Last September I finally became a true wildlife gardener when I completed a sizeable garden pool. I constructed it as is required in all the books with a ‘beach’ with a gentle slope for the animals which come to drink to use. I’d had accidents with hedgehogs in my tiny lily pond so I wanted to do the right thing. Now in the summer I keep the pond topped up so that the border plants keep their feet in water but a good deal of the lining rubber has been exposed. Crunch, crunch, crunch, along came a hedgehog yesterday, failed to make a beeline for the beach but instead stepped onto the rubber and slid straight down. As I ran to bring aid he just about managed to struggle out of danger. My question is whether anyone has used a material to lay over the liner which has grip for little feet and won’t immediately rot (or poison the water). I’m considering sacking. I could anchor it down with the pots on the first ledge. On the unused beach I’ve put a hessian-style mat from IKEA.
