Journal Wildlife Pond Project

[Simmo]

Gunnera? Would give lots of cover.

Thanks, yes it would I don’t think they’re fully hardy up here and I’m too lazy to wrap plants up for winter! 😂

 

[Simmo]

I couldn’t find a good local source for native ferns so have pre-ordered a selection of wet and dry tolerant species from Fibrex Nurseries. Be here in a couple of weeks…thanks All! 👍😀

 

[Simmo]

So the native plants arrived as plugs so I potted them up with extra labour from my daughter in plastic pond pots with pond aquasoil and gravel. Plants as follows;
Fringe lilly
Water forget-me-not
Water Lilly Albida
Soft rush
Purple loosetrife
Marsh marigold
Water mint
Water plantain
Gypsywort
Yellow flag iris

About 80 in total but small plugs so several per large pot, if they take off some repotting will be needed.

Oxygenators yet to arrive.

Cheers

 

[Simmo]

This morning. Fingers crossed they will establish, took a bit of fiddling as many favour v.shallow water so a few bricks here and there to raise them up a bit. My back is protesting this morning!! 😂

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

Plants as follows;
Fringe lilly
Water forget-me-not
Water Lilly Albida
Soft rush
Purple loosetrife
Marsh marigold
Water mint
Water plantain
Gypsywort
Yellow flag iris

That looks a really good selection.

so have pre-ordered a selection of wet and dry tolerant species from Fibrex Nurseries.

Do you know what you will get?

Fringe lilly

Nymphoides peltata, really pretty but a rampant grower with us <"https://invasives.ie/app/uploads/2021/09/Nymphoides_peltata_ISAP.pdf">.

cheers Darrel

 

[Simmo]

Thanks for that didn’t know the fringed lilly was invasive, came from another, local nursery with the white lilly. It’s days are numbered but will keep for now to help suck up some nutrients.

No I don’t know what ferns but they sell UK hardy spp so will wait and see!

Yes I think the main plants are pretty good, only a couple looked ropey and all native.

Cheers

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

Thanks for that didn’t know the fringed lilly was invasive

It is <"native to East Anglia in the UK">, but when I was working on a <"project on Bristol's ponds"> we found a lot of it, in a lot of ponds.

cheers Darrel

 

[zozo]

No I don’t know what ferns

Thelypteris Palustris Marsh Fern

Thelypteris Palustris | Marsh Fern Thelypteris Palustris, also known as the Marsh Fern, is a plant native to Britain. The marsh fern has lacy, finely cut fronds, and is very hardy, preferring damp soil. The Marsh Fern grows best around ponds in damp, but not water-logged ground, in a sunny...

realaquatics.co.uk

Very fast-growing and pretty large fern spreads with a creeping rhizome and grows on wood, rocks and any substrate as long as it's wet.
It's native and winter hardy but not an evergreen, it dies in the winter, thus it requires some trimming to prevent all old leaves from ending up on te the bottom of the pond.

 

[Simmo]

Thelypteris Palustris Marsh Fern

Thelypteris Palustris | Marsh Fern Thelypteris Palustris, also known as the Marsh Fern, is a plant native to Britain. The marsh fern has lacy, finely cut fronds, and is very hardy, preferring damp soil. The Marsh Fern grows best around ponds in damp, but not water-logged ground, in a sunny...

realaquatics.co.uk

Very fast-growing and pretty large fern spreads with a creeping rhizome and grows on wood, rocks and any substrate as long as it's wet.
It's native and winter hardy but not an evergreen, it dies in the winter, thus it requires some trimming to prevent all old leaves from ending up on te the bottom of the pond.

Thanks sounds perfect 👍😀

 

[Simmo]

Amazing how even some tiny plants can make it look more natural. Lilly seems to be sorting itself out and the others are looking perky enough so far. Out of interest tested the water yesterday with NT Labs aquarium kit for Nitrate, Nitrite and Ammonia. Nothing registering but perhaps not too surprising!

Now have the pump pushing water out through a bit of bog wood I drilled out, looks a bit better than the black plastic rose fitting.

Dropped a biggish oak log in, should be another access/egress point and adds a bit of structure.

Several biggish (30 m)trees not far from the pond and blustery couple of days show just how much matter falls in. I’ve been netting some of it out but not sure I’m making much impact and suspect it’ll be an ongoing challenge.

Water is a sort of ‘swamp green’ reminiscent of the Everglades, half expecting to see a snapping turtle emerge fom the murk 😂

Cheers

 

[Simmo]

A bit more work to expand the ‘beach’ with more stones dug from the garden effectively finishes the right hand side.

Plants are doing well, the lilly has a new leaf each week and the others are certainly growing. The oxygenators arrived from Habitat Aid (akaBritish Pond Plants) in weighted clumps so we threw them in and they float about in the breeze. Ferns due next week.

I still need more fist sized stones to complete the left hand , front and back sides but need to excavate the front garden now the supply from the back garden is exhausted.

I’ve seen an oak stump in the woods that would make an epic feature in the middle but there are practical and ethical considerations to consider!

Life seems to be restricted to invertebrates so far, a vast number of non biting midge larvae being a highlight for the aquarium dwellers inside 😂

Cheers

 

[Simmo]

First flower today, I think it’s water plantain Alisma Plantago aquatica. Nice whatever it is!

And then doing battle with a really ropey 1955 Matchless G9 that might yet end up being converted to a unique water feature 😂🤣🤣

 

[Simmo]

Out and about in the Cairngorms getting some inspiration for planting around the pond and wider garden to boost cover for pond dwellers and provide habitat

Nice ferns everywhere. Melancholy thistle, I do love a wild foxglove, the umbellifer is I think, Yarrow, the marsh full of white flowers is Meadowsweet. Also some marsh valarian about, not pictured that has some attractive pink flower clusters

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

the umbellifer is I think, Yarrow,

It is a "Yarrow" (Achillea millefolium) (Asteraceae). It like the dry, but <"Sneezewort" Achillea ptarmica"> likes wet places, but isn't quite as attractive.

cheers Darrel

 

[zozo]

Lovely little pond!! 😘

And then doing battle with a really ropey 1955 Matchless G9

And a Lovely restoration project... I'm an oldtimer fan as well... But never seen or heard of Matchless... Would love to have it, I tend to collect all kinds of things with 'M' logo's since my first and last name both start with an "M". The Dutch AA service happens to be the WW service couldn't help buying and hanging the badge upside down.

I had my thoughts about buying an AA badge and turning it into an M. Never did because that would be destroying it...

 

[Simmo]

Hi all,

It is a "Yarrow" (Achillea millefolium) (Asteraceae). It like the dry, but <"Sneezewort" Achillea ptarmica"> likes wet places, but isn't quite as attractive.

View attachment 208162

cheers Darrel

Thank you Darrell 👍

 

[Simmo]

Lovely little pond!! 😘


And a Lovely restoration project... I'm an oldtimer fan as well... But never seen or heard of Matchless... Would love to have it, I tend to collect all kinds of things with 'M' logo's since my first and last name both start with an "M". The Dutch AA service happens to be the WW service couldn't help buying and hanging the badge upside down.
View attachment 208197

I had my thoughts about buying an AA badge and turning it into an M. Never did because that would be destroying it...
View attachment 208200

Thanks, I think it’s the start of something more ambitious! 😂

I can understand the temptation but agree it would be a shame to change a nice original item like the AA badge.

Yes I love old stuff, it has an enduring quality that’s hard to find and an attractive mechanical simplicity. Matchless is a very old Brit bike manufacturer, by 1955 it was part of the giant conglomerate Associated Motorcycles (AMC) who bought up many of the old names before going under in the face of Japanese innovation. The bike was made in London, nearly all in the same factory right down to the cables and to a very high standard. Hard to comprehend now as machines are assembled from components sourced from around the world.

 

[Simmo]

Beautiful surface reflection of sun on the wall this afternoon. I’ve concluded pond skaters are the roving zombies of the pond, any poor insect that lands on the surface attracts a bloodthirsty mob 😂

 

[Simmo]

The ferns arrived and I’ve planted them in the left hand corner and along the back. There are also 5 wild male ferns growing along the base of the wall I’ve been encouraging so fingers crossed between them all it will create some decent cover as they grow.

Species are a mix of shade and moisture lovers and more adaptable species, so the shade lovers are along the wall where it’s cool and damp. I planted them with a bit of leaf mould I foraged from the front garden.

Shade lovers
Osmunda regalis crispa undulata Royal Fern
Onoclea sensibilis (Sensitive fern)
Filix femina ‘setigerum Congestum’ (A. Athryum)
Struthiopteris (Shuttlecock fern) A. Matteuccia)

Adaptable
Gymnocarpium dryopteris
A. Dryopteris (2 varieties)
A. Ploystichium longwinded variety…
A. Polypodium as above!

I’ve looked most of them up and they seem to be common enough and native to Europe at least.

Cheers

 

[Simmo]

Most things are growing well, the lilly looks a little unwell but it’s been cold and rainy so not ideal conditions, also added some more lilly plants and iris for cover. We have a toad using the pond and the biggest water beetle I’ve ever seen, sadly no photos.

I’ve decided that pots are ugly and not needed so will begin to remove them; I think it’ll look a lot more natural. In terms of substrate I think I’ll mix gravel and pond aquasoil to a depth of 1-2 inches and just see how it goes.

Beautiful tiny blue flowers…




Cheers