Creating ponds to encourage wildlife

Creating Ponds to Encourage Wildlife

Ponds are a great way to encourage pest predators into your garden

Creating a pond in your garden will increase biodiversity and encourage pest predators, which in turn will help with any pest problems you may have.

In my garden, I have a small pond near my vegetable patch, which is home to 2–3 frogs. These frogs prey on slugs and snails, so I'm very happy every time I see them hopping around.

Creating different zones of depth in your pond

Your pond doesn't need to be very deep to succeed. Something about the size of an old shower tray will do the trick, as long as it's at least 15–20 cm deep. You don't need to dig it in either, just place it on the soil surface.

To encourage animals, such as frogs and toads, to use it, you'll need to create entry and exit points using bricks, sticks and stones.

What plants work best in ponds?

Whatever the depth of your pond, you'll need to add oxygenator plants so that life can survive in it. Native oxygenators include hornwort, water crowfoot and willow moss.

Different plants can survive at different depths. In ponds, these are broken down into zones. Knowing the different depths in your pond will make it easier to shop for appropriate plants in garden centres and online.

Zone 1: the outer edge and in the shallowest area – bog plants

Zone 2: 15 cm depth – marginal depth plants

Zone 3: 40 cm depth – deep marginal plants

Zone 4: more than 40 cm depth – deep water plants or floating oxygenator types

Zone 5: on the water surface – floating plants, including lilies

Recommended plants for each zone

These plants are all native to the UK, so they're great for wildlife ponds.

Zone 1 (Bog plants) 0 cm – these live on the pond edge and are moisture-loving plants:

1. Marsh marigold, Caltha palustris: One of my favourite flowers, the large sunny yellow flower cups sit amongst shiny dark green rounded leaves. They are a great source of pollen for insects and make a beautiful sight gathered en masse around a pond.

1. Lesser water plantain, Baldellia ranunculoides: Great for small ponds, this plant has little lilac flowers with yellow centres. As it creeps, this plant can cover pond edges as well.

1. Water-forget-me-not, Myosotis scorpioides: Another favourite of mine, I think this plant looks beautiful alongside marsh marigold, with its clusters of little sky blue flowers dotted between butter yellow cups. The leaves of this plant are used by newts to lay their eggs. This plant can also enjoy a marginal position in zone 2.

1. Brooklime, Veronica beccabunga: This plant is good for small ponds. Similar to water-forget-me-not, constellations of dark blue flowers bloom all through the summer. The foliage offers shelter for tadpoles.

1. Pillwort, Pilularia globulifera: This grassy looking fern can develop into a creeping mat around the pond edge. It is sadly in decline across the UK and is protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act.

Zone 2 (Marginal) up to 15 cm depth – these are shallow-water plants:

1. Water-forget-me-not, Myosotis scorpioides: see zone 1.

1. Watermint, Mentha aquatica: There are many varieties of water mint, and like garden mint, it spreads enthusiastically. It will also be happy in zone 1. Water mint has clusters of lilac flowers atop long stems, which appear between July and October and are great for pollinators. Water mint can be used just like other mints in foods and drinks.

1. Yellow flag Iris, Iris pseudacorus: This tall Iris (40–100 cm) is crowned with yellow flowers. It can take over a small pond, so keep it in its pot. It offers great protection for pond dwellers in its rhizome root system and is great for emerging damsons and dragonflies.

1. Flowering rush, Butomus umbellatus: Much loved by dragonflies, this beautiful rush produces pinkish red umbells of flowers. It's best in larger ponds, where it can be planted directly into the ground, but can also be grown in large pond baskets. It can reach 100 cm in height.

1. Bogbean, Menyanthes trifoliata: With clusters of white star-like feathery flowers atop spikes, this plant gets its name from its broad bean-type foliage. Best for larger ponds, it's also suitable for zone 1.

Zone 3 (Deep marginal) up to 40 cm depth:

1. Flowering rush, Butomus umbellatus: see zone 2.

1. Water lily, Nymphaeceae alba: The UK's only native water lily, this archetypal pond plant offers plenty of habitat for wildlife, both in and out of the water. It is best suited to larger ponds.

1. Mares Tail, Hippuris vulgaris: This prehistoric-looking oxygenator has whorls of blueish green needle-like leaves, arranged on spikes that emerge from the water. It provides great cover for aquatic life. Though it has a similar name, this is not the weed that is impossible to get rid of.

1. Yellow flag Iris, Iris pseudacorus: see zone 2.

Zone 4 (Submerged) 40 cm+ depth – oxygenators:

1. Rigid hornwort, Ceratophyllum demersum: Great for small ponds, this plant is entirely submerged.

1. Spiked water milfoil, Myriophyllum spicatum: This plant is also entirely submerged, apart from little insignificant reddish flowers on spikes that can be seen above the water surface.

1. Water violet, Hottonia palustris: The feathery leaves of the water violet, which remain submerged, create a real underwater-world feeling. The plant also has elegant stems holding little lilac/white flowers. The flowers only appear between June and July, but the underwater foliage offers cover for wildlife.

Zone 5 (Floating):

1. Frogbit, Hydrocharis morus-ranae: This plant looks a little bit like a water lily, but floats freely on the water's surface.

1. Water soldier, Stratiotes aloides: This plant is classified as 'near threatened'. As the name evokes, sword-like leaves pierce through water-like soldiers and the foliage is sometimes described as looking like a pineapple top. This plant looks lovely alongside water lilies.

How to create a pond?

1. Fill your pond with rainwater, either naturally or with water from a water butt.

1. Add exits and entry points for toads and frogs. Use logs, bricks and stones to help them get in and out of the water.

1. Add your oxygenator plants, which will float around in the water.

1. Add in plants at different depths around your pond. Lower plants into the pond at an angle to prevent soil from spilling out of the pots.

Your assignment

Decide what to plant in each zone of your pond