We've decided to get rid of the "frog pond" we've had for over thirty years, it's as old as the former koi pool. The problem as you will see from this photo taken earlier in the year, is that the roots of the big acer palmatum have pushed up the perimeter coping slabs The problem as you can just about see from this photo taken earlier in the year, is that the roots of the big acer palmatum have pushed up the perimeter coping slabs by several inches, which I set on a thin concrete collar around the pond. The drainpipe I fitted to the pool between the slabs and the liner for the pool to overflow through when it needed to, is now three inches higher than the water level. We're also concerned that when we open the door in the fence to let 'arry roam, other hedgehogs are likely to come into the garden. Over the years, one hedgehog drowned in that pond, despite the fact that it has had rocks at one end for decades to let new frogs get out. Fortunately, hasn't fallen in yet, although he's all over the rockery, as sometimes he leaves his "calling cards." Hedgehogs are known to be able to swim, but they can still drown if they can't find the provided escape route. We used to have a lily in this pond, but as the acer has grown, it was permanently in the shade and didn't do well. I gave it to a neighbour three years ago for his goldfish pond and it's thriving. We've had fewer and fewer tadpoles in the pond over the year and this year's small clump died off. So my plan is to remove most of the perimeter slabs and the collar and liner. Fill in the hole and use the perimeter York stone slabs to pave over it leaving more space for the acer. We've still got some water with fountain. We'll still get some frogs in the garden as we always used to get them before we had any water in it.
As it was dry I made a start on this this morning. Of course within an hour, it had started to rain a bit but I carried on.. Draining the pond is easy enough, I've done it every February to give it a clear out before the frogs got "at it." I've an old pond pump I keep for this purpose. I pump it into the channel between the brick edging of the lawn and the border. It's about 6" deep. It'd had all drained away from the channel within minutes. After clearing out the odd branch etc., I cut out the liner. Actually there were two liners. It had developed a leak about fiften years ago and I put a new liner on top of the old one and recemented the coping. What I found was a big root of the acer had grown between the two liners and part of it under the concrete collar and up towards the Japanese lantern! After clearing out the odd branch etc., I cut out the liner. Actually there were two liners. It had developed a leak about fiften years ago and I put a new liner on top of the old one and recemented the coping. What I found was a big root of the acer had grown between the two liners and part of it under the concrete collar and up towards the Japanese lantern! Then a question of using a crowbar to remove the York stone and concrete collar. It didn't put up much resistance. I had to use a lump hammer and bolster chisel to remove the concrete from the York stone. Then cut out what was left of the liners. Ending up with this. A go over with the jetwash and they didn't come up too bad. I've chucked some ericaceous compost over the root for now. But I'll go out this afternoon and get a few bags of it. Also some fine concrete mix for the left hand side of the remnants of the collar. I want to make it wider as I walk along that bit to get to the fence behind the lamp when any pruning is required, or if I ever need to change the bulb in the lamp. I'll use what's left of the concrete I removed to go under where the collar will go, as hardcore. I won't be doing any concreting today. But I'll fill the hole with the compost, as I don't want 'arry to fall in it and not be able to get out. I'm sure he'll make an inspection of my handywork tonight, as he's quite inquisitive.
"Pond Gone!" It took six 60ltr bags of compost and one of top soil to nearly fill it and I still need another bag. I gave it a good watering when I'd finished filling it. No one has any bags of fine mix concrete, so I'm not going to widen the little path up to the lantern, it's not as if I'll slip into the pond now. There's four coping stones beyond the rock in the midddle of the phlox bank on the rockery, that I'll need to re-cement to the collar. They are just loose-laid at the moment. I'll do that at the week-end. I'll also do a bit of pointing at the same time and sort out the end of the lawn edging bricks where they meet the path. I might get some cyclamen, for the the bit to the left of the acer.
It's not exactly what I wanted. In an ideal world I'd have carried on with more brick pavers to extend the arc as far as where the pool collar is under the lantern, then paved everything to the left. I could still do this if the materials I need became available, but they won't any time soon. Certainly not the pavers.
Thirty years is quite a legacy for the "frog pond." Considering the Acer's growth and the tadpole situation, it's cool how you've adapted. Repurposing the space with more room for the racer sounds like a great idea. Change can be refreshing, and who knows, you might still have some froggy visitors despite the pond update. Speaking of change, have you ever thought of using a roll a die tool? It could add a fun twist to your garden plans. Best of luck with your garden transformation!
We've tried putting different plants in there but the canopy of the acer shuts out too much sun for stuff to thrive. So I just keep it weed free and have let the acer grow further over it, when it was still a pond I used to cut it back a bit to allow in a bit of light.
