I've recently started helping an elderly gentleman with his garden, which has been neglected for 20 years due to his mental health issues. Among the tasks I've tackled are mowing the lawn and trimming hedges, but there's a large pond that hasn't been used in all that time, taking up about a quarter of the yard. It's surrounded by clump-forming bamboo that needs managing as well. The owner doesn't want to reuse the pond, and the liner might be damaged. I've read about filling it with hardcore and then covering it with topsoil, but that's overwhelming for me, and I'm concerned about the impact on soil health and wildlife. I was wondering if it's feasible to fill it with old pallets, logs, and wood chippings we have, and then put a couple of tonnes of sand or topsoil on top for some shade-loving shrubs or ground cover. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
1 Answer
First off, if the pond isn't concrete lined, I’d recommend removing as much of the plastic as you can. You could definitely fill it with green and brown garden waste like you mentioned—it's kind of like hugelkultur, which can help with soil fertility over time. Just be cautious with using pallets since we're not sure what chemicals might be in them, especially things like MDF. Those can release harmful substances as they break down.
I stood in the pond yesterday; it's definitely not concrete lined—squelchy and soft in some areas. I won't use MDF, for sure. We're also considering replacing the old fence that's been there for 20 years and is quite rotten. Using those blue pallets might be fine since most of the others are treated and safer. Just thinking how beautiful the pond must have been back in the day; it would have cost a lot to maintain!