When the world finally sees sense and appoints me President For Life, there are going to be some big changes around here. Obviously high on the list will be the introduction of paid knitting/crochet leave for all workers, and free access to yarn for the under-paid. But there’ll also be some wildlife-friendly initiatives introduced within the first nanosecond or two of my iron-fisted forever-tenure.
First of all, every garden will be mandated by law to include at least one wildlife pond. Those of you who’ve been here awhile will know about my long obsession with freshwater life, and how I dug a pond in our garden a couple of years ago.
And then I designed and knitted a picture of a watery habitat…
But you know that saying, “A woman can never have too many wildlife ponds”? No? Oh, possibly that’s because I just made it up, but once I’m President For Life, it’ll be a phrase that you’ll hear all the time. Like most wildlife ponds, ours had a strict NO FISH policy.
…which meant that we soon had plenty of other wildlife.
And yet, like anyone else who spent their childhood dipping a net into a stream or lake, I do rather love our feisty, quirky, little native fish, especially three-spined sticklebacks. And the twinnage were keen to get some fish. Who am I to deny a determined pair of nine-year-olds? You can probably guess where all this is going.
The Stoic Spouse raised only token objections when I made the case for digging up yet more of the lawn. (It’s only three months since I made these raised beds on the grass, for the purpose of growing food. In case you’re in need of an update, dinner is growing well, and will be ready in a couple of months’ time. Please do help yourselves to snacks whilst you wait.) Like you, the Stoic Spouse could see where all this was going. First, I cut and rolled back the turf.
And then I began to dig.
This is a small pond, so I had it done within a couple of hard-working afternoons. Yes, I still need to sort out the edges, and fill the thing with plants. But it’s on its way.
Tomorrow, the sticklebacks arrive (from a responsible breeder). In case you’ve not had the pleasure, they look like this:-
And the males build small nests, into which they woo their gravid mates. I might be a tiny bit excited…
Love it all ! But .. wot abaht mozzies ?
Never had a problem with them. There are PLENTY of predators in the pond that’ll eat them, though.
Always a problem down here any time there’s standing water. Lucky you !
WONDERFUL projects both !
What…dinner isn’t done growing YET?! Sigh… LOL I look forward to hearing more about your ponds and the residents therein and nearby. Keep those ponds coming, President! Oh, and I still ADORE your chair and underwater wallhanging!
Wow! Your ambition is inspiring!! This is Penny from Houston & I applaud your Presidental Agenda! Best of luck with the new pond!
I love it!! Where can I vote for you?
Love in the works at the pond I presume you also got a few girl fishes to keep the boys company. President of the world… such a thankless job I have no doubt about that.
Can’t wait to hear about the new residents. I’m excited for you!
I watched Monty help gardeners create ponds on “Big Dreams, Small Spaces” and have wanted one ever since. You are admirable–a worthy hero, creative and strong. I hope I can enjoy your pond as often as you invite us for look-sees.
Seven years ago I attached a pump to a large clay bowl, filled it with pebbles, plants and shells, and pretended it was a micro pond. It sounded like a bubbling brook. I left suitable plants in a large jar on the patio overnight. The next morning I found a toad as large as a man’s fist hiding among the roots. There are photos to prove it wasn’t just a dream. We had no idea we had such gems in our yard. Now I really do wish we had a pond. A girl can dream.
So happy to read about your ponds…the weather here is in the minus 20’s (Celsius)…hardly pond digging weather!!
This is so cool! Good luck with the fishies!
I’m so loving the prospect of potential male wooing…. anticipating photos of stickleback nests to come. Also seconding your Presidential manifesto, paid yarn-related leave would only be a good thing for the nation’s mental health. It’s always a good day when there’s yarn involved.
I loved reading all these messages.Im in England and have 3 small ponds in my garden.One for just Newts,Frogs and toads(and everything else that flies)and my other two for my fish.Ive got two Sturgeon in my bigger pond.I love all the nature stuff and I look forward to inspecting my ponds every waking hour for new friends in them.Im so lucky.
Dear el presidento. Pondlife can be harsh. Were is your Plan! To divide and rule, to let pond life prosper, the economics of pond life. The big plan! Without gidding, I have four ponds. Wanted a huge one but work/time/power was limited so I made four from high big to smaller low with the impression they are linked. I have Shubunkin in there. Misses toad and her gang who moved with me four times demands some space and plants are there to create a lush jungle. I’ve some huge Darmera roots for you if you want. Just dug them out as they were planning to take over. After 6 years the plants settled and the rat race for space begins. Your boys will love it. I planned them long ago for my grown children. Sitting next to misses toad sjirping makes so happy. Fishes are very intelligent. When I feed them we’ve long talks and if they like the swim in my hands to cuddle. Water gives a garden of Eden, like above said, the size doesn’t matter. Enjoy!
That is a wonderful idea to make a second pond for the fish.
Oh wow! I’ve been growing dinner, or parts thereof, in pots in our concreted, northeast facing, walled, yard with varying success for years now. I’d love a pond, need one, with frogs/toads to take on the hoards of voracious molluscs which seem to be my garden’s main crop.
However all I read tells me that ponds require light, which is in short supply – see previous para. And need to be 2′ deep in the middle to ensure that when we get freezing temperatures they don’t freeze solid; this being highly detrimental to wildlife (or most life.)
Trouble is 2′ deep is well below the concrete, and who knows what ‘service pipes etc’ are down there? Wouldn’t want to crack a water pipe or a sewer – particularly as, being on our (minute patch of) land, they’d be our responsibility to repair.
A deep pot is a possibility, but it would need a lot of lagging as the yard can get very hot on sunny days and we do get frost, even snow some years, even in central Portsmouth.
Ah well, better give it a lot more serious thought, and clear up the old compost etc ready for this year’s planting of dinner – for us ideally, rather than the voracious molluscs. And no, I’m not eating them!
If only you would cross that BIG pond and be our President, where you are much needed.
I spend far too much time with my nose inches from the surface of my pond and my bum in the air lost in the watery world! There are sticklebacks in ours but no other fish and also a lot of other wildlife.
I have always said that once I am dictator the first thing I will do is make sure that we stay on British summer time all year. I hate putting the clocks back in the autumn and making the dark evenings even darker!
How did you get the turf to come off and roll so evenly? I want to expand my prairie garden. When I installed it I paid through the nose to have a landscaping company come with some kind of machine to remove the lawn. I want to lengthen the bed now, but would prefer to avoid the expense. Just wondering.