Pond life
heavymental
Posts: 2,079
Had anyone got any expertise on garden ponds? My dad built and maintained the garden pond but since he passed away my mum has struggled to stay on top of the maintenance. She's had several 'experts' come in who have charged her a lot of money to make it fit their vision of the perfect pond which doesn't necessarily tally with what she wants. The latest guy told her she didn't need to sit the plants on bricks and since removing them the water lily has gone berserk and taken over the pond leaving little room for anything else. Any suggestions? I guess at the moment I'll have to dive in and cut it right back when I'm visiting her but that'll be messy and difficult so I'd want to get it right. I'll probably also put it back on bricks as that seemed to work fine before!
Here's the pond, it's only small but brings my mum a lot of pleasure so it'd be nice to be able to keep it in a good state
Here's the pond, it's only small but brings my mum a lot of pleasure so it'd be nice to be able to keep it in a good state
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I know nothing but will watch this with interest. Folks used to have a pond, mum has moved to a smaller house now she's on her own and wants me to put a pond in.0
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I'm into aquaria but more along the lines of indoor aquariums, so can't really offer anything significantly helpful regarding an outdoor pond.
You may get lucky and some cyclist on here may very well be into ponds too, and may offer advice.
Failing that, if you're really serious about getting it right for your mum then I'd advise you to log into a pond forum. There are loads out there for the likes of koi fish keepers and such.0 -
Yes I'd also be after a recommendation for a pond forum! Had a look at a couple but prefer not to sign up for all kinds of forums so thought I'd try the great and good here first.
I think that yes maybe the roots have a bit too much freedom now they're not on bricks.
We do have a few fish in there but they are regularly culled by a visiting heron which is frustrating but mum doesn't want it netted for the looks and also the fact that she wants the plants around the edge to have the freedom to grow. It also does have a filter with a waterfall at the far end.
@veronese68 There's lots of nice options for ponds. My cousin has made one recently just by using some pond liner within some railway sleepers. It's lovely to have a water feature in the garden no matter how simple it is.
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Ex pro gardener, done some pond stuff, creating and maintaining.
Assume it will have stepped sides, flats at differing depths. Keep the plants various in the basket type casings, encourages growth of differing plants types at the different depths. Controls the superfast invader types.2 -
I suggested railway sleepers and a liner this morning funnily enough. My nephew is staying there for a few weeks so I could get him to do the donkey work.heavymental said:
@veronese68 There's lots of nice options for ponds. My cousin has made one recently just by using some pond liner within some railway sleepers. It's lovely to have a water feature in the garden no matter how simple it is.
Vaguely recall plants being in plastic basket type things in their old pond. Their was no filter, but a pump and fountain/sprinkler thing to keep the water moving.1 -
I keep seeing the title of this thread and expecting it to be about politicians....1
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Staring at a pond is a good alternative to following the politics!vincesummerskRoxcBTr said:I keep seeing the title of this thread and expecting it to be about politicians....
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Getting somebody else to dig out a pond is a very good idea. In your supervisory role make sure he has a plan for the soil he digs outveronese68 said:
I suggested railway sleepers and a liner this morning funnily enough. My nephew is staying there for a few weeks so I could get him to do the donkey work.heavymental said:
@veronese68 There's lots of nice options for ponds. My cousin has made one recently just by using some pond liner within some railway sleepers. It's lovely to have a water feature in the garden no matter how simple it is.
Vaguely recall plants being in plastic basket type things in their old pond. Their was no filter, but a pump and fountain/sprinkler thing to keep the water moving.0
