News: September 2003

In Gardener's World broadcast on BBC2 this evening, Monty Don and Chris Beardshaw showed how they have begun to create a new wildlife-friendly pond at their Berryfields garden.

It wasn't exactly the sort of wildlife pond you'll find in the average suburban garden - actually it looked big enough to accommodate a couple of hippos! The BBC didn't spare any expense with this pond; a two foot thickness of clay was imported and puddled to make the impermeable liner. Although it is great to see such a spectacular feature being created, I do feel a little sad that it used techniques and materials and operated at the kind of scale that most viewers cannot aspire to. Nevertheless, some of the design considerations will apply equally well to smaller ponds.

One of the great things about this pond is that all the thousands of people who have seen it being created will be able to follow its progress over the years and, hopefully, get a close up look at the wildlife which moves in. I daresay that it will inspire a few more modest ponds up and down the country.

Space For Nature.