Filling in a pond

We are new grandparents and need to fill in an old pond. The pond is 3 feet deep and approx 9 feet in diameter. We would be grateful for advice on the best way to fill the majority of the hole, leaving the final few inches to have topsoil and turves. Could we put rubble in the hole? We have looked at topsoil but it would be very expensive to just use that. Any advice gratefully received. Thank you.

 

Hello New Digger welcome to the forum.

Congratulations on becoming grandparents we are not grandparents at the moment (nor have any plans for the near future) but we are taking into account that sooner or later we might have a few little imps running around the garden so we are designing our gardens to make it a child friendly environment.

I'm sure that you will be ok putting rubble into your old pond after you have put a few drainage holes into the bottom of it, the few inches of topsoil should be ok to grow alpines etc. in it but if I'm wrong someone else will put you right I'm sure.

Your question might be better asked in the water garden section as I'm sure you will get a more speedy answer there.Good luck Hel.xxx.

 

Thank you Helofadigger. I am new to this, so will try in the water garden section as you suggest. I can recommend the grandparenting - it gives us so much joy!

 

try looking on your local freecycle or ebay for people trying to get rid of topsoil. There is often someone around who is either having an extension onto there house and loosing part of their garden but don't want to pay for good soil to be skipped or has ordered too much and just wants it to go to a good home.

or try driving round your neighbourhood to see if any one is having an extension built and would like soil taking off their hands. Thats how I filled my raised beds.

not sure how close to Swanley in Kent you are, but here is a link

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Topsoil-Top-Soil-Swanley-Free_W0QQitemZ170198321782QQihZ007QQcategoryZ122908QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

(just looked at map, its probably a fair distance from you) :D :D

[ 10. March 2008, 01:52 PM: Message edited by: glenw ]

 

In order for turf to grow ok you want about 6" - 8" of top soil.

Fill the rest with rubble.

 

I had a client who wanted a pond filled in. When I told him how much for topsoil and compost, he said he would clear out the garage. He threw all the junk he had into the pond , then I came along topped it off with about 6" of topsoil and compost and planted it up. It looks brilliant now, what was the cascade feeding into the pond I planted up with blue Aubretia so that it looks like water, at the end going into the pond I planted a white Aubretia .

 

glad I never got to be a grand parent.
If it means you have to fill in your pond.

Drastic or what?

 

Thank you all for your advice and help. I have loved my pond, very much, but it doesn't get even close to how much I love my grandaughter. When the pond is filled I am going to have a safer water feature. Newdigger

 

Firstly, welcome newdigger to GC. I think this could be a bit of a touchy subject with some ... we have many "touchy" subjects. :D

Never a truer word spoken, pete.

I've never been a parent so obviously won't be a grandparent either. However, I find it amazing that nowadays these "drastic" measures have to be taken ... there didn't seem to be this concern ... or problem ... when we were growing up. We were brought up to respect certain things, which included ponds, and heaven forbid should we fall in ... we regretted it from the b*ll*cking we got ... not the nandy-pandy poor little thing fell in the water cr*p!

Same thing with schools ... you didn't dare go home and say you got told off ... because you got it again when you got home.

Do you seriously not want the pond? If you do want it, can you not teach your grandchildren to respect such things? It could be a learning curve for them if you had fish and waterplants for them to enjoy. I say, think again.

 

Put much better than I could LoL.

Make it safe by all means newdigger, fence it off for a few years maybe, but, unless your fed up with the pond and want to get rid of it for your own reasons, there must be a way the two can survive side by side, surely.

 

Welcome newdigger,how about thinking of a safety cover, http://www.pond-net.co.uk/?gclid=CI2N0vKxhJICFQt3MAodUXkR2g
as my learned collegues have said children have to learn,the net provide the security for those un guarded moments.

 

I would kinda agree with what you all are saying kids must be watched etc. and made to know the rules but some of the little imps are a nightmare!

One of our nephews for example when he was little and his parents were on a visit to our house he sneeked out of the room the other kids were playing and jumped in our 4ft indoor fish tank!

Since he could walk he has been in and out of trouble and as for my own children they have been angels but that still doesn't cover the what if thing! Better to be safer than sorry I think.Hel.xxx.

 

First congratulations on being a new grandparents you must be thrilled at the pleasure you are recieving.

I a Mumnot a grandmum but a great Aunt not quite the same but yes pleasure comes in to it.

Sad you must be to loose your pond but safety first .

Since it has been a pond maybe you could make it a sunken fairy garden for your grandaughter as she gets older.

Just a little thought maybe a nice project to work on.

Nice to meet you.

 

Hi newdigger, I think you absoloutly have to get rid of the pond..unless you have eyes in the back of your head...Dee..