I've been wanting a wildlife pond since we moved and was thinking about a raised 6 x 4 foot wooden pond on the patio area. But this idea was soon scuppered by the wife who wants the patio for barbecues and entertaining ...hang on, but no one visits us!?Martinspuddle wrote: ↑Thu Apr 30, 2020 12:53 pm
Seeing as we are unlikely now to move a few years I have a cunning plan. It might involve a half whiskey barrel and be just outside the back door. Just got to work out the volume by ie litres and a possibility of having White Clouds Mountain Minnows in there, maybe even year around!
... watch this space as they say!
Thought I'd might have get a new barrel to be honest as it's been used as a planter for a few years filled with Cara Lilies but holding water,
hmm.
Old house, planted with the Cara Lilies and Ivy. I moved the lilies to the garden and not a moment to soon as they had filled the the old barrel.
Having cleared out the Lilies and compost the old oak timber looking a little worst for wear inside. Did think about buying a liner for it but quite frankly the price of a liner is damn near as much as a new half barrel.
I bunged up the drain holes I drilled originally with large corks and 'Milliput' in an attempt to make the base water tight. Started filling and the words 'kitchen colander' sprung to mind at first, water everywhere. I needn't of worried. Over ten days ye olde barrel timbers had swollen up enough to make it water tight.
![:]](./images/smilies/smile.gif "Smile"){kind=small}
Now filled with a rain water and tap mix with added dechlorinator. Planted using aquatic pond soil, I've added the following. Iris ensata hybrid, Marsh marigold (Caltha Palustris) and a dwarf Nymphaea water lily 'Snow Princess' which has white with yellow centred flowers. I've used four new house bricks to raise the main basket, hopefully shouldn't be an issue with the old wooden base ...he says!
One odd thing at the moment, local I cannot find any Milfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum) not in stores or even the local lakes or ponds can I find any. None of the ponds have any, lakes seem to be cleared of all aquatic plant and now filled with Carp for fishing only. Have to admit, many of these lakes I haven't been too for nearly 20 years, so have somewhat changed since my last visit.
I know where I can get hold of some Milfoil but a 30 mile round trip to a garden centre which seems a bit much for some pond weed. I'll have to order some online.
Click to enlarge
On seeing the barrel pond, there's just a chance Mrs. Puddle might change her mind about having a wildlife pond in the garden after all.
