birds are more streamlined, so can escape from predators quickly. Our bird

with water.We're not quite all the way there. The pond is full of water and has already taken on a deep green bloom as the algae and microbes start to establish an ecological balance, but the pond surround needs to be planted up and after the soil has settled

in when the old one sprung a leak. Our pond is raised, three railway sleepers high off the ground, so these two females and a male had managed to scramble up and climb in. There's not much else going on in the water yet - no boatmen or beetles or skaters

We didn't have a pond when I was growing up. I always wanted one, but blew it after trying to walk on water once at Notcutts. I was hauled out and sent home wearing a bin bag, which put paid to any attempts at having a pond at home until many years

, and its early emergence was triggered by water warmed in the hot weather we've had recently.The nymphs of these large dragonflies start to crawl up out of the water at sunset, heaving themselves up a reed or rush stem. The adults then spend the night

'.I dug my mum her first pond 10 years ago, and although several frogs are often found sheltering in the water, and it's home to a gregarious family of smooth newts, we've never seen evidence of any breeding.The pond (now known as the 'deep pond') is too

was rather amused to find me wearing a very large woolly jumper, two chunky scarves and a hot water bottle strapped around my middle (I've been suffering from an extremely sore lower back, as well as from the cold, and this really does help to relieve