In article , Jane Ransom
writes
In article , Roz Cawley
writes
I was thrilled when I had a new wildlife pond and bog garden installed a
couple of weeks ago - but not so thrilled to see that the landscape
gardener had lined the pond with the subsoil that he had excavated from
"the hole" - because our subsoil happens to be horrible, yellow clay,

I thought you wanted a bog garden?

Yes - indeed I did - but even in a bog garden, I think plants appreciate
*some* decent quality soil. They have a little more of that now, with
six sacks of (my own) compost dug in to enrich it a little, and handfuls
of flints also taken out.

unlike the better, though sandy topsoil that he buried/left in a heap at
the side of the garden :-((.

What would you have *wanted* him to do with this?

I appreciated him leaving the soil, but would have appreciated it more
if the topsoil had been saved separately from the lumps of yellow clay.
Fortunately, it is bone dry at the moment - so easier to separate
(because of course, I have 28 hours in every day to do this! :-))


We set in a small pond last year and it has taken about a year for it
to clear - and it was a plastic pond which we did our best to keep soil
out of, not entirely successfully.

The soil lining the pond is to provide hibernation protection for all
the frogs and toads that we *hope* will arrive there. I have plenty of
toads in my garden - but no frogs - no chance, with al the fish that
used to be in there (but are now removed and residing in the shell that
was previously on the same site.

The best way with a pond it to make sure you have plenty of surface
hugging plants and lots of patience. Work with nature - forget
chemicals.

I would be only to happy to, Jane - appreciate the advice. Now to seek
out some more surface plants.

Thanks!

--

Roz Cawley
Autumn Cottage Diary http://www.autumncottage.co.uk