pond on allotment?

[nikiwitch]

hiya, yesterday we put a small pond on our allotment in the hope of attracting frogs to eat slugs, can anyone advise as to which plants to put in and around it? thanks

[Creemteez]

Hiya! It rather depends on the size and depth of your pond as to what you can plant in it. However small it is it will benefit from some oxygenating plants to help keep the water from going stagnant and give your froggie friends somewhere to hide.
Garden centres usually have a "water plant" section and hopefully someone there will also be able to give you advice.
Whatever you do DON'T be tempted by a rather attractive water plant called "Parrot Feathers" (Don't know its proper name -sorry), as it is very, very prolific and will take over completely. You can also get mini water-lilies which would be nice, but -again - it depends on the size and - more importantly - the depth of the water.
As to what you can plant round your pond, Hostas are attractive foliage plants and like damp conditions, although they are also a slug or snails' very favourite meal! Anything that provides a bit of shelter for amphibians will be a good idea. Don't forget a pile of old logs is one of the best hiding places a frog or toad could ask for, so having a few piled up with gaps between will encourage them to hang around.
Good luck!

[Snadger]

I have an allotment pond. One of my workmates was clearing some of the overgrown plants from his pond so i told him i would be a willing receptacle!
No idea what the two plants were but I threw them in the pond then threw a brick on them to sink them to the bottom. One's just getting a nice pink flower on it now!

[blackkitty]

Water forget me nots and water mint are good choices, try to have something like iris's or reeds as well, for dragonflies etc

[Paulottie]

I have Rhubarb...looks like gunnera on a smaller scale and provides shade at one end and then there are a few iris, a peony and a blackcurrant around it...i'd avoid the blackcurrant as it meant i had to fish the leaves out.

In the pond you want an oxgenating plant. canadian pond weed?...don't forget to put some rocks in at the edgeto allow things to crawl out.

[bluemoon]

I've planted juniper and hebes around the pond that I have not got on my plot because they're not allowed. . They give the small frogs somewhere to hide, I've also put large stones around to make 'houses', also for the frogs. I try to leave the grass there fairly long too.

[basketcase]

I've planted juniper and hebes around the pond that I have not got on my plot because they're not allowed. . They give the small frogs somewhere to hide, I've also put large stones around to make 'houses', also for the frogs. I try to leave the grass there fairly long too.

Good job you've not got one then... What isn't it made of?

[mythyme]

Don't want to dampen anyone's enthusiasm, but.. we put a plastic pond on our plot 3 years ago and have had huge pleasure watching taddies, frogs, damsel flies etc.. until this year when horror of all horror... leeches by the hundred. slight but only slight exaggeration. They are hiding under lily pads, stones .. everywhere and are gross!! So if you are happy with ALL wildlife have fun

[bluemoon]

Good job you've not got one then... What isn't it made of?

It's definitely not an old bath sunk into the earth, with a heap of rocks at one end so froglets can climb in and out.

[Snadger]

It's definitely not an old bath sunk into the earth, with a heap of rocks at one end so froglets can climb in and out.

I've deffo not got one of those also!

[NOG]

Dont forget to fence it if you have children on the site.

[sternyboy]

I'd like to put a pond by my veggie patch in the garden, how close is too close though? ie does it need to be a 1 or 10 feet away? Or no odds?

All advise greatly appreciated

Sorry to thread hijack, just thought it'd make sense to post here

[Snadger]

I'd like to put a pond by my veggie patch in the garden, how close is too close though? ie does it need to be a 1 or 10 feet away? Or no odds?

All advise greatly appreciated

Sorry to thread hijack, just thought it'd make sense to post here

Right in the middle would be best.........then the frogs can radiate out equally and munch all the slugs!

[Spiderling]

HI. Don't forget some steps of some sort for other little critters which inadvertantly fall in, to climb out. Cheers.

[basketcase]

It's definitely not an old bath sunk into the earth, with a heap of rocks at one end so froglets can climb in and out.

Does it have a lot of not-froglets? And what sort of plant aren't there growing round it? I ask because when I moved here I found a couple of old sinks that I just knew I'd find a use for some day. So I thought I might make a couple of pondlets. But I'd need advice, so it would be helpful to know what other people are not-doing...

I've thought of hostas, which I don't like, but slugs do and a pondlet for frogs, which slugs don't like, but they like the slugs. Also I was considering rush - of the sort you can weave. Just a small patch grown between the 2 sinks. What do you think?