There was only really one place in the school garden area that was suitable for the pond that the children had asked for, and that was to the right of the main path before the Gardening Club bed and the Dorset Cereals Garden.
Many months of planning and scouring the
internet took place before the final decision on the size and type of pond was reached. Lots of photos of other school ponds were looked at and many considered not good enough for our school.
What we wanted had to be, not so small, that it became choked with vegetation. Not too shallow, so it dries out too easily in a hot summer. Not too deep, that a child can't be easily reached and yanked out. Deep
enough for good pond dipping, with a reasonable sized platform to
accommodate several children safely at once. With a bank to use up the spoil from the pond, that can be planted with wild flowers. Also a bog garden so that a wide selection of pond wildlife will be encouraged to colonise the area. And for the wildlife, a shallow beach so that if they fall in by accident, they can climb out.
And finally, we needed a good pond contractor who knew what he was doing and who would construct a pond to last for a long time without maintenance. And here it is...
This was the plot that was picked for the pond. It was marked out with a yellow hose to start with, extended in size over time and finally marked out with paint by
Goddards the landscaper
whilst consulting with Samantha and Helen, on the day before commencement.
The first day of work mid August
A hole in the ground, a bog garden and a bank... really!
Tall posts for the pergola that will cover the main path. Short posts for the safety fence. Nice, smooth, soft sand to line the pond. Well it was smooth when they left that evening, but...
Overnight the resident school fox and by the look of it some of her pals, had a sand bunker party and trampled all over the smooth sand!
Nothing that couldn't be put right.
A soft blanket layer went over the sand, then the really thick liner and finally some water.
The pebble edging goes down. Larger pebbles mixed with small ones.
The framework for the dipping platform is laid.
Pond nearly full of water and the platform nearly finished.
A sturdy all weather platform that will feature information and safety boards on the back wall.
Finished!
Willow entrance tunnel
