Build your own paradise pond

Once, a long time ago, I ran a frog helpline. In fact, this was Britain’s only national frog helpline – a support line people could ring if they wanted to know more about frogs and how best to provide them with good wildlife habitats.

It was niche, low-paid work (later killed off by the ease of internet search engines) but it was deeply rewarding at the time. I was, after all, being paid to speak to fellow pond-lovers. These were people who understood the value of ponds for attracting invertebrates, newts, grass snakes and, of course, frogs.

But it was clear from speaking to callers that their ponds were about more than just animals – they were places of quiet tranquillity, spaces for ecological interaction, places for memorable encounters with the natural