Noel says that a small pond only needs a container half sunk in the ground, or to make a bigger one, use a good quality pond liner over a layer of sharp sand. Liners may get damaged, often through the later use of forks or spades. Throwaway paving stones (easy to find, he says) can be cemented together on top of the liner, making a version of crazy paving. Disguised by the water, the paving is ready to resist those forks or spades.
It’s true, fragments of paving are often left around, but if the thought of gathering them is off-putting, be comforted that Noel’s company, Frognal Gardens, will do the whole job for you, from making the pond to stocking it with suitable plants. This winter, he and his team have made seven new wildlife ponds, mainly in North London. One of his established wildlife gardens is visible outside his old school, UCS, Frognal Lane, NW3. There are also ponds, but hidden from the street.
Noel has a small, fascinating nursery for wild-but-cultivated plants in Belsize Park, where he experiments with growing methods and builds up his collection. It is only open by arrangement (members of Heath Hands had been there just before my visit) because the plants are for use in the gardens he makes for clients.
Mainly, these plants are raised from seed gathered in the wild, from species such as meadowsweet, wild carrot, meadow buttercup, devil’s bit scabious, campion. Traditional gardeners may not have valued them till recently, but butterflies, moths and other invertebrates always have. To include just the right plant for a particular insect in a garden is an invitation to biodiversity.
So thank you to West Hampstead Community Centre, Dornfell St, NW6, for hosting this talk … their website shows the wide variety of activities they offer.
Noel Brock’s company makes all sorts of gardens, not just wild ones. www.frognalgardens.com
He recommends LBS Horticulture, Lancashire for pond-making supplies.
Things to do:
- Get the 2026 National Gardens Scheme (NGS) London handbook, the “Yellow Book” (from libraries, garden centres, etc) listing private gardens open to visitors. The lovely Olden Community Garden, Whistler St, N5 1NH, opens Sun 19th, April 2.00 – 5.00 pm. In May, many N London gardens are listed.
- Highgate Horticultural Society Spring Show, Sat 11 April, Pond Square Chapel, N6 6BN, 2.00 – 4.30pm.
- There’s still time to make a wildlife pond.
- Let the weather warm up more reliably before sowing/planting anything tender, but chitted potatoes can go in. Their early leaves may get caught by frost, but if so, they should send up new ones.
- Enjoy the cherry blossom, it won’t last.
Plant Heritage Spring Plant Fair, Sat 25th April, 9.30 to 2.00pm, St Michael’s Primary School, North Rd., Highgate, N6 4BJ.
