We recently moved our little wildlife pond that we have at the allotment. When we moved it we decided this time we wanted to make more of a feature of it as well as make it attractive to a variety of wildlife.
Ponds are such a great way of attracting wildlife to gardens and allotments. Frogs and newts will obviously love it but there are other animals that will appreciate it too like dragonflies and water beetles. When selecting plants to go around your wildlife pond it is important to consider the size and setting of the pond as you don't want to plant anything that is invasive or that will take over and overshadow or cover the pond. You also don't want anything too close with roots that could damage the pond lining.
Popular plants for using around wildlife ponds include:
Bleeding Hearts
Though this is a plant i have and love i don't yet have one nearby my wildlife pond though I've read it is a popular one used as a pond border.
Hostas
Hellebores
Hemerocallis
Anemone
Really though what you plant around your wildlife pond, as long as you've considered my previously mentioned points, very much depends on what you want to look at or use if you plan on cutting the flowers for posies and bouquets.
As you can see in the photo we have put the small pond in, surrounded it with some stones on one side with a bug house. On the other side we have planted a 'Honesty Purple and White' which is one of my favourite perennials.
Honesty
is loved by bees when it is in bloom. Depending which variety you have you'll get a beautiful display of purple of white blooms in the summer and then you'll get seed heads which are equally as beautiful. When dried the seed heads can be harvested for use in dried flower bouquets and displays. As mentioned, the flowers are loved by bees and other insects, the foliage, as it is large and can cover quite some space, is also good for shade loving creatures so having this Honesty plant nearby the pond will offer shade for frogs and other creatures once it grows large enough.
Other than this I've not finished planting around the pond and have space ready for planting when I've decided what I want to put in. I'll share some updated photos once the pond surround is finished so you can see which other plants I go for.
is loved by bees when it is in bloom. Depending which variety you have you'll get a beautiful display of purple of white blooms in the summer and then you'll get seed heads which are equally as beautiful. When dried the seed heads can be harvested for use in dried flower bouquets and displays. As mentioned, the flowers are loved by bees and other insects, the foliage, as it is large and can cover quite some space, is also good for shade loving creatures so having this Honesty plant nearby the pond will offer shade for frogs and other creatures once it grows large enough.
Other than this I've not finished planting around the pond and have space ready for planting when I've decided what I want to put in. I'll share some updated photos once the pond surround is finished so you can see which other plants I go for.
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