Ponds and Wetlands

Kniphofia praecox around pond

Directing rainwater

into a stone-edged stream

Place the pond where water naturally

Purple flowers of Senecio speciosus

Keep some open water for dragonflies

Pooling naturally

The water pools in the flat section; a beach offers valuable wading area

Cyperus are natural pond plants

Water capture

This narrow stream captures water from 2 areas; the steep slope that edges it, and the stormwater from the roadside and house platform above.

Cyperus species

A narrow shelf of water lilies

Add height

Trees, shrubs, and reeds soften the hard materials helping the pond to blend naturally into the plant habitat.

Make it an entrance showstopper

A faux-rock pool screens the front entrance to the house while providing a beautiful habitat for wildlife.

Ornithogalum juncifolium

Enjoying a bathe

Small birds are happy to bathe here, able to dart quickly behind a rock or plant when feeling threatened.

Catering for many

A waterfall keeps the water clean and provides a shallow shelf for small birds. The deeper pond is home to a few fish, dragonflies, frogs, and other aquatic creatures.

Keep the pond water healthy

This small waterfall helps to oxygenate the pond water.

Edge with flowers

Dragonflies and frogs feed on the insects attracted to these flowers.

Bulbine latifolia

IMG_1555Add shelves to the pond shel

Direct the runoff

Intelligent design is critical to capturing and using the water that falls on your property.

A wildlife pond in a traffic island

The entrance to this residential estate on the KZN South Coast is not too busy, but is dominated by hot, tarred roads. This pond is a beautiful entrance design but also provides habitat and a stepping stone for animals as they negotiate the road.

Find the best position

This pond edges the driveway and collects valuable runoff. Plants help to filter dust, oils, and other pollutants on the tarred surface.

Red-hot Pokers

No South African garden should be without these worldwide favourites. They thrive in normal garden situations, but look best around water features; here, they provide sustenance for birds and insects like dragonflies. Frogs will find shelter beneath the arching leaves.

Shallow pond with water lillies

Pond edge plant habitat

Add dense plant habitat around the pond for both an attractive garden and as foraging and hide-away sites for wildlife.

Water-edge plants

Kniphofias (Red-hot Pokers) are a must around ponds, providing beauty, as well as pollen and nectar for insects and birds.

Wildlife pond design

Add shelves for small water plants that prefer just their feet getting wet.

Pond pumps

This small submersible pump helps to oxygenate the water.