A homeowner who wanted a little more nature in his yard was amazed at how much the wildlife appreciated the change. They posted an adorable video on Reddit to introduce the upgrade.
“I added this pond to my yard this year,” they said, describing the makeover as a container pond with native plants.
Their video shows the process of creating the pond, which mainly involves digging a hole and placing a large plastic tub – originally a water trough – in it.
“I filled it with rainwater and five different species of native aquatic plants,” they explained in the video, listing pickerelweed, raccoon tail, mosquito fern, swamp sunflower and katniss.
Native plants, especially flowers, are a big draw for local wildlife, who rely on them for shelter and food. This makes them ideal for homeowners who want to see their yard full of life and activity – especially those who want to support pollinators.
This is also easy because native plants are adapted to local conditions and are therefore easy to grow and keep healthy. Additionally, they are cost-effective because they can rely on natural rainfall rather than requiring supplemental irrigation.
This homeowner was happy with the results. “I’ve had tadpoles before and several frogs call this place home,” they said. “Even this winter I've seen birds bathing, which I probably rarely see because I don't really have a 'beach' for them.”
Dragonflies and a bumblebee were also seen visiting the pond in their video.
Commentators wanted to follow their example. “How did you get frogs and dragonflies so quickly?” asked one user. “If I was lucky, it would be infested with mosquitoes in May.”
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“I did have a few mosquitoes, but nothing serious, and I also had a few predatory diving beetles that I think ate some larvae,” the original poster said. In another comment, they added: “I'm pretty sure the dragonfly came with one of my plants. When they came I examined them and saw the larval stage. The frogs came on their own. They probably needed a place to spawn.”
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