SCYTHING THROUGH LIFE

So let me get the scything stuff out of the way and then I can rabbit on about ponds.

My scythe is the one on the left - a biy grubbier than some. This is at a scything day I spent at Sprint Mill, Burneside with Steve Tomlin.

I thought I knew a bit but I was wrong - it was an excellent day, good weather and company and I came home with both more knowledge and backache.

For anyone local there is an exhibition later this month at the mill for the county wide arts thingy - C-Art - http://www.c-art.org.uk

You can find Steve Tomlin on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Steve-Tomlin-Crafts/280214245392604.

If you go do take a look at the interior of the old mill - it is fantastic and a work of art in its own right. If you go on a sunny day the effect of the light shining through the windows onto the stuffed interior is magical.

So back to PONDS, well one pond, well one and a smidgeon.

Here is the planted article - I know there does not seem to be much in there but there is and they will spread. At one point R and Gary Primrose were in the water - which they said was not too cold - planting flowering rush and arrowhead amongst other things.

The waterlilies we had rescued were potted up to give us four plants. Each was put into a black basket with fine holes and filled with aquatic compost. Then a layer of slate chippings was placed on the surface to stop the compost floating away. Next these were lowered into place by rope.

 You can see the cobble beach - a ton of stone barrowed down to the pond from the top with only one lighter moment when the weight of the wheelbarrow and stone left Gary holding the rubber handle covers as the rest set off down the slope.

I thought at this moment I would talk about something else in the garden - texture - especially bark. Ash is grey and relatively smooth, aged oak is deeply furrowed, cherry has horizontal banding but my favourites are the birches.

The top is the white birch of which we are getting another 15 to supplement the 6 we possess at present. The lower brown birch trunk is the one I got free with a heap of labels off Yeo Valley yogurt pots.
Some people wash the trunks of their white birches but I have enough to do (what with ponds and things).
The older trees then get moss and lichen on the bark to enhance the appearance.

And now the nights are getting cooler, the leaves on the ash are yellowing, some even falling, the birds are singing again, the swallows and martins gathering for the long trek south. Soon winter will be upon us and the drawn out nights.

However - I will be able to stop mowing the lawn - so there is a good side to everything - I think.

The warm days are too short.

Time to weep in a cup of tea.