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Hand building a clay pond

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GemmaJF View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote GemmaJF Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 Aug 2014 at 6:50pm
Can't wait Will! Today it was really nice just to have water back in the garden, things feel right again. I've really missed the dragonflies and damselflies too, excellent for scaring friends and family LOL
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Iowarth View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Iowarth Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 Aug 2014 at 8:11pm
Nearly 3 years since you first "announced" the project on here. But the wait has been well worth it for us and I am sure all the work has been well worth it for you!

Well done Gemma (and helpers!) - it's looking good. I hope the natural wioldlife wastes no time colonising it!

Chris
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Co-ordinator, Sand Lizard Captive Breeding Programme (RETIRED)
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Tom Omlette Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 Aug 2014 at 11:29pm
looks bloody awesome gemma well done Thumbs Up
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Paul Ford Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 Aug 2014 at 8:17am
Very impressive Thumbs Up
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GemmaJF View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote GemmaJF Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 Aug 2014 at 9:42am
Thanks guys, the water is beginning to clear now. Overnight the water level dropped a few inches, but I can clearly see the culprit is a breach in the clay liner. This is where I re-profiled the top edge yesterday and took a bit too much out. As might be expected, the breach is in the most inaccessible side, so I'll be sitting in the nettles on the side of the bund this afternoon patching it over! This seems to me the big advantage of the clay compared to concrete and plastic liners I've used in the past, it's so much easier to fix if there is a problem.

This morning the garden is full of birds, the local flock of sparrows we call the 'Squadron' visited and all the young lined up around the edge of the pond to drink whilst the parents watched over them. I think Suz coined the line 'just add water' to bring life to a garden, how true that is! Smile

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Suzy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 Aug 2014 at 1:59pm
Ponds - always something interesting. Yesterday I was sat reading by my newish large pond when a male banded agrion damselfly landed momentarily nearby. Never seen one of those here before.
Suz
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote GemmaJF Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 Aug 2014 at 4:20pm
I use to see banded agrion, though I think we called them demoiselles, when walking along river Stour in Suffolk, not seen any locally though. Beautiful creatures to watch in flight. Don't know if Keith sees these along the Stour in Sudbury?

Most likely fist dragonfly to use our new pond will be Broad-bodied Chasers, they seem to be particularly attracted to new ponds, and also happen to be one of my favourites to watch. Smile

Got back from shopping this morning to start work on finishing the pond, and soon after the sky went very black and the heavens opened. Did though manage to clear the bund a bit before the rain, so at least the job of fixing the pond will be a bit more comfortable now (I won't have to sit in nettles and dried brambles!). The bit I have cleared used to be a favoured basking spot for grass snakes, so they'll probably appreciate it being a bit more open again now too.
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GemmaJF View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote GemmaJF Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Aug 2014 at 10:41am
A quick update on the pond.

We've found we are still losing about an inch of water overnight after repairing any obvious damage.

I've done more research and though the mixing subsoil method we used is often recommended I have my doubts about it. It is very easy to say miss a patch a few inches in area or end up with very thin coverage in places. Particularly it's very easy to pick up a patch of the liner on the bottom of a welly when walking about on it!

I've found a different method called the 'blanket' method. Here a relatively thick layer of the Bentonite is applied as a single application. Then soil is added over this and compacted. The big advantage is it is self-sealing. If the clay liner is punctured there is a whole layer of partially reacted bentonite ready to expand and fill the hole. It reminds me the way self sealing fuel tanks worked in WW II.

I've ordered an entire ton (40 bags) of bentonite to apply a new blanket layer to the pond.

At this stage I'm looking at it as the glass is half full (pond???), as we now have a perfect shell to apply the blanket layer to and have a well established top edge. The only problem right now is we need to keep topping up so the existing clay doesn't crack in the sun!

I've got some plants now too, I'll do a full list when I plant them up. I collected a couple of specimens of very common plants from a favourite childhood pond and also ordered white water lilies and a Frog & Tadpole pick and mix from here: http://www.puddleplants.co.uk/Frog-Tadpole-collection-wildlife.html



Just got to wait for my ton of Bentonite to arrive Smile



Edited by GemmaJF - 20 Aug 2014 at 10:42am
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Suzy View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Suzy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Aug 2014 at 12:18pm
What a bgr Gemma! So you will  have to siphon out the water, I guess. Good luck with it all, enjoying reading your progress.
Incidentally has any wildlife moved in already?
Suz
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GemmaJF View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote GemmaJF Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Aug 2014 at 1:26pm
We'll hire a submersible pump to get the water out Suz, it was pretty impressive last time and shouldn't be too much hassle to do. 

Starting to see dragonflies about we also have some tiny water beetles swimming around already

It is only taking a ridiculously small trickle of water to keep it topped up, but as we all know it only takes a tiny leak for a pond to lose a lot of water in a day!



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