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Pond question.

• Message 1. 

  Posted by germinator (U13411914) on Sunday, 8th May 2011

  I have a wildlife pond which was made last year, using a butyl liner, and it is filled by rain water; it still has about 18" of bare liner round the perimeter which as well as being unsightly, is, I believe ,a disincentive to amphibians which must feel hot and exposed on it. should I cover it with soil or turves, or let nature take its course?

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• Message 2

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by darren p (U8518743) on Sunday, 8th May 2011

  you need to cover it with something. i would go with small stones, gravel or topsoil. if the topsoil is deep enough you could also plant into it.

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  Posted by garyhobson (U11055016) on Monday, 9th May 2011

  I'm not clear whether this 18" is part of the pond, which you are hoping will still fill up with rain water, or whether this is the flap which comes over the edge at the top.
  
  18" is very wide for a flap over the edge. Many people cut their liners, once laid and filled with water, to about 6". Butyl is quite easy to cut with sharp scissors, or a craft knife, or even a kitchen knife.
  
  You can then rest stones or small slabs on the edge of the liner to weigh it down. Small narrow paving slabs (6"x12") laid around the edge are ideal, and look smart.
  
  Or cover the edge with a thin layer of soil, to weigh the liner down. That soil will not be deep enough to support the roots of most plants.
  
  Plants planted in the soil immediately adjacent to the edge will very soon spill over and cover the edge. Alchemilla mollis is a typical example of a small plant which spills over a ledge quite well.
  
  If you have grass growing beside the pond, then that will eventually creep over the paving, or the flap, and give the effect of grass running up to the edge of the pond. But grass takes a year or more to creep that far.
  
  During the Summer frogs will be more at home in long grass, where they can find small goodies to eat. They only need a pond during spawning in March.

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  Posted by germinator (U13411914) on Monday, 9th May 2011

  Thank you Darren and Gary, the overflow grill is in the 18", so there is still about 12" of bare butyl when the pond is overflowing (into my butyl-lined basket willow trench). I have some flat broken slabs and will ask my wife about the Alchemilla mollis. We had a male Libellula depressa last week. Thanks again.

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• Message 5

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  Posted by daintiness (U3887838) on Friday, 13th May 2011

  If you can - make one edge of your pond a beach where wildlife will find it easy to enter and exit and this shallow area will also be used for spawning.My pond has a beach using cobble type stones; I have large stones on some of the other surround and have grown a prostrate small leaved euonymus over another part.On the other side I laid turves going down into the water and left the grass uncut along this length for wildlife to hide in.The only disadvantage is the grass acts as a wick and soaks up the water from the pond but it does look natural and it provides homes for a lot of creatures.

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