Friday 13th April 2007 - Weather: overcast but lovely and warm

Adding a couple of photos of the pond. It is now in the final stages and is as twee as can bee! I think my darling would like it to be slightly more grown up, but I like it to be fun, and once the plants all grow I think it will look more settled. (It is the floating plastic ducks he dislikes, but they are the childrens!) At the very front, before the new turf I have raked the ground hard, top dessed the grassy area and reseeded it. The area was quite bald anyhow due to an old climbing frame we had there, and after all the work, what was left of the grass was in pretty bad shape. I will post a photo in a few weeks once this all greens up and the pond plants start to grow.

To the left of the pond as you look at it is a boggy area which now has 2 gunneras planted. The dark looking soil is actually upturned turves that were left over. They will help keep the soil in place whilst everything roots, and will break down and enrich the soil for the bog lovers. At the base is a slate retaining wall. The gunneras are covered in old fern fronds at the moment just until no more frosts are threatened.

To the right is the pot on it's side full of pebbles which has water trickling from it. Here we get the sound of running water and the pond receives some oxygen.

The leaping green fish was mums, given to her by nan, and now it is in our pond looking rather splendid I think. Some of the plants we have are marsh marigolds, a selection of different iris, including a varigated one which I received from Shirlton on the a4all site. There are a couple of reeds, couple of lillies, arrowleaf, umbrella leaf (I have no idea what those two's proper names are) and a few other bits and bobs. I would like the whole back shelf full and at least another 2 waterlillies, but they don't come cheap, so will keep my eyes peeled on things like Freecycle and sales.