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#1
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Filling in a garden pond
We have inherited a pond in the house we have bought but have decided to
fill it in. We do like the pond but our garden is tiny and it takes up half the space. Plus we have begun to think long term. Ie starting a family and feel that it is just easier/safer to fill it in a gain a bigger garden aswell. I was wondering what would be the best way to fill to pond.. we will be digging up lots of concrete slab, will these be ok? plus any ideas of the best way to rehome the fishes? we dont know anyone else with a pond! Many thanks Cheryl |
#2
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Filling in a garden pond
In article , "Cheryl" writes: | We have inherited a pond in the house we have bought but have decided to | fill it in. | | We do like the pond but our garden is tiny and it takes up half the space. | Plus we have begun to think long term. Ie starting a family and feel that | it is just easier/safer to fill it in a gain a bigger garden aswell. If you have a tiny garden, that would leave nowhere for the children to play but IN the pond! Messy .... | I was wondering what would be the best way to fill to pond.. we will be | digging up lots of concrete slab, will these be ok? Yes. How deep is it? It may need less filling in than you think. DFo remove any liner before filling it in, if you want to plant anything (even a lawn). | plus any ideas of the best way to rehome the fishes? we dont know anyone | else with a pond! Advertise here, on Ebay or local newsagents. If you have good-sized goldfish, they are worth money. Regards, Nick Maclaren. |
#3
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Filling in a garden pond
We filled in a pond by filling it partly with rubble and topped off with
soil (just remember to put a few holes in the liner with a garden fork). Then planted some bog loving plants the pond liner holds the water and the plants are now thriving. Its a nice alternative to filling it in and growing more grass. We didn't have any fish so we didn't have this problem. "Cheryl" wrote in message .uk... We have inherited a pond in the house we have bought but have decided to fill it in. We do like the pond but our garden is tiny and it takes up half the space. Plus we have begun to think long term. Ie starting a family and feel that it is just easier/safer to fill it in a gain a bigger garden aswell. I was wondering what would be the best way to fill to pond.. we will be digging up lots of concrete slab, will these be ok? plus any ideas of the best way to rehome the fishes? we dont know anyone else with a pond! Many thanks Cheryl |
#4
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Filling in a garden pond
"Cheryl" wrote in message .uk... We have inherited a pond in the house we have bought but have decided to fill it in. We do like the pond but our garden is tiny and it takes up half the space. Plus we have begun to think long term. Ie starting a family and feel that it is just easier/safer to fill it in a gain a bigger garden aswell. I was wondering what would be the best way to fill to pond.. we will be digging up lots of concrete slab, will these be ok? plus any ideas of the best way to rehome the fishes? we dont know anyone else with a pond! Many thanks Cheryl Be prepared to feel guilty when a lot of frogs turn up next spring looking for their pond! Lol |
#5
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Filling in a garden pond
On 4/6/06 21:11, in article
, "Cheryl" wrote: We have inherited a pond in the house we have bought but have decided to fill it in. We do like the pond but our garden is tiny and it takes up half the space. Plus we have begun to think long term. Ie starting a family and feel that it is just easier/safer to fill it in a gain a bigger garden aswell. I was wondering what would be the best way to fill to pond.. we will be digging up lots of concrete slab, will these be ok? plus any ideas of the best way to rehome the fishes? we dont know anyone else with a pond! Please, please don't fill it in! Fence it with vertical or netting fencing or look at putting in one of those just-below-the-surface metal grilles but do keep it. Children have grown up beside rivers, seaside, harbours, lakes and ponds for centuries. Take reasonable precautions but keep it! Aquatic wildlife is struggling to survive for just this sort of reason, so please consider enclosing your pond while necessary and imagine the future joy your children will get from observing the wildlife as it comes and goes. We have 3 ponds here and a now 5 yo grand child. She is absolutely riveted by the arrival of the frogs and toads in their dozens each spring, begs to be taken out to see them on their march to the ponds on rainy nights, delights in the spawn and then the tadpoles and spends quite some time trying to find the little fingernail sized toads or frogs once they emerge. Visiting children to this nursery are mesmerised when I feed the fish and they surge to the surface for their lunch. Fence it. -- Sacha www.hillhousenursery.co.uk South Devon (email address on website) |
#6
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Filling in a garden pond
"Sacha" wrote in message ... On 4/6/06 21:11, in article , "Cheryl" wrote: We have inherited a pond in the house we have bought but have decided to fill it in. We do like the pond but our garden is tiny and it takes up half the space. Plus we have begun to think long term. Ie starting a family and feel that it is just easier/safer to fill it in a gain a bigger garden aswell. I was wondering what would be the best way to fill to pond.. we will be digging up lots of concrete slab, will these be ok? plus any ideas of the best way to rehome the fishes? we dont know anyone else with a pond! Please, please don't fill it in! Fence it with vertical or netting fencing or look at putting in one of those just-below-the-surface metal grilles but do keep it. Children have grown up beside rivers, seaside, harbours, lakes and ponds for centuries. Take reasonable precautions but keep it! Aquatic wildlife is struggling to survive for just this sort of reason, so please consider enclosing your pond while necessary and imagine the future joy your children will get from observing the wildlife as it comes and goes. We have 3 ponds here and a now 5 yo grand child. She is absolutely riveted by the arrival of the frogs and toads in their dozens each spring, begs to be taken out to see them on their march to the ponds on rainy nights, delights in the spawn and then the tadpoles and spends quite some time trying to find the little fingernail sized toads or frogs once they emerge. Visiting children to this nursery are mesmerised when I feed the fish and they surge to the surface for their lunch. Fence it. I think it's a shame even to fence it but otherwise I couldn't have said the above better. We have ten grandchildren, only Samuel, ever fell in and he deserved it - he was eight and just got muddy and smelly. The first thing Mia, the 3 year old, does when she visits is to drag me to our pond - to look for frogs and anything else she doesn't have the chance to see anywhere else. The older boys have made little boats to 'sail', have had the privilege of naming fish (when we had them) and have had no end of fun. The older girls have sat romantically round it on summer evenings. Sam's own garden has a huge pond which he helps to clear and yesterday he'd fixed the pump so that last night's wedding anniversary and birthday party would have a spectacular focal point. He knows all the wildlife in it - not just frogs and newts - and to my surprise all the plants which grow in and round it. He's now eleven and has more knowledge than most children of his age simply because of his pond experiences, which are denied to others. This is an inner city child by the way, not a country lad from a well heeled family. A pond is a great educational opportunity for all ages as well as giving the extra dimension of a water feature. It also increases the range of plants you can grow. Do think again before you destroy it, it's not just a bit of water, it's a valuable habitat for many rare as well as common species. As for perceived danger, well a child can fall anywhere and damage itself. If you're worried about corners being knocked off you'll have to keep children restrained and in your sight at all times. That's no life for anyone. Save yourself some work and increase your joy. Mary |
#7
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Filling in a garden pond
"Mary Fisher" wrote in message t... Sam's own garden has a huge pond which he helps to clear and yesterday he'd fixed the pump so that last night's wedding anniversary and birthday party would have a spectacular focal point. He knows all the wildlife in it - not just frogs and newts - and to my surprise all the plants which grow in and round it. He's now eleven and has more knowledge than most children of his age simply because of his pond experiences, which are denied to others. This is an inner city child by the way, not a country lad from a well heeled family. Sorry, that should have been about Edmund, Sam's younger brother. Mary |
#8
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Filling in a garden pond
Sacha writes
We have 3 ponds here and a now 5 yo grand child. She is absolutely riveted by the arrival of the frogs and toads in their dozens each spring, begs to be taken out to see them on their march to the ponds on rainy nights, delights in the spawn and then the tadpoles and spends quite some time trying to find the little fingernail sized toads or frogs once they emerge. Do you also take her down to the pond at night with a torch? During breeding season there are far more frogs in there than you'd believe from daytime spottings (we counted 170 this year). And newts are far easier to spot at night. -- Kay |
#10
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Filling in a garden pond
"June Hughes" wrote in message ... Well, well. Mary Fisher! How are you, Mary? Like statistics, broken down by age and sex. Still alive and kicking though .... I agree with everything you say. A pond is a great source of joy and interest in the garden and it is just as easy for a toddler to wander into the local paddling pool in the park as it is to fall in the garden pond. We looked at the grids that go under the surface a few weeks ago and although one would not suit my particular pond, it is worth pursuing for those who are worried about safety. I suppose so but I really don't think it's necessary. If people were so concerned about safety they'd never get in a car again :-) Mary -- June Hughes |
#11
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Filling in a garden pond
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#12
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Filling in a garden pond
Sena wrote:
.. I agree, and I'd also agree that it doesn't need to be fenced off. Children learn soon enough where not to play, and even if they do fall in (they probably won't) then it's just a bit of an adventure. Instead of scolding, just shove the clothes in the bath and the children in the washing machine (or vice versa if you really must) and let the morrow be another day. We (collectively) wrap our children in far too much cotton wool these days, and IMO we are damaging them by NOT letting them have mishaps. I'm a mother myself, BTW, with 5 children ranging in age from 18 to 6. http://www.righttoswim.co.uk/facts/d...from%20DTI.pdf There were 90 fatal drowning incidents involving children five and under from 1992 to 1999; relating to garden ponds (62) swimming pools (18) and other water containers (10). Garden ponds are the main problem but less than 1 in 5 occurs in their own garden. Most pond incidents occur in - neighbours gardens 39%, relatives 29% or friends 10%. 80% of pond incidents occur in other people’s gardens. Overall, 73% of all the drowning incidents do not take place at the child’s home. Current advice appears to concentrate on protecting ponds/pools in your own home from children. The data suggests a much broader view may be necessary to reduce such incidents. Summary – Garden Ponds • Over the last eight years 62 children, aged 5 and under, have drowned in garden ponds. This is an average of eight a year. This is relatively constant. • Over 85% involved one or two year old children. • Boys were involved in 79% of these incidents. Boys would appear to be more adventurous or more attracted to ponds than girls. • Only 18% drowned in their own gardens. • 29% drowned while visiting, or being cared for, at a relative’s home. • 10% drowned while their parents were visiting a friend’s home. • The largest percentage (39%) drowned in a neighbour’s pond after wandering away from their own home or the home of the people they were visiting. • Boys are more likely to wander into neighbour's property than girls. Neighbours account for 45% of all garden pond incidents involving boys. For girls the figure was 13%. http://www.nationalwatersafety.org.u...ardenponds.htm The figures show that only a small percentage of drowning deaths occur in garden ponds and thankfully, despite the increase in popularity of water features in gardens, the statistics are not showing an increase. However there is no room for complacency and it is important to take preventative measures to try and reduce the fatalities in garden ponds, one death is too many. Children between 1 and 2 years are particularly at risk. Water holds a fascination for this age group and a young child will investigate any water present in the garden. Toddlers mobility increases at a tremendous rate once they start crawling and they can quickly escape parental supervision and get into difficulties. Whilst mobility is increasing quickly, stability and co-ordination remain poor. Therefore a toddler who falls into a garden pond, even a shallow one, will find it difficult to regain their balance and stand up. Also it is not until the age of 4 or 5 years that children begin to understand the concept of danger and can begin to heed the warnings given to them. If you have young children the Forum advises you to take out garden ponds and water features until the children are older, consider converting the pond into a sandpit. Also, check the garden regularly to ensure that containers that may have filled with rainwater are emptied or sealed to prevent children gaining access. Make sure that children cannot gain access to water butts or similar tubs by sealing them, consider not having them in the garden whilst children are young. Empty paddling pools after use and turn them upside down or better still put them away, so that if your child does escape your supervision they are not at risk of drowning. If parents wish to retain a pond then measures must be put in place to prevent unsupervised access by young children. Consider installing a rigid mesh or grille across the pond to create a secure cover. The grille needs to be able to support the weight of a child and should remain above the surface of the water at all times. If the grille is below the surface of the water, even a couple of centimetres, it is still possible for a child to fall face down into the surface water and drown. The grille or mesh must not sag and should be checked regularly, particularly after heavy rain when water levels may have changed. If there is room, consider erecting a fence around the pond area and ensuring any gate has a child-proof latch or lock and is self-closing. Ensure that there are no gaps in the fence that a small child could squeeze through and avoid horizontal railings that make the fence easier to climb. A fence that is at least 1.1m in height with vertical railings not more than 100mm apart will present an obstacle that is difficult to climb to most toddlers. ### 80 deaths a year of children under 5 in garden ponds & pools is 15% of ALL deaths of children under 5 http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloa...31/DH2No31.pdf If you are still happy to dispense the advice in your post, then on your conscience be it. pk |
#13
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Filling in a garden pond
"p.k." wrote in message ... ... one death is too many. So never, ever, put a child in a car. Mary |
#14
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Filling in a garden pond
p.k. wrote:
80 deaths a year of children under 5 in garden ponds & pools is 15% of ALL deaths of children under 5 http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloa...31/DH2No31.pdf ignore the calculation here, it is gibbersish! The rest is valid quotes from official sites. pk |
#15
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Filling in a garden pond
As someone who fetched the limp body of a 3 year old out, of a neighbour's
pond, where she should not have been, but had crawled through the fence, on Maunday Thursday Afternoon of 1963, and brought her round, thanks to receiving Life Saving Instructions some 5 years earlier, I couldn't agree more. Mike -- ------------------------------------------------ Royal Naval Electrical Branch Association www.rnshipmates.co.uk |
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