the pond

it probably does help to water things. i used to just let everything take its chances, which may be why some things didn't make it.............but i've taken to going out with the hose during this dry spell and it does make a difference. novelties this year include the parrot-feather thing in the pond flowering.....one anemone is also forcing its way up in the "hot bed"...........just the one, don't know what happened to the rest but maybe they're on their way.........the ginger mint and eau-de-cologne mint were not at all happy in the pot so i've moved them to the herb garden......the roots still looked alive so we'll see if they reappear......it would help if les chats did't use it as a litter tray but i guess they have to go somewhere and it's all organic.........the comfrey feed looks murky and smells foul so i've started trying it on things to see what happens....the messy bit where all the daff vegetation is will probably need some cheapo anuuals or such, i know it's good for the daffs to let it die down naturally etc but it looks such a mess while it's doing it.....
maybe more phloxes for the pondside bank as well.....
this weekend's project may be the raised veggie bed.......i've never had any huge desire to grow vegetables but it gives me a massive feeling of satisfaction to pull fresh herbs from the herb garden and my simple herb pasta is just wonderful.....plain pasta dressed with olive oil and chopped herbs........so it's off to Hopetoun again this weekend i hope.......
i built the pond two years ago. i thought about it for yonks..........knew where i wanted it to be and put carpet down to kill the grass..........read the garden book to find out how to do it........then one day rushed out and just started digging a great big hole. i dug until i couldn't physically lift the spade any more......then on the Sunday finished the hole, bought the liner, and filled it with water. it was a sign of progress in that i did actually read up on it and took advice from the books........i fully expected it to leak but it hasn't, it's now quite established with its own load of pondweed.....
i bought a water-lily kit......a little plastic basket with aquatic soil and a bulb.......put it all together and dropped it in, it sank like a stone and a huge cloud of mud came up, and i thought oh, well, that's that then.........but to my huge delight, a few months later a leaf appeared..........it grew five leaves in its first year......flowers came up but didn't open so i probably do need to clear the pondweed. the solar fountain worked great the first year but the panel was really obtrusive, it was enormous, and it didn't survive the winter.........
i don't like the fact that the liner still shows a bit especially when the water is low, but considering i'd never built a pond before i'm rather proud of it......