Habitats.

Part two the garden pond.

Garden ponds have become life savers for Britain's frogs,newts and toads in the past thirty years. This is because so many of farm and village ponds have been filled in or polluted. Garden ponds will also benefit gardeners because the amphibians they attract will eat slugs, snails and insects. Ponds will attract bathing birds like blackbirds, which in turn may feed on tadpoles. Grass snakes may also be seen in the pond. Foxes may also be seen drinking from our garden ponds. If a pond has smooth sides then hedgehogs may fall into them but can`t climb out, this may cause them to drown. But by putting a little bit of wire mesh, hanging in the water on one corner will enable them to escape. Whether the pond is made from an old bucket or sink it will soon colonised by insects such as pond skater or lesser water boatman. May, damsel and dragon flies will also be seen flying over the pond hoping to catch flies. A few jars of natural pond water tipped into the pond will add plankton, water snails and even water beetles. Frogs and toad will eventually come across the pond, toads generally prefer deeper water to toads, so depending on the size of the pond it will determine whether you will attract toads or frogs. The frogs or toads will leave the pond,  after about two or three years they will will return to the same pond to breed. Newts to will find their own way to the pond. Long grass by the ponds edge will provide cover for the froglets when they leave the pond in June or July. Tadpoles normally prefer to be in a shallow area of the pond where it will be warmer. The resident fish will eat the tadpoles, sometimes quite a few will be taken by fish.  A rockery is a good idea for frogs and toads to hide in during the day. If there is plenty of undergrowth bank voles or wood mice may move in.

Common water plants suitable for small garden ponds.

Deeper water.

Hornwort, Water-crowfoot, Spiked water-milfoil, Curled pondweed, Willowmoss. Try to avoid plants that will quickly take over like Canadian pondweed, New zealand stonecrop and azolla.

Floating leaved plants.

Fringed, Yellow and white water Lily's, Water soldier, Potamogeton.

Shallow/ Ledge plants.

Water forget me-nots, Water mint, Yellow flag iris, Water plantain, Branched bur reed and arrowhead.

Marsh/sedge plants.

Meadowsweet, Purple loosestrife, Lady`s smock, Gipsywort, Ragged-robin, Marsh marigold, Brooklime and rushes and sedges.

After you have planted some of these plants then you should then start to attract, Mayflies, Dragonflies, Damselflies, Pond skaters, Lesser water boatmen, Great diving beetles, Whirligig beetles, Common frogs, Frog-spawn, smooth newts, Eggs from newts(Newts individually wrap their eggs in water plant leaves), Aquatic snails and maybe even grass snakes.