where to dig a pond

I have a sloping garden under a southerly cliff the sun goes from left to right if I am facing the cliff and hte highest part of the garden is nearest the cliff. Where is the best place to dig a pond? and please what is the smallest it could be to support a duck and frogs? - I havent got either of these yet but have an idea I would like to encourage them - doves too if I ever get clever enough to build a dovecote as I heard on Radio 4 that it was the best manure for compost.

 

Lapod,any chance of a picture of your garden - it would help if we could visualise.
However one thing is certain, if you only want a small pond, then a duck(s) is not a good idea. My neighbours found that out, when a duck laid her eggs and raised her ducklings in her garden - it took her fair sized pond a good while to recover from their assault.

 

Digging a pond in a sloping garden is interesting, to say the least - we're doing exactly that - and getting the edges level in all directions is fun! But it can be done. As Fran says, a photo would help us to suggest where to site it, but from a practical point of view, the point with least slope in all directions would be a good starting point...

It's very good exercise, BTW - and our technique involves a lot of use of pickaxe and mattock, as well as fork, spade, shovel and wheelbarrow :rolleyes:

 

Oh sorry I am not in the least bit technical and havent got a digital camera scares me witless - rather dig two ponds.

Yes thanks Fran I'll give the duckies a miss till we reclaim a bigger space - that saved me a lot of hassle. Dendrobium the point that is most level is bordered by mature fuschia bush/trees on one side is this a problem? they shed a lot of flowers but are very established and provide windbreak - Is there a way round this? We really do have severe westerly wind here.

How deep are you going?

 

We're going for a metre at the deepest point, with a shelf round the edfge, and double shelf towards the back, whic is leading to a boggy bit, leading in turn to the wildlife corner at the very back of the garden. We don't have a wind problem, fortunately.

I'd say there isn't a problem about the fuchsia bushes, so long as you're not thinking of having a boggy area by the pond, as I'm not sure they'd appreciate that. Only thing is the fishing out of the flowers that fall in the water.... But you'd have that to a certain extent anyway.

Any chance you could draw the garden plan in Paint, or something like that, and send the file to me as an attachment, and I could put it on here for you? Or would you rather dig 3 ponds? :D

 

Another N.Ireland member. Welcome to the forum. I built a wildlife pond this year and like you my garden is sloped. I have a few photos I could email you if you like showing how I got by the slope in the garden.

John.

 

If you are facing the cliff and the sun goes from left to right then is it not a North facing cliff? Does the cliff cast shade into the garden?
I would persume that at noon the sun is shining from above or behind the cliff.
What size pond and what is the slope angle like? I am wondering whether it would require the building of a terrace or if the slope is gentle enough it is just a matter that it will be quite a steep wall on the upslope side ( potential for nice water feature). I built a pond in a sloping garden but set it as a formal pond in a patio that was built on a terrace. Slightly raised edge and full of frogs and newts. Ducks will eat the tadpoles as well as fouling the water and trampling the plants.

 

hi lapod,
People in the next village to me, had a pond put in their property. On a slope, of about 10%, unfortunately the person who put the pond in, had no idea and just dug a hole, lined it with clay and left. It filled from a spring, but if you can imagine a cereal bowl on it's side, then you can imagine the pond, the bank at the lowest point wasn't built up to make the pond deep or even round the rim. It was left as a gaping indent in the slope with a puddle at the bottom. It cost them a fortune, and the rest of the garden was ruined by the use of a small digger. with caterpillar tracks. But that's what you get when you get the chuckle bro's in to do the work.

 

Sorry, that should read level round the rim.

 

I know its some what late, but i have only just joined.

Never line a pond with clay.

1) Clay needs to be kept wet 100% of the time. If it dries out it will leak when water level rises.

2) It can be expensive

3) Clay must be at least 50cm thick to avoid breaking up.
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Uneven ground for a pond is easy (most of the time) The soil you dig out you put at the "shallow end" to build it up, but you must let it settle down.

fill pool sides / base with 2 inches of sand or special liner underlay, then lay liner, fill, leave to settle then trim underlay
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Ducks / wild fowl in pond

Don't

They create a lot of mess, (stiring up the bottom) their feathers get everywhere, their poo also contaiminates the water.

it works in big ponds due to the volume of water, but as most domestic ponds are small, do not encourage wildfowl

[ 14. January 2007, 11:48 PM: Message edited by: watergarden ]