Gardening Together with Diarmuid Gavin episode 4: This week he helps design a garden for Nichola McGregor in County Antrim, who wants to bring a bit of France to her garden in memory of her late partner. He also offers advice for gardeners with a bit of help from exotic plant expert Conrad McCormick and shows us how to rejuvenate a pond in your garden.
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Diarmuid Gavin invites us into his own garden paradise, encouraging everyone across the country to get gardening together. He’ll be taking calls, answering questions and offering dozens of great practical tips.
Gardening Together with Diarmuid Gavin episode 4
Pond care
Ponds are a lovely addition to any garden and can provide a rich habitat for a range of wildlife. However, without care ponds can soon become an eyesore with overgrown plants, weeds and water that is unhealthy for fish and other wildlife. Occasional cleaning and regular maintenance are required.
Water evaporates during windy or hot weather, leading to the water level dropping. The reduced surface area can be damaging for fish as there’s less oxygen available, so top up the pond if necessary. Ideally use rainwater from a butt as tap water is rich in nutrients that causes algae to prosper.
If you do have to use tap water and you keep fish, add the tap water gradually in small amounts to prevent the cold liquid shocking the fish in the pond
Floating weeds can quickly cover the surface of a pond if left unchecked, so twirl these out with a stick or use a net to scoop them out. Leave weeds and algae on the side of the pond overnight, so that larger creatures can return to the water. Rinsing the material in a bucket of pond water can help release smaller creatures which can then be returned to the pond
