Pond life

Because of the necessity of having to spend time outdoors everyday whatever the weather, as we emerge from the long winter I tend to feel a bit battered. This is followed by a very busy period of lambing, hatching, sowing, planting and hopes that the bare garden area will eventually match the heights of the pervious Summer. In late Spring things settle down a bit and, seemingly all of a sudden, the vegetable plots and the garden are bursting with lush green growth and early summer flowers. Winter is past.

One feature that has sprung into life is the pond, installed on impulse two years ago. It is still a little under-planted but is otherwise coming along nicely. It forms the end boundary of a patio and is fourteen feet in length and four feet wide. It was once a flower bed but now has added aural interest to add to the visual and olfactory pleasures. I have added some close up photos of some of the flowers that are currently displaying themselves in and around the pond.

The pond

Water lily Nymphaea 'Charles De Meurville'

Marsh marigolds Caltha palustris

Arum lily Zantedeschia aethiopica

This iris has flowered for the first time. I was expecting 
it to be the ordinary yellow type so was pleasantly 
surprised with what bloomed.