Raining frogs at a wildlife pond near you

I AM fascinated by the way garden ponds are colonised by wild aquatic plants and animals.

Even if you only use sterile tap water to fill them and only introduce living things from a pet shop or garden centre, unexpected underwater wildlife soon appears.

The two ponds I built this year are very small and very new but it’s already starting to happen. I suspect it would be happening on an even greater scale if I didn’t have fish in the lower pond. A true wildlife pond is probably better off without them because they tend to eat the smaller creatures and even nibble on the plants – but it’s hard to resist the temptation of goldfish.