This project focussed on creating a wildlife friendly pond border. It also incorporated the re-setting of the pre-formed pond and a new planting design to enhance the large surrounding border.
Clients’ Brief
To –
- Achieve a safe environment for the resident fish and garden wildlife who used the pond.
- Have planting that provided year-round interest as this area is visible from the house, the patio and when walking along the path to reach the home office and the lawn.
- Own a scented and colourful selection of flowering plants that would be a pleasure to look at and to sniff.
- ensure cat friendly planting
Whilst a project in itself, this wildlife friendly pond border is part of a substantial suburban garden which is being re-developed over a period of years. As such it needed to be both a free-standing design yet sympathetic to the rest of the garden.
Amusing events whilst clearing the old planting and pond are well described by the client in their testimonial (see link below). We nearly had tadpoles turning into frogs but were able to get them into their new home in time!
With a selection of plants that included British native wildflowers and shrubs, naturalised species, and sympathetic ‘foreigners’ a good planting scheme was created. This gives interest for the owners throughout the year. But, perhaps more importantly in their eyes, food and shelter for the inhabitants of the wildlife friendly pond border.
We retained the espalier apple trees that form the boundary between pond border and patio. They were in need of pruning, so a short gardening lesson on summer pruning of trained fruit trees was added to the client’s brief.
A discounted lesson on maintaining the new plants is always offered as part of the Plews planting design and garden design services. This was also taken up – and Marie had the added pleasure of an ornithology lesson in return!
Read the client’s testimonial here