Suggestions for what to put in a drained pond

Perhaps not the best forum for this (please tell if so) but here goes:

We're currently renting a house for a short period, it has a pond and we have a 3 year old and we're not happy with the safety of the pond. I've looked into pond covers but they're too expensive for the time we're going to be in the house so I'm going to drain the pond while we're there (there are no fish by the way).

Rather than look at an ugly pond liner, I would like to put something in the empty pond that will look nice and be removable when we leave the house and fill the pond back up. I was maybe thinking of fake grass and pot plants, but I haven't a clue really.

The pond is irregularly shaped and is 13' x 9' in the longest dimensions. It's surrounded by shrubs as the picture maybe shows (taken on my phone so not the best).

Any ideas would be most welcome.

Thanks.

 

Hello MatW, I presume you have to leave the garden as you found it when you leave? (all be it in a year or so)

Lets see what you can do.

1) Fill it full of sand, make sand pit

2) Fill it with soil make a bog garden

3) Fill it with something else

4) Cover it

If you fill it with some thing, that something will have to be removed again, that’s not going to be a joy full task.
What ever you fill it with will get wet, the water will sit there and turn stagnant because it can’t get away because of the liner.

I think your only real option is to cover it, with a large sheet of plywood for example, it will keep the young one safe, you can walk across it, when its time to go, lift up the cover and instant pond.

 

I'm surprised its possible to rent a house with a pond in the garden.
A house thats rented around here even had the greenhouse demolished, presumably because its not safe to rent it out with all that potential broken glass.

If your there short term, its probably best to cover it as WG says.

 

The easiest option would be to get a sheet of "weldmesh" and put it over the pond and peg it down. I've used that in the past in rented houses. Quick and safe, no need to drain the pond and the natural vegitatation will grow through it.
you'll be able to leave the pond as you found it when, if you leave the house you remove it.

http://www.pyramidsteel.com/products/images/weldmesh_fence.jpg

 

Thanks - will get a quote for the weldmesh and see how it compares to the other price I had.