"Place a frog on a golden chair, it will jump into the pond again " Whatever the conditions in a garden, however favorable they may be, a pond will always be an essential element in the balance of an ecosystem. Without a pond no frogs of course, but also no dragonflies, great mosquito hunters, and even worse no or few pollinating insects if the water source is too far away.
So the first step was to dig, dig, and dig again. To be completely honest, the pickaxe was not the only tool used, most of the work was delegated to an excavator. Then we drew the profile of the pond: two levels of depth are necessary to activate the internal circulation of the water.
After spreading a layer of sand, a rubber tarpaulin (EPDM) was spread. Even though our soil is very clayey, we know from experience at La ferme du Bec Hellouin that this is not enough to guarantee lasting waterproofing.
The first tenant was quick to settle in. She stayed a good week alone, before being joined by a large and very singing family. The bees also immediately took advantage of the water point, especially on the hottest days.