Simon Avery wrote:

"TWStannard" wrote:

Hello TWStannard

T Anyone have any experience of this type of pond? How does
T one go about the 'puddling' and how durable are they?
T Contemplating building a water feature, and as I live on
T solid clay, it could save me a tonne of money and lifting!

It was the only option before concrete and liners, and since then
isn't much used.

It /can/ work well, apparently, but only if the ground is naturally
wet all the time anyway - ie, a low lying boggy area with a stream.
And if the water level drops then the clay dries out where it's
exposed and cracks.

One way round might be to line the pond edges with sacking so that it acts
as a wick and keeps the exposed area damp. Presumably it would need more
frequent topping up with such a system. However, deep rooted water plants
will eventually break through the puddled clay anyway and cause leaks. We
have a smallish pond in our boggy bit and are happy enough for it to be
periodically dry (we have other lined ponds) and eventually fill up with
irises.
Anita


Lot of work too, which is why most are done with liners these days.

--
Simon Avery, Dartmoor, UK Ý http://www.digdilem.org/

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Dr Anita Malhotra e-mail:
School of Biological Sciences Tel(direct line): + 44 1248 383735
University of Wales Bangor Fax: + 44 1248 371644
Gwynedd LL57 2UW
United Kingdom
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