Avon Wildlife Trust
Mini ponds will attract and support wildlife
Mini ponds are great! They will attract and support wildlife, including dragonflies, frogs and newts. Plus they can become feeding grounds for birds, hedgehogs and foxes. Mini ponds can be as small as a washing up bowl or old sink and do not need to cost a lot at all!
Here are some local mini ponds...
Mini pond (C) Stephanie Sharkey
Sophie Bancroft photo of tom Wilmott's mini pond
Stephanie Chadwick
Grenville's mini pond in Bristol, BS5
Lapis2380
I've always known that adding a container pond was the best way to attract more wildlife to my garden, but for some reason it took me ages to finally get around to doing it. It wasn't even hard, and my daughter has never nearly fallen in it, one of my initial fears.
Since finally installing it, I have been obsessively checking it, we have been through the usual phases of midges and gnat larvae but then today, around 3 months later... a frog!! It's far from being a perfect pond but it has plants, it has rainwater and now it is home to a frog. I'm absolutely over the moon, it's been the most joy sparking thing i've ever done in my garden.
How to make a mini pond
The Warmley Community Nature Reserve proudly presents: How to make a mini container pond. Jean shares her garden and advice about how to make a mini pond, just like she did in her garden in South Gloucestershire with an old sink.
- Choose your spot - partial shade and not under a tree is best.
- Make the container water tight. Sinks are already watertight and don't need pond lining.
- Add gravel, sand and rocks to the bottom. Rocks allow creatures to climb in and out.
TIP: Play sand is great! - Add a ramp.
- Add water - rain water is best!
- Add plants. Jean added minature water lily, lesser spearwort, starwort and flowering rush. She also added hornwort t add more oxygen to the pond. It's also great to add plants around the edge of the pond, such as ragged robin and purple loose strife.
TIP: Visit the Grow Wilder wildflower nursery, pond and bog garden section. - Watch and wait for wildlife to visit!
Avon Wildlife Trust
More about mini pond plants
Sophie Bancroft
Sophie Bancroft
Shaun Waycott
Sophie Bancroft
Sophie Bancroft
Sophie Bancroft
Grow Wilder is an ideal place to visit for pond plants, advice and inspiration - from mini ponds to large community ponds. The wildflower nursery sells plants online and in site, you can also see the plants groing around the reserve.
Recommended, tried and tested mini pond plants include:
- purple loosestrife
- marsh marigold
- brooklime
- water mint
- creeping jenny
Mini ponds in community spaces
Stephanie Chadwick
Anna Williams
Sophie Bancroft
Mini ponds in community spaces are important habitats for many species. In summer months they may dry out and need to be topped up (or not). They can add an interesting water feature to the garden, no matter the size of the garden. In a community space they may also provide inspiration for residents nearby to create a mini pond in their own garden, which may link up wildlife corridors locally.
All small actions for nature collectively make a huge difference.
Really Wild Lockleaze mini pond creation (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SA8hh1SM4pk)
Really Wild Lockleaze
Really Wild Lockleaze created this video about mini ponds, how important and amazing they are for wildlife.
Resources
(C) Hannah Bunn
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