Pondlife & fish

Children in the Murdishaw area of Runcorn are to be involved in transforming an overgrown local pond into a nature reserve.

Alison Patel writes: Water coming up to a patio door or a French window that can be reached by walking over a bridge or stepping stones would make an attractive feature in any garden.

Alison Patel writes: Having a lake isn’t a pre-requisite to being able to grow water lilies and there are plenty that can thrive in Britain's colder climate.

Laura Topp writes: The great-crested newt is struggling to survive in Scotland as a result of a diminishing number of farm ponds.

Fellow wildlife lovers are being advised not to swap frogspawn because it can be detrimental to the environment.

Leigh Jackson writes: The spread of a new pond plant is putting the environment under threat, it has been claimed.

Gardeners are being urged by wildlife trusts across the county to be on the look out for baby newts when they clean up their pond this spring.

Ponds make a beautiful addition to any garden but when spring arrives and the number of algae and foliage starts to increase in response to the temperature, it can become quite a chore to maintain a pond's upkeep.

Gardeners have been asked to help protect tadpoles as one wildlife trust claims that only a handful of the creatures make it to becoming a frog.

Warmer weather brings about changes within the water of the garden pond and it is essential for gardeners to take action now to prevent an aquatic disaster later in the year, according to a leading garden pond expert.