Reading a link-up post on another blog ( http://www.acornstem.co.uk ), I discovered there was an easy way to add pond life to our garden. We could make a mini pond. My trio love pond dipping, and AcornSTEM’s post was fantastic with its step by step guide. It was a real incentive to try and do this myself. I researched it a little more first, and came across the RSPB’s own guide “Create a Mini-Pond” https://ww2.rspb.org.uk/get-involved/activities/give-nature-a-home-in-your-garden/garden-activities/createaminipond/ . It reassured me that it was a good time of year (spring) to make one, as we’d see it develop quite fast in the next few months. It can be made at other times of the year too, but it would mature more slowly. So, I got my thinking cap on for a tub that could be our pond, and planned to do it the next day with the trio.
I found an old bucket with a broken handle that we didn’t use for anything, and thought that would be perfect for our mini pond. We then needed to choose a location. There were a couple of factors that needed to be considered with this. First of all it doesn’t want to be in a place where the sun will shine on it all day long, so sometimes sunny, sometimes shady is good. Secondly, it needs some vegetation around it. So if there is none when you plant it, be prepared to pop some in afterwards. The vegetation will provide cover and perches for wildlife. Our mini pond area has some old tree stumps around it, and is in a newly made flower bed. So, although it is a work in progress, there are imminent plans to grow things there once our weather in Sweden warms up a little (you can see our spring bulbs just peeping through). Thirdly, it needs to be in a safe place, as even a small body of water can be a hazard for small children (she says with a massive old well in her garden!). I have placed ours somewhere where the trio aren’t supposed to walk (a flower bed) with perches in the form of the tree stumps to provide a more mental barrier to it as well. We dug our hole, and stuck our bucket in. We left it sticking out a few centimetres so any mini beasts that are land dwellers, shouldn’t accidentally bimble into it.
We have a lot of rocks in our garden, so I sent the trio off to find 3 or 4 large ones to place in the bottom of the pond. This will give any mini beasts some hiding places and cover if they require it. Next in was a large stick/branch reaching up from the rocks, out onto the tree stumps. This is an emergency exit for any land dwellers that do accidentally stumble into it, so they can climb back out again.
It then needed filling up. You can do this with tap water, but it will take longer to be colonised due to the treatment it undergoes. Luckily we have a water butt full of water. I also want to shift the said unsightly water butt from its current location, but am unable to due to the fact it keeps filling up with water, and I haven’t got round to scooping it out yet! Today we made a start on scooping the water out, and carrying it over to our mini pond. Do not be tempted to fill it with pond water from another pond, as you are making those mini beasts move house!!
After that was all done, we decorated around it with some more of our surplus rocks, and now will just sit back and wait to see if it starts teeming with life! Hopefully, in a few weeks I will have a positive update for you!
************************please be aware that even small bodies of water provide a hazard to young children, so do not leave them unattended with the mini pond*****************************************************
Comments 21
This looks fantastic, I’m glad you gave it a go – ended up nicer than the original! Thanks for the mention 🙂 We have been having to put back the pot sherds around ours and keep topping it up, turns out to be the allotment badger’s new favourite place to have a drink and snuffle around for worms.
Author
That sounds like fun, even if it wasn’t the use it was intended for! You’ll have to set up a badger cam to watch them. Thankyou for the great idea 🙂
What a fantastic pond! We used to have a pond in the back garden at my Parents house and it was brilliant for wildlife spotting. We loved to watch the tadpoles and then later the frogs. Such fond memories in my childhood
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Yes, so did I and I lived watching the frogspawn turn into frogs
I remember doing this when I was younger a lot, I used to love making mini ponds!
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It is so easy to do as well, they loved it
Such a good idea! Might have to give this a go!
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It was so quick and easy!
What a great idea, I think I might need to find a space in our garden for a little pond.
Author
Fingers crossed we see some wildlife move in now 🙂
What a fabulous idea! I remember as a child being fastinated with tadpoles and going down to our school pond to watch them change from tadpoles to frogs. Can’t wait to do that with Max and Emmie! X
Author
Fingers crossed we get some wildlife in it!
What a cool idea. I would never have thought to do something like this. X
Well done for making your own little pond. I wonder what you’ve got in there now! My friend made a really pretty pond in her garden using an old bathtub last year 🙂
Thissoundslike a lovely project to do together and learn more about the environment. #LittleMakes
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Yes, plenty of casual learning going on 🙂
Great idea. Might have to do this when my girls are older. #littlemakes
I’ve never heard of this, such a great idea! Oooh hope you get frogs visit!
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fingers crossed!
What a fantastic idea! #LittleMakes
This is such a great idea especially for city life or smaller gardens and even though I know you still need to be careful it is definitely safer than a big pond! #littlemakes