Pond

I've been talking about getting a garden pond since last year. Yesterday, we finally finished it.


It's a bit hard to tell from the photos, but it measures 3.5m long x 2.5m wide x 0.75m deep. Last Saturday, Darren and I took up the turf. SuperMum came round on Thursday and by the evening we'd got most of the digging done. There was time for a bit more digging after tea and then we packed up for the night.

We got up at 6.15 on Friday morning and recommenced work early (stopping for tea and cake). I then proved myself incapable of even using a spirit level correctly, but we managed to get the edges just about level and put in the underlay and liner (£42 from eBay).

Mum had to leave before it was full of water, but I managed to supervise the hosepipe, trim the liner and tuck it under the turf (I had to stop and lie down on the lawn a couple of times but got there in the end).

All the soil (moved by hand in plastic tubs, without a wheelbarrow!) is in a heap in a corner of the garden, where it should provide hidey-holes for a variety of insects and maybe even some amphibians and reptiles. Indeed, before the pond even had any water in, the spoil heap attracted a male Black-tailed Skimmer.

It does bear a passing resemblance to the Big Brother logo, but this is absolutely unintentional

At one end there's a pebbly 'beach' to permit bird-bathing etc. I have caught Darren dangling his feet in it twice so far, but I think he might stop that when we get some leeches...

Less than 24 hours after the pond was filled, a Pond skater has taken up residence! Quite a few other insects have visited, but by accident...

I have not felt so tired in a long time. Now I need to talk nicely to those kind people who offered to donate pond plants...

photos taken with Canon EOS 30D, EF 300mm f/4L IS USM or Canon Powershot A640