PONDWATER

This is a picture of some of the pond after heavy rain. There is water overflowing to the left and in the left foreground. In fact is is raining again as I type. The pond is on a stream - well, a drain from the big field above the house - and is at the lowest point in the garden. It is unlined and was dug by ME - just a spade and backache. I must have been mad but there you are.

Over the last few years we have added plants such as the pale pink version of the Purple Loosetrife (we also have the darker one) Yellow flag - the sword shaped leaves - and we have the variegated one - white water lily, weeping sedge (a thug), mimulus, watercress and golden sedge to name a few.

The pond began life as a wet puddle after the building work was completed.

You can see the puddle on the top left photo.

The bottom left shows the small bridge built but the wooden boardwalk yet to be constructed.

The third image is taken from the pond looking up to the house. Blanket weed is visible in the water though this has now gone with the introduction of oxygenators to the pond.

I think the rain has set in.

I managed to get a lettuce and some rocket before it started and have picked some rather soggy raspberries for pud tonight - with crushed meringue and Brucciani's vanilla ice cream - yum.

Yesterday I went out in the rain and cleared the streams which were rather choked with grass and weeds. In the wood there is a large branch down of an ash tree. It always surprises me how many twigs and bits come off the trees in rain and wind.

It is a bit like old age.