Fishy Newcomers!

Chris at work

Following a serious pond pump fail and all garden electrics being knocked out, a new one was ordered and Chris came and installed another replacement.  Now it's not easy working off a narrow ladder and the pump has to be installed in a plastic crate and weighted down with bricks which would easy to throw a chap off balance. Despite being ready with the camera, balance was maintained. 

Each item inside the crate had to be wired into its place to ensure there's no movement which might restrict the float switch. All went 'swimmingly' and  Chris then explained that an elderly acquaintance of his was seeking to re-home his fish. The upshot of this was Al arriving home yesterday afternoon with 7 (yes, 7!!) buckets full of fish!!  Suddenly the water in the pond was boiling with fish. Not having any knowledge of fish keeping, I wonder how our native pond fish will cope and if we should expect more visits from Monsieur Le 'Eron!

The weird thing about the newcomers was the fact that they kept swimming around in the most turbulent areas of water with some throwing themselves up on to the pebbled beach area then struggling to get themselves back in the water again!

Save the Date!

Beating the Weather!

Cornus florida

Pieris forest flame

A recycled chair!

Cowslip (Primula veris) upstaging some  Purple Saxifrage

After the appalling spring weather we've suffered it's good to see a few things looking good in the garden. Actually, I'd say it's more a relief!!  It's definitely the year of the cowslip as our lanes are just carpeted in them and there has been much comment locally. The wild ones in the garden are no exception. A Pieris forest flame looks more like a raging inferno up on the top terrace even on a dull day!

In the Top Lawn Border, the Geums have really bulked up and spread out and make very pleasing underplanting for their arboreal neighbours as well as perfect weed suppressants!

It looks like the weather is actually warming up and maybe, just maybe, spring will be here to stay!

Geum tequila sunrise

IMPONDERABLE!

Just as the pond is settling down following very recent major rock placements, intensive weed removal, replanting and some very serious titivating..............the pump gives up the ghost. BIG SIGH!!!!  

A new one (gulp!) is on order and will hopefully be installed on Saturday. Meanwhile, I'm consoling myself with the fact that the broken pump has lasted 4 years and 1 month and it it's run for 8 hours a day so maybe I shouldn't complain.  It's just very BAD timing!

Here we have Chris installing the now broken pump: Pond Pump Installation 2014  Much water under the jetty!!

Looking settled

World Naked Gardening Day - 5th May 2018

Montague is ready to reveal all this Saturday!!

Lighting up with Leaves!

Arum italicum Marmoratum

On yet another dark and freezing cold spring day, it was a variety of leaves that stood out. The daffodils are fading fast and maybe that's why they all caught my eye on such a dark day. It was exciting to find a single Smyrnium as I've been trying to establish a small colony in the Woodland Border for a few years and it's taking ages. Still, there's only a single plant. I understand that these plants are a triennial and that once established, they'll be everywhere. I wish I could speed them up - we need their lime green colours in a shady border on a really dark day.

Also of interest is the highly poisonous Veratrum with its concertina-like leaves.  These were a present and I can't wait for them to flower down in our Poison Patch.  I understand that the sap was used by Indians on their arrow tips. Leaf well alone, I say!!

Pulmonaria Blue Ensign

Epimedium perralchicum Frohnleiten

Veratrum

Smyrnium perfoliatum

Rocking Around the Pond!

Finished pond with its newly placed rocks!

Chris levelling the Sarracenia pot

Despite the sulking dark skies and sullen clouds to say nothing of the incessant drizzle and freezing temperatures, most of Saturday was spent around the pond with Chris moving exceptionally heavy rocks and boulders and me shouting, 'Left a bit. Left a bit more!'  The very biggest and heaviest rock had always been a bit of a historical garden landmark as, since time immemorial, it had resided in the top of the Woodland Border - quite a trek from the pond!  Chris managed to roll it on to a sack truck and drag it to the pond before rolling it uphill on a wet and slippery wooden plank into position.  Well done Chris!

Other jobs done were to divide and  plant some hardy Geraniums and also plant out Lilies-of-the-Valley, move a Eucalyptus and some huge clumps of Nerines.  It was pretty heavy (pun intended) wet and miserable going in freezing temperatures.  Last Saturday in was in the 70's and yesterday it was way down in single figures.  Little wonder we Brits are always droning on about our weather!!  Where exactly did spring go??

It doesn't look much here but this was the heaviest rock of all!

Nortyculture!

Guess what! The spring sunshine has disappeared, it's freezing cold and pouring with rain. Luckily, mowing and edging was done yesterday and the newly sown lettuce seeds are germinating really fast. So here's a little light hearted offering from Pear Tree Cottage Garden on a very dreary day!

Keeping up with the Weather!

The end of another long Saturday!

It's still all go in the garden as we try to keep up!  Notice I said keep up and not get ahead! The vegetable bed has been dug (thanks to Chris) and I've now planted 4 rows of potatoes and sown beans, peas, carrots, onions, beetroots, radishes and lettuces.  The top lawn border - the wettest in the garden has now been thoroughly weeded and self set Foxgloves at the front have all been moved to the back of the border thus allowing all the Geums to fill any gaps and spread beneath the shrubs and trees.  Chris managed to scramble beneath the Beech hedge and eradicate all weeds and debris there too! He strimmed edges and just when it was time to call it a day, spotted some Bryony. Even though dusk had fallen, he dug and dug and positively mined until every bit of a huge Bryony root was removed.

Removing the Invaders!

It's difficult to imagine that weeding around a little pond would take all afternoon!  Well actually more than that as it went on well into evening. two reasons, wet soil - especially around the margins and more importantly removal of as much Lysimachia as was possible. I have never pruned Dogwoods this late in the year as usually, they're all done in early March.

Anyway, 'tis all now done! Chris has placed a stepping stone at the entrance to the jetty and we have reshaped the grass border and its levels. Having replanted some pretty striking stripey irises near the Jetty, the plan is to allow the Symphitum to grow down towards the edge of the jetty. Where we had planted Lysimachia to hide the electric box, there is now a low growing conifer stolen from the bottom of the Sofa Border! Lysimachia was just far too invasive and it just flopped everywhere. After yet another day's rain; will I ever get around to edging the grass with long handled shears and the half moon edger???