I have had a lot to do with ponds in the past 12 months.
Natural ones, fancy ones, clever ones and smart ones. I wouldn't say it
has been a dreamy love affair but probably more like your average project;
great enthusiasm followed by the reality of it all. The hard work is, well, hard
work. Moments of exhilaration are matched by bewilderment and a touch of pure
hatred at times.
All this is worth it of course when it comes good. There is tremendous
satisfaction when the waterfall falls where it should, when the fish re-appear
and the wildlife begin to find a new home. So if you haven't guessed by now - making
ponds is not for the feint hearted!
If you were thinking of embarking on a water project this year there are
a few things to bear in mind:
- The rewards from having even
a small amount of water is that a host of wildlife will usually appear
including dragon-flies, frogs, newts, bird life coming for a drink and
even hedgehogs having a sip or two.
- It doesn't matter how big or
small the pond is - unless you have sloped sides running into the water
the little critters can't get in or out. You may even drown a hedgehog.
- The soil you use to create
'bog' or 'marsh' areas should be very low in nutrients because nitrogen
(that is typically found in fertilizer) will feed the algae and
weeds.
- Any static water in the
natural world will incline towards become marsh and ultimately scrub
woodland. To cut across that evolution you need to intervene in some way.
This might mean having a pump to circulate the water but will certainly
mean clearing out leaves and debris every now and again to prevent silt
accumulating.
- Avoid situating a pond in shade or near heavy leaf fall.
- Even a tiny pond will
attract wildlife but the bigger the pond, the more stable the core
temperature will be and so it will be less likely to warm up to conditions
that encourage algae.
If I haven't completely put you off then do consider a pond project but please bear in mind safety considerations especially with toddlers and baby
hedgehogs!
As far as garden maintenance goes for this month there are some not-too
demanding tasks to be done at this time of year. This is just as well as I defy
anyone to be enthusiastic about gardening on a rainy February afternoon. Undertaking the following will however bring benefits later in the year:
- Spread mulch around the base of trees and shrubs. This will help them
retain moisture, keep out the weeds and retain nutrients. Avoid using freshly
chipped bark as this can actually suck out the moisture and nutrients. Anything
well-rotted is good!
- Flooding can be a problem at this time of year. If you need to walk on
your lawn or borders then planks can be helpful. Spiking the lawn with a fork
will help reduce the surface water. If it is really bad you can create tiny
channels with a spade but make sure these channels lead somewhere that isn't
going to create further problems. These channels will quickly close up in
spring.
- If the weather and your enthusiasm picks up there are many ways to
create a spring flowering container. Primula, anenome blanda, violas, winter
pansies and hellebores will all provide colour, texture and cheer.
If you are really fed up then go to a park or find in your garden to smell one of the sarcoccocca family, a daphne bholua, a witch hazel or a winter flowering viburnum.
Boy - does a nose full of one of these make a difference to a day!
Witch hazel ( Hamamelis )
